"This event, April 16, was the 9/11 for colleges and universities across the country," said Phil Schaenman, staff director for the Virginia Tech Incident Review Panel, which met at UVA’s Darden School of Business last week for its fourth and final public meeting. "Things are not going to be the same going forward."
While the horror story of that day in April has faded from the front pages, efforts to assess and reform the system are ongoing—and certainly a highly relevant topic for the parents of those injured or slain in Seung-Hui Cho’s 32-person killing spree.
 Sifting for reforms in the wake of the Virginia Tech tragedy, a panel appointed by Governor Tim Kaine held its final public meeting at Darden. Their preliminary assessment should come out by August 15, though a full report could take longer. |
"I worry about a wealthy nation that can’t find the resources to pay for health care for its citizens," said Catherine Read, stepmother of Mary Read, who was killed in French class. "I worry about a society that holds individual rights in such high regard that they jeopardize public safety."
Several parents had harsh words for the Virginia Tech administration: "The top administration has been cruel to us, and they just want to go back to normal," said Daniel Bluhm, father of the murdered Brian Bluhm.
Those parents didn’t have access to the closed meeting on July 19 where panelists heard in-depth reports on Cho’s background. During the public session the day prior, one of the only juicy tidbits to emerge was that some of Cho’s medical records have been lost or destroyed. Panel staff did not specify which agencies are responsible, though they say it will be addressed in the final report.
Much of the meeting dwelt on the mental health system [for further reporting, see UVA News, page 21], but the subject of gun laws kept coming up.
"I personally hold the lax gun laws and the lawmakers who support those partly responsible for this tragedy," said Lori Haas, parent of a wounded student. "I ask you and beg you not to shy away from this volatile subject."
Mark Marshall, with the International Association of Chiefs of Police, said the organization is considering strong recommendations to close the gunshow loophole—whereby background checks are thrown out the window during gun sales.
The panel also looks to assess the role of campus police. Don Challis, chief of the College of William and Mary Police Department, who spoke on behalf of the Virginia Association of Campus Law Enforcement, said, "[Campus police are] constantly fighting with people to make them understand that we are law enforcement," said Challis. "We are more than the guys carrying the keys." Challis advocated for closer access to top administrators.
All those affiliated with a university can expect to hear a lot more about what to do in a hypothetical crisis: "I think it’s important to communicate what we expect these students, staff and faculty to do in a crisis," said Challis. "Hope is not a plan."
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