University's response to drug distribution charges

Serving on the panel of the Undergraduate Conduct Board, I take great pride in being a member of the Duke undergraduate community and the Duke Community Standard in which, among other things, all undergraduates pledged that “I will conduct myself honorably in all my endeavours” [emphasis added].

That sense of pride, however, evaporated yesterday as I read that three juniors, Kyle Power, David Lai and Alejandro Pedroza, were arrested for the possession and intent to sell and deliver marijuana. The Chronicle’s March 15 article, “3 students arrested on drug charges,” detailed the shocking revelation of defendants Power and Pedroza’s back-to-back trips to jail: Merely two days after being arrested in the Bryan Center for marijuana and drug paraphernalia charges, the two were arrested, along with Lai, for felonious charges of the possession and intent to sell and deliver marijuana, and each was placed under a $125,000 bond. Before diving into their deeply disturbing behaviors, I would like to emphasize that all are presumed innocent until found otherwise.

These allegations deserve a serious and heightened response from the University. Per the guidelines of the Office of Student Conduct, students found guilty of drug manufacturing and distribution may be required to take a leave of absence. Since the University disciplinary system is different in nature from the criminal justice system, Duke is at liberty to pursue a concurrent proceeding. Regardless of the University’s approach, the defendants, should they be found guilty by the court or held responsible by the University, need to be taught a serious lesson.

Imagine the trio decided to go abroad for Spring break and were subsequently caught possessing narcotics by foreign authorities, who tend to impose long sentences for narcotics possession as little as one gram. The University should leverage this teachable moment to hold the three defendants accountable for their actions by imposing appropriate sanctions, including expulsion, if necessary. Indeed, being permanently removed from the University is a small price to pay compared to the prospect of languishing in a foreign prison cell for several decades.

Jack Wang

Member of the Undergraduate Conduct Board

Trinity ’12