KSC uses Facebook for discipline

Several students have been kicked off campus for next year after allegedly partying in a closed off area of Butler Court. According to junior Ryan Brittell, students weren't caught by Resident Assistants or Campus Safety.

Instead, photos taken during the incident were discovered on Facebook and used as evidence against the students. A private album on Keene State College junior Mia Sweet’s Facebook contained photos showing several students partying in a sound-proof, unfinished section of Butler Court that can only be accessed through a third floor suite.

Junior Duncan Garnett and Brittell, who occupy the suite in Butler which grants access to the attic, call the hangout “Narnia.” “I think everyone on campus knows about it because hundreds of people have been in there in the last four years,” Brittell said. “Last year there wasn't even a lock on [the door].”

Brittell said access to the space is through a small door located in the closet of their third floor suite in Butler. Garnet and Brittell said when they moved in they cleaned and decorated the space.

“We wanted the room because we knew about Narnia,” Brittell said. “When we moved in there was hundreds of beer caps and cigarette butts. We cleaned the whole space and put up lights.” Garnett said no notice was given to them from the school about the space or its existence, and no warning was on the door identifying the area as off limits.

Sweet said she didn’t understand why there was even student access to the room. “It taunts you,” Sweet said. “It’s a big open sound-proofed room.” Brittell said he doesn't know when the school became suspicious, but suspects maintenance personnel may have noticed damage to the door and alerted the school.

Garnett and Brittell said they decided to stop partying in the space before Thanksgiving, but on Dec 15 were told they had a hearing in March based on photos that were found of Facebook. Garnett said because all the photos dated from the first three weeks of school and because no concrete evidence of alcohol consumption existed, he thought they would be able to defend themselves at the hearing.

We thought they would have nothing to go on,” Garnett said. “Maybe busting the door.” Garnett said only one photo existed of him on Facebook in the area, but that was still enough to be found in violation of school rules. According to Garnett, students had very few rights when it came to the hearing. “They can basically just say, 'You did it' and that means you did it,” Garnett said.

“We were basically told, ‘It looks like you were drinking, so you were,’” Brittell said. “It's really not fair.” Dispute Resolution Coordinator, Mark Schmidl-Gagne, conducted the hearing that included ten students. According to Schmidl-Gagne, no official policies exist regarding punishment for students based on evidence found on social networking sites. “We take it on case by case basis,” Schmidl-Gagne said.

“Nothing in college policies prohibit us from doing that. Do we have someone monitoring Facebook? No.” After the hearing Brittell was charged with possession of equipment used in drinking games, participating in a drinking game, entering an area on campus not permitted to students and violation of Residential Life visitation polices. “Apparantly, just holding a solo cup makes you guilty,” Brittell said. Britell and Garnett were put on probation for the rest of the year and aren't allowed to live on campus next year.

According to a letter that was sent to Brittell from Mark Schimdl-Gagne, the conclusion was based solely on evidence from the photos found on Facebook. “A number of residents of the suite did allow guests and visitors to enter the space through the access panel [and] that there was alcohol present but it cannot be determined who may or may not have been drinking,” the letter said.

Sweet said she thought the ruling was “harsh.” “People smoke pot in dorms, the police come and they got a slap on the wrist,” Sweet said. “We heard that they were discussing suspending us and that we were ‘lucky.’” Some of the students who were suspended are appealing the case, but Brittell said he's leaving the matter alone and planned to move off campus next year anyway.

Garnett said he hopes students will use more caution with what they choose to put on the Internet after a night of partying. “You have to be really careful what you put online,” Garnett said. “Even things like Twitter can be viewed as evidence against you.”

Brian Anderson can be contacted at banderson@keeneequinox.com.