Campus Copy suit sees more charges

Gregory Seaton, the Graduate School of Education student who alleges that he was assaulted by employees at Campus Copy Center, has filed two additional charges in his discrimination lawsuit.

Seaton claims he was assaulted by four employees of Campus Copy at 39th and Walnut streets on April 2. He says he was the victim of racial discrimination at the hands of the employees.

Two weeks after the alleged incident, Seaton filed a lawsuit against the University, Campus Copy and a witness, Professor Erling Boe, claiming that he was a victim of assault, battery and civil rights violations.

University Police also investigated the incident, classifying it as a simple assault. The police report noted that the incident boiled down to irreconcilable differences between Seaton's account and that of Campus Copy officials.

According to Damon Pace, Seaton's attorney, the new charges stem from a letter written by Boe and sent to Seaton's academic advisor, Education Professor Margaret Beale Spencer. In the letter, Boe calls Seaton's allegations of wrongdoing "groundless and without merit."

Seaton and his lawyer then filed two additional charges against Boe and the University because Seaton felt that the letter endangered his academic career.

"The unlawful retaliatory practice of the letter writing campaign is believed to be of a continuing nature, which could imperil [Seaton's] status as a Ph.D. candidate," the complaint reads.

In addition to the two latest charges, a number of motions were filed over the summer, most of which have yet to be ruled on by U.S. District Court Judge Stewart Dalzell.

One motion, filed on behalf of Campus Copy, requested the preservation of the records of Seaton's in-store 911 call. The motion was granted and now the records can be used by either side as evidence in the case.

According to University General Counsel, Boe and Campus Copy, as well as the University, have filed a motion to dismiss the entire case. That motion is still pending.

"The University believes that the amended complaint has no merit whatsoever," University spokeswoman Phyllis Holtzman said. "That was and continues to be our position on the original complaint as well, which is why we filed the motion to dismiss."

In the initial complaint, Seaton claimed that he protested when the store's manager, Ron Shapiro, first served Boe, who was in line behind Seaton. Seaton also claims that following his protestations, he was beaten by several Campus Copy employees.

Shapiro has stated that serving Boe first was simply a misunderstanding. In addition, Campus Copy officials maintain that it was Seaton who resorted to violence first.

A few days after the incident, Seaton sent out an e-mail account of the event to several University listservs. The e-mail galvanized the University community and sparked a boycott of the store as well as numerous protests.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.