PNW v. Lalo Vera: Day I, Pre-Hearing Interview

Ladislao (Lalo) Vera, 

Regarding Case Number: 2023161101

Dear Lalo,

A referral to the Office of the Dean of Students was made by the PNW Police Department for an incident occurring on February 21, 2024, in which it is alleged that around 6:30 P.M., you entered the library in Student Union Library Building (SULB) wearing a bulletproof vest and without shoes. Because tactical body armor is commonly associated with perpetrators of mass violence in school shootings, your conduct created a state of alarm among students and staff who observed it, causing them to fear for their safety and call for a police response. It is further alleged that when confronted by campus police, you refused to provide identification or respond to officers' questions. It is further alleged that upon being removed from campus, you stated that responding officers would "find out soon," which is an expression commonly understood to constitute a threat to the safety of others. Additionally, it is alleged that at 10:55 on 2/22/2024, you reported a threat of a "planned attack" on the PNW campus to the FBI National Threat Operations Center and identified a possible gun on campus. Based on the report you are being charged with the following violations:

• B.2.c - Obstruction of Activities: Obstruction or disruption of any University activity (as defined in Subsection A-5) or inciting, aiding, or encouraging other persons to engage in such conduct.

• B.2.d - Abuse: Physical abuse of any person or conduct which threatens or endangers the health or safety of any other person, whether or not such conduct occurs on University property.

• B.2.k - Failure to Comply: Failure to comply with the directions of University officials acting in the performance of their duties.

For your convenience, the Regulations Governing Student Conduct, Disciplinary Proceedings and Appeals are provided with this letter. Basic information regarding the hearing procedures, violations, and sanctioning are outlined within it. Students called in for a disciplinary hearing are notified in a letter such as this, of the conduct charges to which they must respond. They are then obliged to discuss the incident and their alleged involvement in a private hearing.

Based on the severity of the incident, you will have a Community Standards Board (CSB) hearing. Before that hearing, you will need to meet with me to discuss this case, what will happen during the CSB hearing, and the possible outcomes. This meeting is called a Pre-Hearing Interview. Your meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, February 27, 2024, at 1:00 pm via Zoom. The link for your meeting is {RSVP Tickets}.

Please be aware that you have a right to attend the hearing but do not have to attend. Should you not attend, the hearing will proceed without you. You also have the right to an advisor. Advisor means any person selected by a student to assist him/her in a disciplinary proceeding. A student has the right to be assisted by an advisor, but the advisor is not permitted to speak or participate directly in any other manner during any disciplinary proceeding, nor may he/she appear in lieu of the student. Students are responsible for representing themselves. 

The advisor need not be an attorney, but the student is allowed to have an attorney serve as his/her advisor in the disciplinary proceeding, at his/her own expense, with the understanding that the attorney’s role is as an advisor rather than as an advocate. It is the responsibility of the student to arrange for an advisor who is available at the time of the scheduled disciplinary proceeding. Postponement or rescheduling of student disciplinary proceedings due to the availability of an advisor will not be permitted.

In the meantime, we recommend to all students that should you wish to you may contact the Counseling Center for any help or emotional support that you may need. They can be reached at (219) 989-2366 and are located in the Riley Center – 2250 173rd Street on the Hammond Campus or TECH 101 on the Westville Campus.

To request accessibility-related accommodations for your hearing, please call the PNW Accessibility Center at (219) 989-2455.

Sincerely,

Britt Hudson Assistant Dean of Students

CC: Colin Fewer, Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs & Dean of Students Brian Miller, Director of Public Safety Elizabeth H Depew, Vice Chancellor Enrollment Management and Student Affairs