Update from GU President, Part Two - the Timeline
Timeline of Negotiations
On Friday, October 6, 2006, protestors occupied and ultimately barricaded Hall Memorial Building (“HMB”), the University’s main classroom building. Shortly thereafter, the DC Police and Gallaudet’s Department of Public Safety evacuated specific campus buildings in response to a bomb threat that appeared to be related to the student protest. Despite repeated University requests, the protesters refused to leave HMB and allow classes to resume.
On Saturday, October 7 and Sunday, October 8, the Interim Provost Michael Moore, the Dean of Student Affairs Carl Pramuk, and the Executive Director of Enrollment Services Deborah DeStefano, met repeatedly and for several hours at a time with the identified group of protest leaders. At every meeting the protestors would send in a different team of negotiators. This made the negotiations difficult since the university representatives were always dealing with a different group of people who brought different demands. These meetings did not result in resolution of the situation.
Throughout Monday, October 9, the protestors continued to occupy HMB and the University received another bomb threat. However, the University moved and rescheduled classes and remained open.
By the afternoon of Monday, October 9, the University believed it was close to announcing a peaceful resolution, having obtained a signed agreement with the president of the Student Body Government (SBG), who held himself out as a leader among the protestors. However, he subsequently rescinded his signature.
On October 9, the University again called for the protestors to cease their occupation and the protestors refused to do so.
The University moved and rescheduled classes and remained open throughout Tuesday, October 10.
On the evening of October 10, the Interim Provost Michael Moore, the Dean of Student Affairs Carl Pramuk and the Dean of the Laurent Clerc Center Dr. Katherine Jankowski were identified as the University representatives who would meet with four SBG representatives to resume negotiations. At around 10 p.m., both parties agreed to specific negotiation ground rules and all seven individuals signed a joint press release announcing the negotiation team and agreement on ground rules. The joint press release was distributed to the campus community shortly before 1:00 a.m. on October 11.
At approximately 3:00 a.m. on Wednesday, October 11, protestors physically barricaded all entrances to the campus by forming “human chains” in the paths of all pedestrians and cars seeking to enter or exit the campus, including the main entrance on Florida Avenue. By this time, protestors included students, faculty, alumni, parents and others.
After meeting with District of Columbia police and University officials for three hours on Thursday, October 12, certain of the protest leaders agreed to open the 6th Street side-entrance to the campus. However, other protestors refused to abide by this agreement, and all entrances to the campus remained closed. Drs. Fernandes and Jordan met with a group of seven faculty members to discuss ways in which to reach a peaceful resolution of the campus lockdown.
On Friday, October 13, DC Police and University officials, including Dr. Fernandes, again met protest leaders to request that they allow the campus to reopen.
On the evening of October 13, President Jordan issued a statement announcing that the University had exhausted all means of communication and negotiation with the protestors. He stated that University would allow the protest to continue at the front of the campus at the main Florida Avenue gate, but that access to the campus would be restored so that the educational activities of the University could resume. President Jordan also asked the University Department of Public Safety, their consultant, and the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department to take actions necessary to reopen the University.
On the evening of Friday, October 13, the University police began arresting protesters. The arrests were peaceful, proceeded without incident, and there were no injuries. During the evening and into the night of October 13, certain of the protestors started three separate fires. Protestors then denied access to the Metropolitan Fire Department the second time they were called to the scene. The Fire Department sent a fire inspector to the campus, who informed University officials that the school would be fined if the Defendants continued to block the Fire Departments access and that those who blocked fire trucks could be subject to arrest. Following the arrests the 6th Street side gate to the campus was reopened early in the morning of Saturday, October 14. The main entrance on Florida Avenue remained blocked.
Since the morning of October 11 and continuing to the present, protestors have cut off or significantly restricted access on and off campus. Protestors have used physical and verbal intimidation to deter those seeking to enter or exit the campus. When Dr. Fernandes drove to a side entrance of the campus on Thursday, some protestors surrounded her vehicle to try to stop it from entering. Security lifted these individuals out of the way before she could enter the campus. Only individuals with heavy security protection have been allowed to enter or leave campus. Protestors also have marched into the Department of Public Safety building and demanded that either those security people not currently on duty leave campus or the head of security leave.
As a result of the protesters actions, the campus has remained closed and classes have not taken place since October 11. The University is particularly concerned that the protestors have halted classes for the child development center and students in elementary and secondary school at Kendall Demonstration Elementary School (KDES) and Model Secondary School for the Deaf (MSSD). KDES students are bussed to the campus from around the D.C. Metropolitan region, and the protestors’ blockade would have prevented these busses from entering the campus. Most MSSD students reside on campus, but are currently off campus visiting family or friends because the weekend of October 13 was already scheduled to be a “closed weekend.” MSSD students are due to return to campus on Monday with classes scheduled to resume on Tuesday, October 17.
Since October 11, protestors have halted the educational process of both undergraduate and graduate students enrolled at the University. The protests caused the disruption of scheduled mid-term exams. The University estimates that of some 1,900 hundred enrolled students, fewer than 400 are among the protestors.
Finally, the protests have also suspended all University services offered to the District's deaf, hard of hearing and deaf-blind clients, community mental health services, as well as all University sponsored conferences, seminars, and other University activities.
On Friday, October 6, 2006, protestors occupied and ultimately barricaded Hall Memorial Building (“HMB”), the University’s main classroom building. Shortly thereafter, the DC Police and Gallaudet’s Department of Public Safety evacuated specific campus buildings in response to a bomb threat that appeared to be related to the student protest. Despite repeated University requests, the protesters refused to leave HMB and allow classes to resume.
On Saturday, October 7 and Sunday, October 8, the Interim Provost Michael Moore, the Dean of Student Affairs Carl Pramuk, and the Executive Director of Enrollment Services Deborah DeStefano, met repeatedly and for several hours at a time with the identified group of protest leaders. At every meeting the protestors would send in a different team of negotiators. This made the negotiations difficult since the university representatives were always dealing with a different group of people who brought different demands. These meetings did not result in resolution of the situation.
Throughout Monday, October 9, the protestors continued to occupy HMB and the University received another bomb threat. However, the University moved and rescheduled classes and remained open.
By the afternoon of Monday, October 9, the University believed it was close to announcing a peaceful resolution, having obtained a signed agreement with the president of the Student Body Government (SBG), who held himself out as a leader among the protestors. However, he subsequently rescinded his signature.
On October 9, the University again called for the protestors to cease their occupation and the protestors refused to do so.
The University moved and rescheduled classes and remained open throughout Tuesday, October 10.
On the evening of October 10, the Interim Provost Michael Moore, the Dean of Student Affairs Carl Pramuk and the Dean of the Laurent Clerc Center Dr. Katherine Jankowski were identified as the University representatives who would meet with four SBG representatives to resume negotiations. At around 10 p.m., both parties agreed to specific negotiation ground rules and all seven individuals signed a joint press release announcing the negotiation team and agreement on ground rules. The joint press release was distributed to the campus community shortly before 1:00 a.m. on October 11.
At approximately 3:00 a.m. on Wednesday, October 11, protestors physically barricaded all entrances to the campus by forming “human chains” in the paths of all pedestrians and cars seeking to enter or exit the campus, including the main entrance on Florida Avenue. By this time, protestors included students, faculty, alumni, parents and others.
After meeting with District of Columbia police and University officials for three hours on Thursday, October 12, certain of the protest leaders agreed to open the 6th Street side-entrance to the campus. However, other protestors refused to abide by this agreement, and all entrances to the campus remained closed. Drs. Fernandes and Jordan met with a group of seven faculty members to discuss ways in which to reach a peaceful resolution of the campus lockdown.
On Friday, October 13, DC Police and University officials, including Dr. Fernandes, again met protest leaders to request that they allow the campus to reopen.
On the evening of October 13, President Jordan issued a statement announcing that the University had exhausted all means of communication and negotiation with the protestors. He stated that University would allow the protest to continue at the front of the campus at the main Florida Avenue gate, but that access to the campus would be restored so that the educational activities of the University could resume. President Jordan also asked the University Department of Public Safety, their consultant, and the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department to take actions necessary to reopen the University.
On the evening of Friday, October 13, the University police began arresting protesters. The arrests were peaceful, proceeded without incident, and there were no injuries. During the evening and into the night of October 13, certain of the protestors started three separate fires. Protestors then denied access to the Metropolitan Fire Department the second time they were called to the scene. The Fire Department sent a fire inspector to the campus, who informed University officials that the school would be fined if the Defendants continued to block the Fire Departments access and that those who blocked fire trucks could be subject to arrest. Following the arrests the 6th Street side gate to the campus was reopened early in the morning of Saturday, October 14. The main entrance on Florida Avenue remained blocked.
Since the morning of October 11 and continuing to the present, protestors have cut off or significantly restricted access on and off campus. Protestors have used physical and verbal intimidation to deter those seeking to enter or exit the campus. When Dr. Fernandes drove to a side entrance of the campus on Thursday, some protestors surrounded her vehicle to try to stop it from entering. Security lifted these individuals out of the way before she could enter the campus. Only individuals with heavy security protection have been allowed to enter or leave campus. Protestors also have marched into the Department of Public Safety building and demanded that either those security people not currently on duty leave campus or the head of security leave.
As a result of the protesters actions, the campus has remained closed and classes have not taken place since October 11. The University is particularly concerned that the protestors have halted classes for the child development center and students in elementary and secondary school at Kendall Demonstration Elementary School (KDES) and Model Secondary School for the Deaf (MSSD). KDES students are bussed to the campus from around the D.C. Metropolitan region, and the protestors’ blockade would have prevented these busses from entering the campus. Most MSSD students reside on campus, but are currently off campus visiting family or friends because the weekend of October 13 was already scheduled to be a “closed weekend.” MSSD students are due to return to campus on Monday with classes scheduled to resume on Tuesday, October 17.
Since October 11, protestors have halted the educational process of both undergraduate and graduate students enrolled at the University. The protests caused the disruption of scheduled mid-term exams. The University estimates that of some 1,900 hundred enrolled students, fewer than 400 are among the protestors.
Finally, the protests have also suspended all University services offered to the District's deaf, hard of hearing and deaf-blind clients, community mental health services, as well as all University sponsored conferences, seminars, and other University activities.
posted by I Bleed Buff and Blue @ 3:49 PM
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