After a rare open Committee on Standards hearing Thursday afternoon, the College suspended Nat Cook '94 for four terms and David Robb '94 for two terms for reckless conduct and providing alcohol to a minor.
Cook and Robb explained the COS decision in a press conference Friday afternoon in Beta Theta Pi fraternity, where both are brothers. The College's charges stemmed out of an alleged hazing incident of then-Beta pledge Oge Young '96 on Oct. 26.
Cook and Robb were informed of the College's decision early Friday morning. They will be allowed to finish classes this term, but cannot participate in senior week or receive their diplomas until their suspensions are over.
The COS found Cook and Robb innocent of coercion, violence or injurious conduct and violation of a local, state or federal law. They will be tried in Lebanon on May 24 for allegedly violating the state's hazing law.
Cook said he got a longer suspension because of his "long record" with the College but he would not expand.
Cook and Robb both said that after Thursday's hearings they did not think the COS would punish them.
"I felt the charges were primarily unfounded," Robb said. "I'm disappointed with the way they found. I'm disappointed with the College, but I'm happy to be able to finish out the term."
Cook said the proceedings were fair, but charged the COS with having a "political agenda," and having its mind made up to make an example out of them.
"They're trying to take an anti-Greek stance," Cook said. "We're bearing the brunt of the blow they're striking against the Greek community."
But Dean of the College Lee Pelton, who chairs the COS, said it was a "completely ridiculous notion" that the COS would make an example out of Cook and Robb.
"I would say this hearing was conducted like all other hearings. The committee was there to understand the facts and reach a finding," he said. "The COS is not interested in making an example out of everyone. They make decisions based on facts."
Cook and Robb said they think they will be found innocent of hazing in the Lebanon court.
The state's law defines hazing as any act that would cause physical or psychological damage and is required for entrance, affiliation or continued membership in a student organization. Cook and Robb said the alleged incident was not a prerequisite for entrance into Beta.
The hearing
Cook and Robb requested an open hearing, and about 30 students, mostly Beta brothers, showed up to watch the trial. Because of the small size of the third-floor room in Parkhurst Hall where the proceeding were held, only the first 12 students were allowed in.
The hearing focused on two separate incidents that occurred the night of Oct. 26 -- when Cook and Robb went over to Young's room and when Young went to the fraternity.
Cook and Robb went to Young's room at about 11 p.m. They were playing a "game," where Cook and Robb asked questions, and if Young got the question wrong, Cook gave him a shot of whisky.
Young had four shots of whisky over the course of about 45 minutes. Young is 19 years old and serving alcohol to a minor violates the College's alcohol policy.
Cook and Robb repeatedly said they did not force Young to drink, and the intention of the game was to get to know Young better. But Cook and Robb both said they did not drink during the game.
Pelton repeatedly questioned whether Cook and Robb knew how many drinks it would take to make Young intoxicated. Cook and Robb admitted that they did not know if Young had been drinking beforehand or if he had anything to eat earlier in the evening.
Reckless conduct is defined in the student handbook as "conduct which places another in reasonable fear for his or her safety or in danger of bodily harm."
While they were playing the game, Rob Kolasky '94, who was Beta's pledge educator at the time, called Young's room and asked him if he wanted to come to the house.
Cook and Robb took Young to the house. When they got there, Robb left to work and Cook and Young went to the basement. But Cook and Young both said they were not together in the basement.
While in the basement, Young said he had many beers. At one point he also had his hands duct-taped to a trash can. His "job" was to bring the trash can to anyone who needed to vomit.
Young was driven to his dormitory, Wheeler Hall, at about 1 a.m. He said he was too drunk to go to sleep, so he went to visit friends in Richardson Hall.
While at Richardson, Young became sick and went to the women's bathroom, and the floor's Undergraduate Adviser, Heather Jones '94, overheard Young and went to investigate.
Jones said Young was very intoxicated and upset, so she called her Area Coordinator, Tracie Waack '94.
Jones said Young was saying, "I can't believe my brothers are doing this to me during football season."
But Cook and Robb said although Young may have been upset, it was not because of their involvement.
Last year, Waack was the UGA on the floor below Young's and she called Young's former UGA , Jeff Middents '93.
The two went over to Richardson to tend to Young. Waack said Young was very upset because "they" had made him drink when he had football practice the next day.
"They're supposed to be my brothers," Young said, according to Waack. "I can't believe they did this to me."
Young said he did not remember what he said, but that he was "a lot drunker that I wanted to be for the next day ... I could see myself getting angry that I was drunk, [but] I don't see that I would blame it on other people in the house."
Hanover Police arrested Cook and Robb for allegedly violating the state's hazing law on Feb. 25. Special Assistant to the Athletic Director Rob Ceplikas, who is on the COS, asked Young about his affidavit where he said Cook and Robb "made" him drink.
Young said Richard Paulson, the detective who investigated the case, told him he could either corroborate the information he had or face charges for not reporting a hazing incident.
