First, Dr. Roth stated “But let me be clear: we will not tolerate abusive behavior by the police any more than we will tolerate it by our own students.” Although this is a great statement, backing it up will be difficult. Second, as Jeff Boutwell ’98 reminded us, Dr. Roth has no authority over the Middletown police beyond back channel routes through the Middletown city government. Third, because the campus abandoned the doctrine of “in loci parentis” in the 1960’s, Roth can’t be expected to control student behavior in an instant, particular with many living off-campus. He can only enforce campus rules after a negative incident occurs.

From my perspective improving relations between the campus and the Middletown community will not be an easy task. Not having visited since 1996, I don’t know what the current community values and mores are. What I do know is this. Relationships are two-way streets and the Wesleyan community must address the question “What must Wesleyan, particularly its student body, do to improve community perceptions about Wesleyan?”

In my view, the biggest impediment to improving ‘town-gown’ relations is Wesleyan’s elitist paradigm. It starts at the admissions office, is perpetuated by the faculty and administration, and permeates the Alumni office in its dealings with Alumni. I recall an article during 2007 by the on-line Newsletter editor extolling the virtues of Wesleyan’s ‘small college’ environment as providing a superior education leading to success in life compared to larger institutions of higher learning. Not only were these remarks off base, but totally false. I wrote that individual a letter calling to his attention the successes of people from places that are traditionally considered weak institutions (and people are wrong about that too) and received an acknowledgement that my point was well taken but Wesleyan still was better. Such elitist arrogance radiates from Wesleyan into the community, and therefore, it is no surprise that when students or others cross a social or legal boundary, pent-up resentments will surface in most unpleasant ways.
Wesleyan offers a high quality education (or at least did so in the past) but it not a guarantee of a superior place in society or success. A certain level of humility about being given the opportunity study there and to develop the skills of life-long learning will go a long way to improving both town-gown relations, and a realistic expectation of what life will hold on graduation.

In short, part of the solution to improving relations between Wesleyan and the surrounding community is for Wesleyan to reassess itself and tone down the elitist and smug attitude that prevails there.

Margaret Thatcher said “The veneer of civilization is very thin.” It’s best to remember that when dealing with the world beyond Wesleyan’s campus and adjust accordingly.

So, some solutions. There should be some “safe place” for students to hang out/party. Maybe an Andrus field mosh pit. Or maybe coordinating a block pary with Security/ MPD to avoid the situation. Get creative, think outside the box. The Middletown/MPD/ Wesleyan tension is as old as the school. BTW, I have a student at another small liberal arts school. Let me tell you, Wes is not special with respect the the external and internal issues. Unfortunately, there are very smart intolerant people. The community has to take responsibility for each other. Had this party taken place while I was a student, I am sure I would have been there. I probably would have been drinking. I may have said something stupid to a police officer. I would have been wrong.

The university is very privileged to have Michael Roth. It appears that he is acting with all due deliberation as is absolutely appropriate. This will be a learning experience for everyone.

And on a personal note, as President Roth noted, he did not know many of his graduating class. I, for one, would liked to have known him then.

The outside world will be very different from Wesleyan.

There may be times in your life where it is noble or sensible to disobey armed police. But understand that if youre in the vicinity of some person or people throwing one or more beer bottles at the police you are in serious, possibly mortal danger.

It doesnt sound like there was anything noble or sensible about hanging out on Fountain after police asked you to leave. You put yourself in danger for no reason.

No one was seriously injured, and thank goodness for that. But there was real damage done. The Middletown Police (and State Troopers) will remember being subjected to unprovoked violence by Wesleyan students. There may be serious questions about how the police responded (pepper spray and dogs does sound inappropriate), but they will remember what preceded it. Wesleyan will be tainted by this for many years, and future police actions on campus may be informed, unfortunately, by this incident.

Maybe just a few Wesleyan students got out of hand, but the crowd effectively stood with them. Anyone who was pepper-sprayed was hanging out in a crowd that had been asked to disperse for over an hour, a crowd that was emitting random acts of violence against the police.

Hats off to the Middletown Police Department for dispersing a violent mob without any serious injuries.

There may be many appropriate responses from President Roth. A first should be apologizing to the officers who were needlessly attacked and reimbursing city and state tax payers for wasting valuable police time.

Second, characterizing the event as an “out of control party” is false. Two separate house parties (which were in control, and allowed by public safety to continue, if restricted in size) were broken up, and people gathered in the street. I myself was present there to say goodbye to friends before I left the following day. The group gathered in the street were neither “out of control” or a party. It was a bunch of students, some drunk some not saying goodbye and socializing outside. Traffic was indeed blocked, but on a street populated only by seniors at the university.

As for the throwing of a bottle, that is needless to say inexcusable, criminal and dangerous. However, the police themselves seem hesitant to say that it happened more than once. As someone who has always been respectful of the police, I find it odd that I should be held responsible for such an action, by merit of attending the same college as the thrower. It’s uncertain if it is known who threw the bottle, and if they were one of the students arrested, but if they are they should undoubtedly be prosecuted.

Your assumption that a police officer will be “raked over the coals” is also a little bit naive. While Wesleyan students and parents do exert a great deal of power, police departments have a remarkable degree of control over internal discipline. Recent events in New York City should prove how resilient police officers can be to charges of misconduct.

Finally, as to your comments on relationships between Wesleyan and Middletown, you are sadly correct. The relationship between the two is poor, and there is a great deal of resentment in the Middletown community towards the university. The responsibility for repairing this relationship lies on the shoulders of the Wesleyan community. However, the profession of police officer is one in which discretion and self-control are paramount. If police officers were acting on a grudge, no matter how deserved, there is no excuse for their motivations. As a witness to the incident, I saw police officers enter a peaceful situation where no lives were in danger and create one in which two students had to be carried by ambulance to the hospital. While I respect that the police were enforcing the law, and maybe even acting within defined procedures, it seems like they made some very strange decisions for public servants charged with the protection of the public.

As a graduate of Wesleyan’s class of ‘98 who chose a career in law enforcement, I am embarrassed by the stance you have taken in your follow up blog. It is quite clear that you have given in to the pressure of trying to please students, parents, and generous Alums. I think Chris ‘95 (post 19) is dead on in questioning why you haven’t issued an apology to the Middletown Police Department and Middletown taxpayers.

Mr. Roth, you claim you are “seriously concerned about what seems to (you) to be a disproportionate use of force and indiscriminate use of pepper spray and dogs to clear an area where students were peacefully gathered”, but yet you contradict yourself in nearly every sentence. You state that from the evidence (student statements) you have seen that there was no riot or obvious public danger”, but in the previous paragraph you admit a few (I would guess probably more) acted recklessly, perhaps illegally, and refused to disperse”. You even follow up by saying bottles and other projectiles were thrown in the direction of officers and their vehicles. Are those actions alone not a danger to others??? Can you honestly say they are not? How is 200 hundred students (some drunk) refusing to obey public safety and police orders, while throwing objects, at 2a.m., a peaceful gathering?

How can you possibly question why public safety officers would call Middletown police officers for assistance. Public safety officers told them to leave, they did not. How long should they have waited to ask for help, one hour, two hours, or more? Middletown Police also told the students to leave, they did not. How long should Middletown officers have waited to ask for help? Should they have just kept asking nicely with hope that after several hours of being ignored the students might leave. 4 police agencies arrived on scene, and still they did not leave. They did not just show up and start spraying people and releasing the dogs. This all occurred over an extended period of time. Everyone wants to blame the officers. Why is no blame being placed on the students? Its very simple, if they listened when they were told by public safety to leave, none of this would have happened.

Mr.. Roth, your blog almost sounds like that of a bad parent with the “not my kid” mentality. Do you seriously believe that most students never heard the police demand that they leave?! Did the students think that cruisers from 4 agencies arrived on scene with all their blue lights on to say hello? Is it possible they did not hear because most were intoxicated, yelling, clapping, or throwing firecrackers. It doesn’t take a Wesleyan degree to understand that when police, again from 4 agencies, arrive on scene with all their blue lights on (after public safety already said to leave), that its probably time to go. If the students of Wesleyan University can’t understand that, then you should probably make integrating a mandatory COMMON SENSE course into the curriculum your top priority.

I quickly scanned your biography on the Wesleyan website Mr. Roth. Its clear you have had a prestigious career as an author and educator. I’m sure you possess more knowledge than I could ever hope to. But with all due respect, your complete lack of experience and understanding of the fundamental principles of law enforcement is obvious in your blog. It is your job to control the students and prevent these situations from occurring in the first place. It is NOT your job to decide what a proportionate use of force for police officers to use is. Like you in your career, these officers have years of training and experience. They base their decisions on general laws, case law, and departmental policies. Wesleyan is not a sovereign nation located in Middletown. Wesleyan is part of Middletown. Foutain Ave is a public way and the Middletown Police Department maintains primary jurisdiction on that roadway. The Middletown Police Department does not need Wesleyan’s permission to respond. I will say, its possible that some officers were out of line. Like you, I wasn’t there. Its not my job to say though. Its up to the Chief and Mayor to judge their officers. Its up to you to judge the students that failed to follow instructions.

In response to Mr. Griswold (post 16), it is attitudes such as yours that widen the divide between the Wesleyan Community and the Middletown Community. You base your commentary on your son’s statement, your son that left the party. So you heard from your son, who heard from his friends, and you ask “Whats wrong with these guys”. With your wealth of knowledge, you even manage to draw the conclusion that its due to “class resentments”. This isn’t your Dad at Yale, and its not the 1950’s. You were not there last week. You have no idea what happened or why. Its always a good idea to participate in dialogue and I truly believe its necessary to get to the root of the problem, but to toss ideas out from left field is utterly ridiculous.

If parents want to feel that their kids are safe at Wesleyan. If they want to know that something like this would never happen again. Then tell your kids to grow up, and listen when public safety, police, and faculty tell them to do something. At the very least, teach them to accept the consequences when they don’t.

But based on President Roth’s statement here and comments on places like wesleying, it seems like most of the Wesleyan community’s attention is on whether or not police used excessive force.

Shouldn’t the first response be one of contrition? Shouldnt Roth and Wesleyan at large be embarrassed that local (and state!) police had to be called in for any reason? And its not like this was some noble political protest - this was simply an out of control party.

In my years at wesleyan students were generally lousy Middletown citizens. It must be miserable for non-university residents living near campus.

No doubt some unfortunate state trooper, middletown police officer, or even a wesleyan public service officer will be raked over the coals for this. They might even lose their jobs.

How many Wesleyan students or administrators will the University hold to account? Any student throwing a bottle or can at a police officer, just because their party is being interrupted, should be expelled. I doubt that will happen.

President Roth, you’ve written your email to the Wesleyan student body. Where’s the statement (apology) to the Middletown (and Connecticut) taxpayers?