McDonnell, Casteen discuss notification changes

RICHMOND — Had the University of Virginia known about George Huguely’s arrest in 2008 in which he reportedly threatened the life of a Lexington police officer, he would have almost certainly faced consequences at the university, UVa President John T. Casteen III said Tuesday.

“Information of that kind would have lit our system up,” Casteen said. “Students who do those things, and we know about it, find themselves under suspension immediately … In any event, I would like to know if one of my students threatened to kill a police officer.”

Casteen and Gov. Bob McDonnell spoke with reporters Tuesday afternoon after meeting privately at the Governor’s Mansion about the killing of UVa lacrosse player Yeardley Love. Huguely, also a UVa lacrosse player, is charged with first-degree murder in Love’s death.

Casteen and McDonnell discussed possible changes to Virginia law or police procedures that would aim to ensure universities are notified after students are arrested or convicted of crimes.

UVa says it was never notified after Huguely’s arrest in Lexington in fall 2008 on charges of being drunk in public and resisting arrest.

The officer who arrested Huguely says he threatened to kill her and others and had to be subdued with a Taser.

McDonnell did not offer unqualified support for the idea that law enforcement agencies must notify universities about student arrests.

He said, however, that he supports finding ways to improve the flow of information about worrisome incidents involving students to universities from police departments, courts, fellow students, guidance counselors and others.

“My commitment … is to equip the leaders of our universities with information necessary to protect the safety of their students,” McDonnell said.

Requiring law enforcement officers to notify universities about student arrests, he said, would likely have some logistical problems.

For example, he said, what if a student lies about their status as a student? How do police departments verify that information?

“There are some logistical issues,” he said.

The Virginia Associ-ation of Chiefs of Police has raised concerns about the notification idea, saying it poses several challenges for police departments. Would a law enforcement agency be liable if an officer fails to notify a university after an arrest? How much would it cost? The association pointed out that police departments across the state are already facing difficult budget situations.

Before backing any changes in the law, McDonnell said, he will first consult with law enforcement agencies to better understand the practical and logistical challenges.

McDonnell added that he would be willing to seek funds to pay for changes in the law or state policy, should they be deemed necessary.

“If it takes money, certainly,” he said. “College safety is important.”

McDonnell said he is committed to the broader goal of improving the quality of information universities receive about their students’ behavior.

At their lunch meeting, McDonnell and Casteen also spoke about the problem of domestic violence.

Everyone, McDonnell said, has a “moral obligation” to report to authorities when a friend, teammate or anyone else is being victimized.

Casteen was asked if he still has confidence in UVa men’s lacrosse coach Dom Starsia, given a Washington Post report that Starsia knew about an incident in which Huguely attacked another member of the men’s lacrosse team in early 2009.

“Certainly,” Casteen said, “to the extent that I have any information.”

Reports that Starsia knew about that incident, but did not suspend Huguely, are merely “hearsay” at this point, Casteen said.

“My own personal experience of the coach and his program does not bear out a great deal of the hearsay that floats around,” he said.

UVa has not launched an internal investigation into whether Starsia knew of the alleged incident last year and did not tell his superiors in the athletics department, said UVa spokeswoman Carol Wood.

“[Casteen] is being supportive of the coach and his team,” she said.