3 Carroll University Students Suspended Over Off-Campus Party

WAUKESHA, WI— An off-campus gathering to celebrate the start of the school semester ended in suspension for the party's hosts. Carroll University students and roommates Blake Williams, Tanner Hoffman and a third student wanted to catch up with friends and invited a few people over.

Williams told Patch they checked the school website and a friend called the Carroll University Housing Department about their Aug. 21 party.

"We thought nothing would happen to us because we live off-campus," Williams said.

The friend told the two roommates the department said they had to follow Waukesha's gathering guidelines and the department had no authority over them.

Waukesha County updated its large gathering recommendation in the context of the COVID-19 outbreak on Thursday.

The new guidance advises indoor venues may host events at 50 percent capacity, or up to 250 individuals, whichever number is less, with a focus on maintaining appropriate social distancing. Outdoor events may exceed 250 individuals when proper outdoor space, separation of groups, social distancing, and other guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are followed. Previous recommendations advised that groups of up to 100 people could gather.

The students' gathering swelled to 20 people in their backyard. They admit people were not wearing face masks outside.

"We kept it outside as it was the safest way to do it," Williams told Patch.

Williams said someone snapped a picture of the backyard gathering and sent it to Carroll University. The university emailed the students telling them to quarantine for two weeks. After a hearing on Wednesday regarding the party's hosts, the trio were ultimately suspended for the semester. This was their first offense, according to Williams.

Both students are 21. Williams was a junior studying business administration and hails from

Lone Tree, Colorado. Hoffman was studying criminal justice and sociology and is from Scottsdale, Arizona.

Williams was kicked off the basketball team and all three students have to reapply to the school next semester. It also negatively impacts their scholarships and there is now a code of conduct mark on their records, Williams added.

The students said they are out of their semester's tuition and now have text books collecting dust.

"I haven't even stepped foot on campus yet either. I haven't walked to any of my classes," Tanner Hoffman said.

Theresa Barry, Vice President of Student Affairs, released the following statement regarding the suspensions:

"Everything we have implemented in our Fall 2020 Carroll Comeback Plan has been done to protect our students, faculty, staff, and the greater Waukesha community.

We can only be successful if we all pull together. However, three students chose to have an off-campus, non-university sanctioned event at their residence without social distancing and masks. As a result, the hosts were suspended for a semester. They appealed the decision, but the appeals were denied and the suspensions upheld by the appellate officer.

All Carroll University students were required to sign a supplemental code of conduct agreement pertaining to COVID-19. Any student who fails to live up to that code can face suspension.

Students also were required to present a negative COVID test before being allowed to attend classes. For more information on our policies: https://www.carrollu.edu/coronavirus/mandatory-policies

Additional information:

The students are being refunded 80% of their tuition, as is consistent with our refund policy for all students.

• Our conduct policy clearly states in the first paragraph that the rules apply both on and off-campus. These rules have been online since the beginning of June.
• In addition to signing the conduct policy, all student-athletes were made aware of these policies by their coaches and were invited to a special town hall with the president to discuss.
• The university’s director of Student Conduct is meeting with Carroll students who attended the party. In addition to being quarantined for 14 days, they all will receive additional sanctions, including meeting with university officials, a documented warning, housing probation (for those who live on campus), and a notice that further parallel violations could/may result in a mandated move to virtual learning."

Williams and Hoffman said the policy didn't state "off-campus" until right before a hearing last Wednesday. Carroll University didn't respond to this comment as of Tuesday afternoon.

"I think it (punishment) is very harsh and not applied fairly," Hoffman said.

Williams added all the people who were in their backyard were only told to quarantine for two weeks.

"They are still allowed to go to school for the rest of the semester," Williams said.

Hoffman clarified they are not trying to get other people suspended but would like the same punishment without the suspension.

"I don't understand the thought process. If they are really worried about COVID, it doesn't just impact the owners of the backyard," Williams said.

All three students have spoken to their parents and are looking into additional resources.