OHIO -- The Ohio State University director of public safety announced
Tuesday that the university does not recommend criminal charges be filed against a student photojournalist
detained while covering the escape of two cows on campus last month.
According to OSU's student newspaper The Lantern, Vernon
Baisden, OSU director of public safety, said that the "university does not
believe that the situation warrants the filing of criminal charges"
against the photojournalist, Alex Kotran.
Ohio State University Police Chief Paul Denton said the case has been
closed and that he believes this was a learning experience for everyone
involved. He added that the university police will still meet with Kotran.
Kotran was detained temporarily by university police on April 21 while he
was covering the escape of two cows on Ohio State's campus for the
Lantern. After being asked to leave once by a police officer, Kotran
relocated to a different place at the scene, where the police asked him to leave
again and later handcuffed him.
Although he will not be criminally charged, Kotran told the Lantern
he will still obtain an attorney because the Ohio State Office of Student
Judicial Affairs may still take action.
Neither Kotran, nor the Ohio State university police returned multiple
calls for comment by press time.
An editorial in The Columbus Dispatch
(http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/editorials/stories/2010/05/06/short-takes.html)
today commended both Kotran and the university's decision to not press
criminal charges.
"Kotran, a freshman, demonstrated tenacity and professional
commitment in his coverage of the incident. By not prosecuting this student for
doing his job, OSU sends a message that it supports its student media and the
vital role journalists play in disseminating information, one of the pillars of
a free society," the editorial said.
By Katie Maloney, SPLC staff writer
