The campus community may never find out if, when or how Central Michigan University disciplined a male student who hung four nooses inside a classroom last semester.

Because of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, university officials cannot release student records, which include disciplinary matters. Information about the case – including the student’s name – might only be released if Isabella County Prosecutor Larry Burdick decides there is enough evidence to press charges.

If CMU violates FERPA and releases the name of the student who hung the nooses and their punishment, it could lose federal funding.

“There is someone in Washington who would threaten their federal funding if they released their name,” said Dawn Hertz, general counsel for the Michigan Press Association. “The university really has to be extremely careful.”

FERPA applies to all schools that receive federal funding from the U.S. Department of Education .

Hertz said Burdick is not subject to release any information if there is any possibility it could interfere with fair trial rights.

Burdick said he is still reviewing case files involving the noose incident.

“Nothing more at this time,” he said when asked about updates to the case.

discipline works at CMU

Tony Voisin, director of Student Life, said students who are caught violating the Student Code of Conduct are required to meet with a conduct proceedings officer following the incident.

Following the meeting, the officer determines whether there is enough evidence to discipline the student. If there is not enough evidence, the case is dropped.

Voisin said students admit their guilt and accept their punishment about 99 percent of the time, but for those who do not admit their guilt, a hearing will take place.

“To date, we’ve had about 10 hearings,” he said. “Over the course of the year, we may have 700-plus violations, and only 20 are tried.”

Less severe cases are handled by a single-person panel made up of a faculty or staff member. More severe cases are handled by a three-person panel, made up of a faculty or staff member and two students. Voisin said the students on the panel are typically members of the Student Government Association and are not paid.

Voisin reiterated that disciplinary matters are kept confidential, no matter the controversy surrounding the case.

“We can’t share even the fact that there is a hearing,” he said. “The university can’t share those results with anybody other than the student involved. It’s the business of the student involved and nobody else.”

CMU could violate FERPA by withholding the students’ name but still releasing their punishment, said Dean of Students Bruce Roscoe.

On Nov. 12, a CMU staff member reported to CMU Police that a student found four hangman nooses dangling from the ceiling inside Room 228 of the Industrial Engineering and Technology Building.

Less than one week later, a male CMU student contacted campus police and admitted to hanging the nooses inside the classroom.

After CMU Police investigated the case, the department forwarded the police report over to Burdick’s office for review.

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