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After walking at the Pace University undergraduate commencement on May 23rd, 2007, Pace University adminstration officials have decided to withhold Lauren Giaccone’s and John Cronan’s degrees pending the resolution of criminal and disciplinary charges stemming from their arrests at a protest in November 2006.

John and Lauren were made aware of this via email yesterday (May 29) from Geoff Harter, the Judicial and Compliance Officer for Pace.

The students, members of Students for a Democratic Society, held a protest calling for President David Caputo’s resignation when it became public that Caputo was making an annual salary of $700,000 as classes were being cut, tuition and other fees were being raised and faculty positions were being eliminated.

We find this an appalling and underhanded move. We call on President Caputo, Chairman Bianco and other Administration officials to drop the charges against these students, as well as the pending charges against Brian Kelly. The university has suffered enough embarrassment and will only further hurt its image in the eyes of alumnus, current and prospective students, as well as their parents.

Withholding the degrees will cause unneccesarry and unwarranted hardship for the students when they go to begin their careers. Such action is disproportionate to the allegations made against these students whom are accused of protesting without a permit.

Sign our petition:
http://www.petitiononline.com/lg11679n/petition.html

Please email the following email addresses as well and express your outrage over this latest event. But, please be respectful when doing so. These are the decision makers at the University but ultimately the President has the final say in the matter.

Steve Friedman (Interim President): sfriedman2@pace.edu

David Caputo: dcaputo@pace.edu, president@pace.edu

Dean O’Grady (Dean for Students): mogrady2@pace.edu

Geoff Harter (Judicial and Compliance Officer): gharter@pace.edu

Original post by Lauren Giaccone and reposted by Radical Blogs