2008 Woodie Awards
Heeke unaware of prior arrests
By: Daniel Monson
Issue date: 1/7/08 Section: Year in Review
By Daniel Monson
Assistant Sports Editor
The CMU Athletics Department was unaware of former football player De'Onte C. Burnam's prior arrests before his dismissal from the program, Athletics Director Dave Heeke said Oct. 9.
Burnam was arrested on Oct. 4 and charged the following day with the delivering and manufacturing cocaine.
He also was arrested Aug. 30 and charged with a felony count for the delivery and manufacture of marijuana, according to court documents. Records also show he was arrested and charged twice with misdemeanor marijuana possession in 2006.
"We do try to monitor arrest reports, criminal activity, but it's not something that we do with great regularity," Heeke said. "Without it being reported, we would really have no knowledge of it just like any other student on this campus. I certainly don't feel like that in any way we've been negligent or that we've acted inappropriately. We were not aware of those arrests."
Burnam, a senior defensive lineman who has not played since 2005, was enrolled at CMU at the time of his arrest. A conduct proceedings officer had not yet been assigned to his case as of Oct. 8, said Director of Student Life Tony Voisin.
"The code of conduct is a separate process from the court system," Voisin said. "Generally, the university will determine if the code of conduct has been violated, independently, separately from the court system."
Voisin said the university has a stringent drug policy.
"Certainly the university is concerned about drug cases," he said. "As a matter of practice those types of situations could certainly result in disciplinary sanctions up to and including dismissal from the university."
sports@cm-life.com
Assistant Sports Editor
The CMU Athletics Department was unaware of former football player De'Onte C. Burnam's prior arrests before his dismissal from the program, Athletics Director Dave Heeke said Oct. 9.
Burnam was arrested on Oct. 4 and charged the following day with the delivering and manufacturing cocaine.
He also was arrested Aug. 30 and charged with a felony count for the delivery and manufacture of marijuana, according to court documents. Records also show he was arrested and charged twice with misdemeanor marijuana possession in 2006.
"We do try to monitor arrest reports, criminal activity, but it's not something that we do with great regularity," Heeke said. "Without it being reported, we would really have no knowledge of it just like any other student on this campus. I certainly don't feel like that in any way we've been negligent or that we've acted inappropriately. We were not aware of those arrests."
Burnam, a senior defensive lineman who has not played since 2005, was enrolled at CMU at the time of his arrest. A conduct proceedings officer had not yet been assigned to his case as of Oct. 8, said Director of Student Life Tony Voisin.
"The code of conduct is a separate process from the court system," Voisin said. "Generally, the university will determine if the code of conduct has been violated, independently, separately from the court system."
Voisin said the university has a stringent drug policy.
"Certainly the university is concerned about drug cases," he said. "As a matter of practice those types of situations could certainly result in disciplinary sanctions up to and including dismissal from the university."
sports@cm-life.com
