Dartmouth's "Good Samaritan" policy, outlined in Article II of the Student Alcohol Policy, ensures that "students and organizations that seek assistance will not be subject to College disciplinary action for either: (1) being the intoxicated person; or (2) having provided that person with alcohol." In the past, College officials have committed to upholding the policy so long as organizations do not flagrantly abuse it by repeated use.
Recently, members of Theta Delta Chi fraternity made a "Good Samaritan" call which resulted in the fraternity's indictment on criminal charges. Given the severity of the charges, the College has not ruled out taking action of its own. This calls into question how reliable this sort of policy truly is.
For the sake of student health and safety, the "Good Samaritan" policy should be iron-clad. The policy is one of the College's most effective tools in preventing an alcohol-related tragedy because it permits students and organizations to act in good faith and to aid someone in need of medical attention without hesitation. In emergency situations, time is of the essence. Each second lost worrying about who might get into trouble is a second less that medical personnel have to do their crucial work. The "Good Samaritan" policy places a premium on students' health and is vital to the College's mission of protecting the safety and security of its students.
As the "Good Samaritan" policy is a College policy, it does not bind Hanover Police. What happened to Theta Delt was bound to happen to a house at some point. The individuals who made the "Good Samaritan" call to Safety and Security did the right thing, and the charges against Theta Delt should not discourage anyone from making future "Good Samaritan" calls. For that reason, the College needs to support its own policy now more than ever. Even with criminal charges pending and even if a conviction is handed down, the College must stand by the spirit of the "Good Samaritan" policy -- that student health comes first. The College should take no disciplinary action in response to a "Good Samaritan" call, regardless of the history of the individual or organization making the call or the severity of the incident in question. Health must come before all other concerns and the "Good Samaritan" policy guarantees that health is the only thing students will consider when deciding whether to pick up the phone.
