'Unjust Punishment,' Mom Of Suspended Carroll Student Says

WAUKESHA, WI—Carroll University President Cindy Gnadinger held a news conference on Wednesday regarding the recent suspension of three students who held an off-campus gathering in August.

Gnadinger said the students violated Carroll University's physical distancing size limit and mask use policies.

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.

The students had 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. Gnadinger confirmed other students who knew about the event contacted the university.

The trio was ultimately suspended for the semester. This was their first offense, according to Williams. The students who attended the party were told to quarantine for two weeks.

"Carroll adopted a series of COVID specific guidelines designed to help our entire community stay safe. Because of course, that is our number one priority," Gnadinger said.

The president explained choosing to open a university for in-person instruction during a pandemic is not something the university takes lightly. There are currently nine positive coronavirus cases at Carroll University, Gnadinger said.

The university has 3,500 students.

Pandemic polices posted in June

The university developed new pandemic policies and guidelines that were communicated via multiple town hall meetings and reviewed during the orientation process. The information was also shared through meetings with athletic coaches.

Gnadinger said guidelines were posted to the school's website and on social media in June.

"Every student was required to read and sign a statement that they agreed to and understood regarding our COVID-19 specific policies," Gnadinger said.

Gnadinger added the polices apply to students off-campus as those gatherings could undermine their efforts to hold instruction and activities on campus. Students who felt uncomfortable with the policies were encouraged to do virtual learning for the academic year.

"It has been inaccurately reported that the students who were suspended or chose to withdrawal would lose their full-time tuition," Gnadinger said.

Students who leave Carroll University within the first two weeks of the semester, regardless of reason, receive an 80% refund of the tuition, according to the president.

Mom of suspended student speaks

Connie Williams, the mother of Blake Williams, reached out to Patch regarding her son's suspension. While she is not thrilled over her son's decision to have a gathering, Connie Williams said college life is about being social.

"Part of college is getting to know people and you can safely do that," she told Patch.

Williams said the gathering was held before school started and many of the guests were roommates of each other.

"No one can control if someone wears a mask or not. You can only control you," she said.

Williams said she feels the university stepped over the line in terms of punishment and is jeopardizing the future of the students.

Not only are the three students losing out on a semester but they have blemish on their academic record. Williams said a code of conduct violation is similar to cheating or stealing.

"It affects their chances of being admitting into other universities, getting jobs, and getting into graduate programs," she said.

Williams said the school should have just made the three students take virtual classes as opposed to a full semester suspension.

"My problem is Carroll University is an educational institution and they are blocking my son's ability to get an education," she said.

The suspension also creates financial concerns as Blake's and the other students' scholarships are gone for the semester. Blake's family owns a small business, Taste of the Rockies, a snack supplier in Colorado which was heavily affected by the pandemic. Williams said their family is struggling to keep the doors open.

"This tuition money was extremely hard earned and from huge sacrifices," she said.

Now her son will be a semester behind and not graduate with his peers.

"Carroll University has changed priority from educating students, to that of inflicting unjust punishment," she said.