Penn State Protester loses ROTC Scholarship

"Gee officer, I know I had my hand on the van when it flipped in the middle of the riot, but I wasn't causing any trouble!"
Yeah, I predict that one will fly in approximately 0.00% of cases.

As was eloquently stated somewhere else, "Play stupid games, win stupid prizes."
 
Mike, a couple of days ago on the ROTC forum this became a topic. Here is the other thread:
http://www.serviceacademyforums.com/showthread.php?t=27438 based off of this link:http://xfinity.comcast.net/articles/news-national/20120827/US.Penn.State.Abuse.Riot/?cid=hero_media

The big difference is the other link gives more detail, including his father's position regarding the matter.

Strine's father is a helicopter pilot and instructor whose 28-year career has taken him to Iraq and Afghanistan. His grandfather is a retired Air Force flight surgeon. His brother and sister, aunt and uncle, cousins — all serve or have served. So it wasn't a surprise when Strine began plotting his own military career as an adolescent, reading the autobiographies of famed Army officers like Norman Schwarzkopf and Colin Powell.

"He was a good cadet," Jim Strine said.

His father said he's not seeking to minimize or excuse Justin's involvement, but contended the district attorney's office was far too aggressive — and his son's punishment far too severe.

"He owns something in this," Jim Strine said. "He just doesn't own what he's got."
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Just some food for thought. This position has always left me wondering if his father expected that because his DS was in AROTC he should have received special treatment. I would get his position if his DS was the only one that paid this price, but I don't get it when they all received the same punishment.

Additionally, in this day and age of the military, how is Dad thought that even if he received a slap on the rest by the DA how it would equate to him not being dis-enrolled. Cadets that even get a speeding ticket must inform the command ASAP. It wasn't as if this was not going to become an issue from a ROTC perspective. Thus, if he feels that the penalty for his actions cost his son's career chances, he really needs to IMPO back it up and realize the actions, not the penalty was what really cost his son his career.

He got a 30 day jail sentence, and 8500 court costs. The bigger bill is coming now which is repaying the 34K in ROTC scholarship to the Army. 42.5K because he didn't have enough common sense to sit put in his apt and watch the other students get arrested on TV.

OBTW, this is one more thing that struck me.
Strine said he didn't contest the charges because he wouldn't have been permitted an attorney, and his testimony before the school could have been used against him in the criminal courts. He didn't challenge the sanctions because Penn State warned him that if he did, he could wind up being penalized more severely. And he said he was never told that a suspension would cost him his spot in ROTC.
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Have to ask how a cadet could be in his 3rd yr of ROTC on scholarship and not know these facts. Seriously, did the Cadre not inform him that being suspended for a semester would not revoke his scholarship? Or did he just think that since he wouldn't be attending school his cgpa would still be above the 2.5 cgpa required to maintain a scholarship, and somehow he could manage to still graduate on time.

I spell a lawsuit coming if Strine's comments are true regarding not being permitted an attorney when his testimony could have been used against him in courts. Not an attorney, but if I was a parent facing a 34K reimbursement bill for tuition, I would be finding someone to at least meet with me to see if this is an option.

As ED stated the Joyner aspect was new, so thanks for sharing.
 
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Pima said:
I spell a lawsuit coming if Strine's comments are true regarding not being permitted an attorney when his testimony could have been used against him in courts. Not an attorney, but if I was a parent facing a 34K reimbursement bill for tuition, I would be finding someone to at least meet with me to see if this is an option.
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In a previous ROTC thread it was discussed, with regards to drinking, how a cadet could get the boot if they were charged even if they were not convicted. There may be a lawsuit but the end result is likely to be a lawyer bill on top of everything else.
 
Packer,

I recall that thread, but my thing was/is moving on from here. He is out of AROTC, but now he has a permanent record, and tens of thousands of dollars owed to various places, that because of PSU stating he could not have legal representation may forever impact his future career earnings...can we say college transcript and 2012 economy for college grads?

Do I honestly believe he didn't have an attorney? NO! I am sure there were ambulance chasers calling their family Sunday morning last November.

I also can't believe that PSU's AROTC would drop the ball this badly and not tell him suspension would equate into revoking his scholarship from day one (Monday Nov. 11, 2011). It doesn't pass the smell test.

Let alone his father who has 28 yrs in the AD Army being taken aback by this thought too. That also does not include, his grandfather, siblings, aunts, uncles and cousins who are serving or have served.

I felt that final comment was just a defense, hoping to look better for himself in the eyes of outsiders with no ROTC/military connection reading the story. That last comment threw PSU AROTC det under the bus.

The ROTC cadets on here who have had their scholarships revoked were well informed of the process regarding dis-enrollment. They were well aware of get a speeding ticket you better inform us ASAP. How he even thought that just getting arrested wouldn't revoke his scholarship even if he plead down, I don't know.

If you read the other thread from this forum, you will see our DS was presented with a sim. sit. regarding the UMDCP riot after the Duke game. We talked about if any AFROTC cadets were caught up in the scuffle. DS's answer: Mom, none of us are that stupid. They saw the cops, and knew get back home as fast as your feet can get you there because nobody wanted to face Col. X the next a.m. explaining why the school notified them that a cadet was in trouble.

These were cadets at the game, not at their home watching it on TV like Cadet Strine and decided let's get in the car and join the melee.

I have no real pity for him. I would have had some if he was already there and the crowd pushed him up to the car, he placed his hands on the car because he was being body slammed forward. That is not the case.
 
I agree Pima. I still think the only thing he will get out of a lawsuit is a bill.
 
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