Four students are facing disciplinary proceedings in the Dean of Students office after they were allegedly involved in an assault at the cannon early in the morning of Oct. 3.
According to the Tufts University Police Department (TUPD), one student, later identified as senior Sam Dangremond, editor-in-chief of The Primary Source, filed charges claiming that three other students assaulted him while he was standing guard after painting an American flag on the cannon with members of his conservative publication. The alleged assailants, seniors Adam Carlis, Lou Esparza, and Liz Monnin, have also filed a complaint with the Dean of Students Office, alleging that it was Dangremond who assaulted them when they attempted to add to the Source's design.
Dangremond told the TUPD that he was assaulted and his case was referred to the Dean of Students Office. Dangremond has repeatedly refused to comment on the alleged incident or designate a spokesman to speak on his behalf.
Esparza, Carlis, and Monnin are members of the Coalition for Social Justice and Nonviolence, which is frequently ridiculed in the Source, as are many other liberal groups.
The Coalition members would not comment on the alleged incident and referred questions to senior Danika Kleiber, who was not present at the cannon but spoke with the Coalition members involved the next day. After the groups met, Kleiber said, Dangremond assaulted the Coalition members. "Liz told me that when she stood up, [Dangremond] would push her back down," Kleiber said.
The alleged assault was reported to the TUPD at 5:24 a.m. on Oct. 3. The police report indicated that four students were involved. According to TUPD Lieutenant Linda O'Brien, no students were taken into custody, and the case was referred to the Dean of Students office.
The incident is in the hands of Veronica Carter, dean of judicial affairs, who said there will be "a hearing pending adjudication." Carter could hold multiple hearings to address the complaints individually or convene a joint hearing.
An assault charge can bring penalties as severe as expulsion, depending on the injuries sustained and related circumstances, according to the dean of students' website,.
Following the Sept. 11 tragedy, students painted the cannon with symbols and words of peace. The "peace cannon," as it came to be known, was not painted over until Oct. 2 when members of the Source painted an American flag over the peace design. A Tufts tradition, the cannon is painted frequently by groups advertising events and individuals expressing their political views.
When the TUPD arrived at the cannon, the three students were told to disperse.
The students say they were not acting as Coalition members, but the incident was referred to in a public e-mail sent to the Coalition list-serve. In its description of the incident, the Coalition painted the Source member as the aggressor.
"Some of our coalition members were assaulted although the charges are being brought upon them," the e-mail read. The letter identified the students involved as "Adam, Lou, and Liz."
