CRR Dismisses Charges Against Seven Protestors

The Committee on Rights and Responsibilities has dismissed charges against seven black students charged by Dean May with participating in the December 5 and 11 OBU (Organization for Black Unity) occupations of University Hall.

Decisions have not yet been announced in the cases of approximately 35 additional black students charged in the occupations. James Q. Wilson, professor of Government and chairman of the Committee, said those decisions should be ready Thursday.

The Committee was unable to finish the hearings last week, Wilson said, and has been delayed by "trying to write a fairly complete statement" to accompany the decisions.

Wilson Tells Why

Wilson said yesterday the seven cases were dropped for one of two reasons:

The principal evidence against some of those charged consisted of motion picture photographs showing students allegedly leaving the occupied building, but it was impossible to tell whether some of them were actually leaving the building or simply among the spectators outside.

Some students were found to have had "a legitimate reason to be there," such as reporting for a magazine.

Hearings for two of the four white students charged with harassing Dean May during the second OBU occupation have not yet been held. Decisions in those cases are not expected for about two weeks.