To the Editor:
The March 6, 2014 article in The Cavalier Daily regarding the percentage of Honor offense reports filed against minority students sets forth a view by the Honor Committee Chair as follows:
“Speaking to the possible causes of higher reporting against minorities, Berhle pinpointed three distinct problems: a lack of understanding among international students, spotlighting of minority offenses and dimming of offenses committed by white students.”
The Chairman’s comment regarding “spotlighting” and “dimming” is at best a disingenuous assessment of the cause of the problem. The discrepancies are what they are: disproportionate suspected Honor offenses observed and reported to the Honor Committee. The notion that somehow faculty and others reporting Honor offenses are discriminating against minorities is a foolish and misguided assumption. Maintaining the Honor System at the University requires an ongoing educational effort amongst entering students and vigorous reporting of the outcome of Honor trials to ensure that the student body is well aware of the ongoing effort to combat violations of the Honor Code in a fair, unbiased and equitable manner.
Harry R. Marshall, Jr, ’61
Chevy Chase, Maryland
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