Elon students kicked off campus for throwing parties during pandemic, school says
Students at Elon University in North Carolina are facing swift punishment after school officials accused them of hosting or attending parties despite statewide COVID-19 restrictions.
At least seven students who reportedly hosted the events have been barred from campus, and another 32 who attended face student conduct charges, Jon Dooley, Elon’s vice president for student life, said in a statement Wednesday, WFMY reported.
“As of Wednesday morning, we have removed/restricted seven individuals from campus for allegedly hosting mass gatherings that violated the governor’s executive orders,” Dooley said in the statement, according to Fox 8. “Final decisions about their cases are being determined through the standard Student Conduct process.”
Gov. Roy Cooper’s executive order bars gatherings of more than 10 people indoors and more than 25 outdoors.
Those restrictions factored into Elon’s plans for reopening — including “what could happen to those who violate policies,” WFMY reported.
The students who have been barred from campus are still allowed to attend classes online, according to WXII.
“I’m very confident in Elon,” first-year student Emma Frey Fadde told the TV station. “If they have an issue, they nip it in the bud real quick.”
Elon University — a private college about an hour west of Raleigh in central North Carolina — announced its “Ready & Resilient” plan earlier this year for students and staff to return to campus in August. The plan allows for in-person instruction, modifies the semester dates, and mandates students complete a test for COVID-19.
The required at-home test administered by North Carolina-based LabCorp cost $129 and will be billed to students in September, McClatchy News previously reported, though some argued the cost was an undue burden.
Elon also plans to test students at random throughout the pandemic.
The university has reported a total of 17 cumulative coronavirus cases among students and staff since May, according to its COVID-19 dashboard. At least seven students tested positive for the virus between Aug. 15 and Aug. 26.
In the meantime, Dooley is sending regular alerts reminding students to stay safe.
After UNC-Chapel Hill and N.C. State announced plans to abandon in-person instruction following a number of outbreaks on campus, he reminded students the “privilege” of being on campus will only continue “if we remain vigilant.”
“Making the right choices ‘most of the time’ won’t work,” Dooley said. “A single event or gathering can spark a cluster of infections that could spread quickly and force decisions that none of us want. YOU have a personal responsibility to protect our community health.”
This story was originally published August 26, 2020 at 7:13 PM with the headline "Elon students kicked off campus for throwing parties during pandemic, school says."
