Following the breakdown of negotiations between administrators and Living Wage Campaign protesters, 17 students conducting a sit-in at Madison Hall were arrested Saturday evening and held at the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail until Monday afternoon. The students were released on bond pending a court date in May.
The students were arrested at7 p.m. Saturday after several failed attempts by students and administrators to reconcile their differences during the four day sit-in.
Friday afternoon, April 14, administrators said they would open discussion with the students in order to resume normal affairs at Madison Hall as quickly as possible.
Administrators, including University President John T. Casteen, III, Patricia Lampkin, vice president for student affairs, Leonard Sandridge, executive vice president and chief operating officer, and Dean of Students Penny Rue, met with the students early Saturday morning from approximately 1:15 a.m. until nearly 3 a.m.
During the meeting, administrators presented a proposal which called upon the students to move their protest away from Madison Hall while working with administrators to study the potential effects of a "living wage" of $10.72 and to prepare a legal case which would be presented before the Virginia General Assembly.
Casteen expressed doubt about the legality of implementing some of the measures proposed by Campaign members, such as paying a "living wage" to contracted employees of the University. Casteen told students in a statement he believes protesters have "lost ground with regard to the claim that the University ... can unilaterally address the matters found by the Attorney General to be beyond our lawful scope."
Casteen's statement referred to a recent letter to Sandridge from the office of theAttorney General Robert McDonnel.
Campaign student organizer Abby Bellows said the administration made no concessions during the meeting.
Living Wage Campaign organizers said the administration gave the students until 2 p.m. Saturday to develop a counterproposal.
At the conclusion of the meeting, students outside Madison Hall were permitted to pass food through the police to the protesting students inside.
Following the meeting, Bellows said the protesters would develop a mutually agreeable proposal "that doesn't compromise the needs of [University] workers."
The students were unable to meet the 2 p.m. deadline Saturday, according to Lampkin. The original deadline was extended; Casteen met with the protesters around 4 p.m.
University spokesperson Carol Wood said by late afternoon Saturday, discussion seemingly had reached a stalemate.
Around 6:30 p.m., Sandridge told the students they had the option to leave Madison Hall, sign a summons or be arrested, Wood said Saturday evening.
The students were arrested after they indicated they would not leave Madison Hall when faced with the ultimatum, she added.
Campaign organizer Benjamin Van Dyne said the arrests were prompted by the protesters' decision to remain unless removed by force, due to a lack of substantive movement towards their goals.
Police began arresting the students in Madison Hall at7 p.m.
During the arrests, several students refused to leave Madison Hall voluntarily and were physically removed from the building and placed in police vans. Approximately 50 other students surrounded the vans and chanted but did not otherwise interrupt the arrests, which took about 10 minutes to complete.
Bellows said while students were aware of the legal consequences of their actions, campaign members "are very disappointed that this is how the University has chosen to respond to the critical thinking and constructive compromises of students standing with workers."
Wood explained that the administration would have preferred to end the conflict through other means.
"We take no pleasure in arresting our own students. That was not something we wanted to do or ever intended to do. It was unfortunate and sad that we had to come to closure on this," she said.
Wood said the students were arrested for trespassing. Wood refused to comment on the possibility of University Judiciary Committee charges against the 17 students because of the confidentiality of UJC proceedings.
The students remained in jail until the conclusion of a preliminary hearing conducted by videoconference at the General District Court and Albemarle -Charlottesville Regional Jail. Each student was released under the conditions of a $500 personal recognizance bond and agreement to maintain good behavior, uphold the peace and to not return to Madison Hall.
The students are being represented pro bono by independent lawyer Steve Rosenfield, who said he thought the terms of the students' release were acceptable.
After their release, campaign members said they would prefer to focus on their continuing campaign rather than on their time in jail.
"I feel like the fact that 17 students went to jail can distract everyone's attention from what the real issue is here," sit-in participant Teresa Daniels said.
"Yes, we were in jail for two days, but people live in poverty for a lifetime," she added.
The 17 students arrested and jailed were Sean Butterfield, Shawn Casey, Carmen Comsti, Seth Croft, Lauren Cruickshank, Teresa Daniels, Zack Fields, Lauren Jones, Sam Kroiz, Andrew Mausert-Mooney, Nina Camille Robbins, Hannah Rubenstein, John Salidis, Katrina Salmons, Kevin Simowitz, Jillian Villars and Khalial Withen.
All were charged with trespassing, while Simowitz was charged with resisting arrest, and Mauser-Mooney was charged with one count of vandalism.
The students are scheduled to appear in court May 5 at 9 a.m., though Rosenfield said the date is subject to change, as evidence still has to be gathered and witnesses must be able to attend the proceedings.
Rosenfield said if the students are convicted, he predicts they would face a fine and community service.
Wood said at this point the University cannot choose to drop the charges.
"It moves out of the University's area of jurisdiction into the legal system," Wood said.
Campaign members continued to promote their cause Monday afternoon by rallying in the Newcomb Hall Main Lounge. Civil rights lawyer Mark Lane, who worked with Martin Luther King, Jr., spoke about his prior experience with civil rights protests and praised students for their efforts.
Barbara Ehrenreich, author of "Nickel and Dimed," also spoke at the event, encouraging students to continue their efforts.
Campaign members continued to camp out on the grass outside of Madison Hall throughout the weekend, though the administration has required demonstraters to remove their tents from the area this morning.
A memo from Sandridge delivered to the tent occupants stated that "on or before 10:00 a.m. Tuesday, April 18, the University will remove and impound the tents, sleeping bags and any other property contained therein."
Wood explained that the reason for the regulation relates to both sanitation concerns as well as the fact that the Office of the Dean of Students allows students to apply for permits to camp in different authorized areas on Grounds.
-- Chris Hall contributed to this article
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