No one expelled for Castle incident

None of the 22 students charged by the Judicial Inquiry Officer in the Psi Upsilon kidnapping case were expelled from the University, according to statistics released yesterday. JIO Constance Goodman would not comment yesterday on the sanctions imposed on those charged in the case, but her annual report shows that no students were expelled last year for Code of Conduct violations -- the category under which the Castle case would fall. The report states that the only expulsion last year was under the Code of Academic Integrity. The student was kicked out for falsifying grades or transcripts, according to the report. Although no students were expelled for the kidnapping, the Registrar's Office said that the two former Psi Upsilon members charged by the Philadelphia District Attorney's office with the most severe crimes -- Aaron Castellano and Carlton Jackson -- are no longer at the University. A student close to the case said last night that Jackson has transferred to New York University and Castellano is attending classes at another college. The report, released in today's Almanac, shows that eight students were charged with kidnapping last year, and Goodman said all eight were involved in the Psi Upsilon incident. According to the report, at least one of the eight received a suspended sentence of expulsion, which is the University's harshest punishment under which a student can still remain in school. Goodman said that someone who receives a suspended sentence of expulsion will be expelled automatically if they ever violate the University's Code of Conduct again. Goodman would not say how many students charged with kidnapping were given a suspended sentence. The study also shows that some of those charged with kidnapping received sanctions of community service and probation. It is not clear whether the students received multiple sanctions. The JIO declined to comment on charges against the other 14 students involved in the incident and on whether any were charged with more than one offense. The 99-year-old Psi Upsilon fraternity was kicked off campus last May after the University found that members were collectively responsible for planning and executing the January kidnapping of Delta Psi brother William O'Flanagan. Goodman in May released a 44-point findings of fact in which she reported that during the two-and-a-half hour incident, O'Flanagan "was in fear of imminent serious bodily injury and, at one point, death." Goodman resolved individual charges against Castle members in October. Federal laws governing confidentiality of student records forbid her from commenting on whether charges against the 21 former Castle members and one non-fraternity student had been dropped or punishments had been imposed. The University Judicial Charter requires the JIO to present an annual report on all Code of Conduct and Academy Integrity Code violations she handles.

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