By Larry Fugate
Special to The Commercial
PINE BLUFF — An anonymous e-mail message promising to conduct a protest during First Lady Michelle Obama’s visit to speak at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff’s spring commencement has been turned over to the Secret Service.
UAPB Chancellor Lawrence A. Davis Jr. said university officials have been meeting with Secret Service personnel for weeks preparing for Saturday’s visit and Obama’s speech and were asked to bring any information about protests to the attention of the Secret Service. He said he had earlier obtained a copy of the same message when questioned by the newspaper.
A message sent to The Commercial’s Web site on Monday with the subject line “PROTEST DURING OBAMA VISIT.” The address of the sender was listed as “pbstudentrights@aol.com.”
Davis said that while he could not identify the sender from the e-mail address he obtained, the Secret Service has the ability to track down the sender.
“Several distinguish alumni of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff’s Greek and student organizations have decided to protest during First Lady Michelle Obama visit to Pine Bluff,” the message said. “The protest is strictly to bring awareness to the actions of Mrs. Dovie Burl, dean of student leadership and activities (at UAPB).”
Burl “has been given leeway to make unethical decisions for the campus,” the unsigned message maintained.
Davis said he believes the message stemmed from Burl’s decision to suspend the undergraduate Tau Sigma chapter of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity on the campus after two probationary chapter members were injured during a hazing incident. Chapter members were upset because they were not allowed to participate in a recent Greek campus event, he added.
Davis, a member of the Omega Psi Phi, said he upheld Burl’s decision on the chapter’s suspension. He said hazing is illegal and the university can be held liable for illegal activities on campus.
In addition to a number of unconfirmed allegations, the message claimed Burl was “preventing students from gathering in free speech areas and preventing students from wearing non-offensive clothing, which are constitutional rights at any campus, and not giving organizations due process according the student’s guide, the ROAR…
“The alumni decided to come together after individual protests fell on death ears. The leader of the joint protest said they must show UAPB the problem is serious and this is no better time for them to realize that the alumni will not let their children be harassed and treated unfairly while receiving their education at the school.
“The group has said they will protest upon Obama’s arrival and at her every turn, so that this situation is brought to the eyes of all alumni how their children are being treated away from home.”
An attempt by The Commercial to contact the sender of the message was unsuccessful.
Burl could not be reached for comment Tuesday.
