Ski-mask incident results in ban
Emileigh Barnes - The Daily Iowan
Issue date: 4/27/07 Section: Metro
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The economics major walked past a police officer, chatted with a friend in Schaeffer Hall, and checked the NBA schedule at Buffalo Wild Wings in the Old Capitol Town Center. All this time, he was planning a trip to Illinois to pick up his girlfriend and 10-day-old son for a visit.
But on Walker's way back to his car - parked on Clinton Street - police stopped him.
"They just grabbed me, pushed my hand behind my back, and then they searched me," Walker said in an interview with The Daily Iowan, adding that officers didn't tell him why he was being searched until they determined he was not armed.
Later in the afternoon, UI officials released Walker's name and home address to all faculty, staff, and students, and banned him from campus for five months because he had raised suspicions after wearing a ski mask to his lecture.
In response to a student's 911 call - made roughly around noon - about Walker's appearance, Iowa City, Johnson County, and UI authorities responded to reports of a "suspicious" person and locked down the Old Capitol and Macbride Hall.
"He was a student attending class," Iowa City police Sgt. Troy Kelsay said. "It was totally innocent."
By Thursday night, officials had not decided what charges, if any, the 20-year-old could face.
Walker, who said he wore the head covering to class because it was rainy and cold outside, said he noticed some students walked out of the lecture but had no idea it was because of him.
"My assumption was that students were leaving because the lecture was boring as hell," he said. "There's no law that says, 'You can't wear this; you can't wear that.' Girls go out to the Summit in 2-degree weather wearing skirts and flip-flops."
UI freshman Kristin Hanneman, who was in the lecture, said she noticed Walker come into the class, but he wasn't a disturbance.
"All I saw was a guy who was usually in class, with gray sweatpants on and a sweatshirt that was pulled to the top of his eyes," she said.
After searching Walker, authorities took him to UI police headquarters, where he stayed for about two hours, after which he was notified that if he set foot on UI grounds before Sept. 25, he could be charged with criminal trespass.
Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 125
Kael Hankins
posted 4/27/07 @ 3:08 AM EST
This is going overboard, if he didn't break any rules there shouldn't be any punishment it's as simple as that.
Joe
posted 4/27/07 @ 3:10 AM EST
Are you freaking kidding me? Pierre Pierce didn't even get banned for 5 months, especially not before his day in court. A ski mask was out of the ordinary? Who makes that decision? I see plenty of people around here that dress out of the ordinary and we don't arrest them and suspend them from class. (Continued…)
Kyle
posted 4/27/07 @ 3:10 AM EST
So your telling me this guy may be suspended for 5 months just for wearing a ski-mask to class? WTF is that!? Jones didn't provide a valid reason for the ban, Parrott declined to comment on behalf of the university, and Green hasn't returned your phone calls. (Continued…)
kath
posted 4/27/07 @ 3:18 AM EST
This is incredibly sad and screams of discrimination. It appears that the University broke laws, not the student. There should be a public apology and explanation. (Continued…)
Shrisha Rao
posted 4/27/07 @ 3:23 AM EST
This is a stupid and unjustified reaction. Walker should not
be banned for five minutes, much less five months. What sort
of due process was he given? And why, Mr. (Continued…)
Jon
posted 4/27/07 @ 4:02 AM EST
Absolutely ridiculous... I hope I remember to take off my sunglasses and stocking hat and fully unzip my coat next time I attend class, I don't want someone to call the cops on me, and then have the university BAN ME FROM CAMPUS! Are you kidding me? Being cautious and prepared is one thing, but banning someone for something like this is off the wall. (Continued…)
Doug
posted 4/27/07 @ 5:25 AM EST
Wait, so he wasn't asked to take it off in class? It doesn't sound like he was intending to be disruptive. But, it is rather strange that he didn't take off the mask when he came inside. (Continued…)
shane
posted 4/27/07 @ 6:17 AM EST
Don't tell me this student didn't realize what he was doing. come on now sitting in a classroom with a ski mask on when paranoia in campus's all across america are at an all time high. (Continued…)
mark
posted 4/27/07 @ 7:20 AM EST
I am not a student, but a conservative adult over 50, and even I thought that the U was over reacting by banning the student for wearing a ski mask on a cold and rainy day. (Continued…)
AR
posted 4/27/07 @ 7:20 AM EST
Oh well! If people want to act like fools at a time like this, then they deserve to be banned from campus. That kid knew what he was doing. Im glad they are banning his ass from campus. (Continued…)
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