(Note from HokieCentral: the following article is written as a result of a David Teel article in Sunday's Newport News Daily Press. Teel wrote a lengthy article revealing many of the details behind the conviction of Rolan Roberts and Dennis Mims by Virginia Tech's JR Board for sexual offenses.)

Yesterday, Saturday 7/22/00, was a fine day. I had run some errands and done some chores. I also bought materials for a light-weight flag pole for use at tailgates this fall.

But by the time I went to bed early Sunday morning, my mood had really nosedived. The less important of the bad news was from Baltimore Hokie and confirmed by several others. Bronze Hokies will be dispersed over three different parking lots. I’m afraid the group of Bronze Hokies HC’ers that used to try to tailgate together will be split into widely separated venues. As I mentioned though, this downer absolutely pales in comparison with the David Teel newspaper article that appeared in Sunday’s Newport News Daily Press.

That’s quite an article Mr. Teel has written. It’s almost enough to make me throw up. If he has fairly presented what has gone on since that night in January 2000, I only see one victim in the whole process, my university, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, aka Virginia Tech. I have read and re-read the article. It’s sickening. There are three elements involved in this mess.

First we have the accuser, who portrays herself as the victim. Then we have the accused, portraying themselves as the victims. Then we have the Virginia Tech Office of Judicial Affairs, which is supposed to discern the "truth" and mete out prescribed punishment, with the proviso that the burden of proof is much less with them than a criminal court.

The accuser claims victim status. Based upon what was in the Teel article, I find it hard to put victim status upon her. I am not without sensitivity on this issue. Fortunately, rape has never been visited up my family, however I was always fretting about my wife being out at night with her appointments when she was selling World Book. I fretted even more as my daughter grew into a young woman, always concerned about her safety when she was away from the house. If the quoted portions of Teel’s article were accurately transcribed, this woman deliberately and willfully put herself in harm's way. No other description can be placed on it.

(Italicized text in the following paragraphs are quotes from Teel's article.)

The accuser and her two girlfriends go to Roberts’ apartment "to say ‘nice try’ regarding the game" and presumably to thank them for the VIP tickets they were given for the game.

After one of the women left, one thing led to another. "Roberts suggested a strip show. The women giggled." I’m sorry but this doesn’t resemble the beginning of victim hood.

Then "Mims unbuttoned and unzipped the accuser’s pants, exposing her underwear. She didn’t think anything of it. Dennis was just being goofy, she figured." Did this woman just fall off the turnip truck? These women must have heard and read ad nausea about situations such as this and how to avoid them. As a matter of fact, the second woman, who was sitting next to Roberts, left at the mention of the strip tease thing.

The accuser "then willingly accompanied Mims down a hallway to Roberts’ bedroom." "Mims removed the woman’s shirt, attempted to remove her bra and tugged at her pants. Still, the woman did not feel threatened. This is just a little peep show, she thought. Nothing more."

They then "knew" each other in the Old Testament Biblical sense, including the ways of Sodom and Gomorrah. I'm sorry, but I just do not see any victim hood here, much less rape. I do get the feeling that the young woman had a lot of remorse on her mind after it was over.

Now let’s examine the other "victims" in this sordid mess, Mims and Roberts. These athletes know the consequences of doing what they did. Since the Comprehensive Action Plan was put in place, all of Tech athletes are schooled in these matters. It is mandatory. Are they so testosterone-challenged that they can’t comprehend what happened with Christy Brzonkala, and Tony Morrison and James Crawford? Do they have a very bad case of what I call Young Person’s Disease? By my definition, that means, "It can’t happen to me."

I know women throw themselves at athletes and stars. However, these athletes at Tech know they must go out of their way to avoid these situations. Do they really think that just because a woman is available they must give in to their base instincts? I certainly don’t think so.

Mims is the son of a minister. Certainly he was brought up the right way. Mims' mother had this to say. ""Both his father and I have talked to Dennis, and he assures us there’s no validity to this. We know when Dennis is telling the truth. He’s been brought up the proper way." He may have been brought up the proper way, but what went on here was not exactly proper.

Roberts' mother said this. "I do not accept what happened," she says. "It was sinful. It was immoral. But it was not rape." Maybe not rape, but certainly something that could and would blow up in his face.

I really do feel sorry for Mims’ father and mother. Try to figure out what must be going through his parents' mind. It must be tough facing members of the congregation every day. I also feel sorry for Roberts’ mother. She’s worked hard to provide for Roberts. After his post grad military academy experience, he could have signed up with many other schools since he did so well. His mother stepped in and said Rolan had given his word to VT out of high school, and he was going to honor it now. It must be tough for her to face her coworkers now.

The Virginia Tech Office of Judicial Affairs is far from pristine also. Some have referred to it as a "Kangaroo Court." I have used the term also. The term sure seems somewhat applicable here, at least in a mild form. The American Heritage Dictionary defines kangaroo court as "1) A mock court set up in violation of established legal procedure, and 2) A court characterized by dishonesty or incompetence. [By allusion to its irregular procedures suggesting the leaps of a kangaroo.] "

Again, if Teel’s article accurately portrays what happened at the judicial hearing, it sure seemed rigged. Some excerpts:

"Cullen, [Tech official who was in charge of the hearing], asked one witness if he had been paid for his testimony. He asked another if the athletics department had attempted to influence her testimony. Both answered no. During the hearing he described those same witnesses’ answers as ‘schizophrenic-like.’ Cullen did not ask similar questions, or comment upon the testimony, of witnesses who appeared on the accuser’s behalf.

Another problem I have with the whole thing is the punishment. Both Mims and Roberts were equally involved. It could be said Mims initiated the fiasco. He’s the one who initially unbuttoned the accuser's shirt and pants exposing her underwear. Both had sex with her. How can Roberts be thrown out for a semester and a half, but Mims only be put on probation?

Also, "… the officers [Cullen and Cheatham] said Roberts’ initial touching of the woman’s genitals was uninvited. But Cullen and Cheatham did not comment on the subsequent sexual intercourse and oral sex Roberts had with the woman."

Not sure how this can be. Of course Edward F. D. Spenser, assistant vice president for student affairs to whom this case was appealed by Roberts' lawyer, added that the sex subsequent to the initial "unwanted" touching was also non-consensual.

Using David Teel’s account of what transpired, I do not feel neither the accuser nor the accused are victims. The Judiciary Affairs people did nothing to distinguish themselves either. I’m further convinced that the hands of the Ghost of Bronzkala are all over this case. No, the only victim I see in all this is my alma mater, Virginia Tech. She has had her reputation drug through the mud once again.

If I were in charge of my own little kangaroo court, I would throw the accuser, Mims, and Roberts out for a year for sullying VT's reputation again. I would also take a close look at the Judiciary affairs outfit. I’d try to root out any.

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