Late yesterday, the Department of Education ordered Virginia Tech to pay the maximum allowable fine for not warning students soon enough about Seung-Hui Cho's shooting rampage on the morning of April 16, 2007. In so doing, Virginia Tech committed two violations of the Clery Act, a federal law which mandates timely warnings about campus crime. The bad news--it's only $55,000--$27,500 per violation.
“Virginia Tech’s violations warrant a fine far in excess of what is currently permissible under the statute,” wrote Mary E. Gust, an official in the Education Department’s Office of Federal Student Aid.
Her conclusion represents a stinging rebuke for Virginia Tech, which for nearly four years has sought to overcome wounds inflicted by the deadliest school massacre by an individual in U.S. history. It also bolstered the view of some victims’ relatives that the university was negligent in efforts to protect the campus community.
The government had originally found Virginia Tech broke the law in a preliminary report back in May, and confirmed it in final report back in December. Both reports say Virginia Tech didn't issue a warning until two hours after the first victims were found, even though school president Charles Steger knew about it within 40 minutes. When the first warning did come, it was too vague and didn't mention people had been killed.
Virginia Tech contends that it acted appropriately, and within policy of the time. But that's hard to believe based on the Richmond Times-Dispatch's timeline of events.
At 8:25 a.m., police canceled bank deposit pickups because of the first shootings, and some university officials had already alerted family members and others, the letter said. At 8:52 a.m., Blacksburg public schools were locked down, and one Tech administrator ordered his doors locked. By about 9 a.m., trash pickup was canceled, as were classes at Tech's veterinary college.
But Tech's second, more explicit warning to the community was not sent until 9:50 a.m., after the shootings at Norris Hall had started. At 10:17 a.m., about 26 minutes after the shootings ended, a third message was sent canceling classes and advising everyone to remain in place, the letter said.
Considering what happened, it's hard not to agree with Gust--$55,000 seems woefully inadequate, especially considering Virginia Tech's budget and the magnitude of this tragedy. Perhaps this should be the impetus for increasing the maximum fines for Clery Act violations.