A former ISU student expelled for his involvement in the Veishea riot in April said he’s been unfairly disciplined by the university.

Eric Osterholm, 22, of Sioux City, said he was not part of the rioting or violence although he acknowledges joining other students in shouting at police.

Students caused $100,000 in damage as they broke windows and set fires during the early morning of April 18 near the end of 2004 Veishea activities.

Osterholm didn’t leave the scene until he was arrested and hauled off to a holding area, his eyes stinging with tear gas and pepper spray.

He said that his expulsion by university officials doesn’t fit his actions.

“I was punished because I was there,” he said. “They wanted a face to put on the riot.”

Osterholm is one of four students expelled or suspended. Eleven students received deferred suspensions or were placed on conduct probation, which means they remain at the university. Two cases were dropped by the university and another is unresolved.

Police arrested 35 people, including 15 students. The majority were charged with failure to disperse, while more serious cases included criminal mischief and assaulting a police officer.

A psychology and philosophy double-major, Osterhelm had a 3.8 grade-point average and a clean criminal record until his arrest last spring. Now he worries he’ll have trouble getting into graduate school because the expulsion will appear on his transcript.

“I don’t want pity,” he said. “I just want fair and equal treatment.”

Pete Englin, dean of students, said the most severe sanctions went to students who caused significant property damage or put others’ safety at risk during the riot.

“It’s a reasonable assumption that during the judicial process those who caused significant loss for others would receive a more serious sanction,” Englin said.

Osterholm says he wasn’t one of them.

Osterholm, who is back in Sioux City finishing his senior year at Morningside College, said he was drinking with friends the night of April 17 in Campustown.

At about 10:45 p.m., he said police in riot gear approached and told him to go home.

Osterholm said confusion quickly turned to chaos, and later anger toward police. He joined a group shouting insults at police, but said that was the extent of his misdeeds that night.

“Nobody really had any clue what was going on,” he said.

He was charged with interference and disorderly conduct and a few days later, a charge of assaulting a police officer was added.

Osterholm pleaded guilty to the interference and disorderly conduct charges over the summer, while the assault charge was eventually dropped.

But his university disciplinary hearing was held in May, more than two months before authorities dropped the assault charge.

The All-University Judiciary reviewed the student cases. The panel includes five students, faculty and staff members chosen from a pool of 30 people.

The panel makes a judgment and recommends sanctions to the dean of students.

“There is not a cookie-cutter approach,” said Bethany Schuttinga, director of judicial affairs. “Every case is reviewed separately.”

Osterholm, who served two days in jail and paid more than $1,700 in fines, said he has appealed his expulsion with university officials and the state Board of Regents.