Daily Staff Writer

Dental student pleads not guilty to hate crimes

Tarsha Claiborne, the University of Iowa dental student charged with two hate crimes, entered a handwritten plea of not guilty at her arraignment June 15.

Claiborne, who is African-American, is being charged with making threats in violation of individual rights and trespass in violation of individual rights.

The second-year dentistry student was arrested April 20 in connection with racist e-mails sent to the school’s College of Dentistry and a bowl of spaghetti and red-food coloring that was found outside an off-campus apartment with a note saying, “Dead black man’s brains.”

U of I officials have been quoted stating that Claiborne had confessed to the charges.

A trial date has yet to be set.

---

Rhodes resigns from position at U of I

Ann Rhodes resigned June 16 from her position as vice president for University Relations at the University of Iowa.

Rhodes had served in the position for 10 years.

Steve Parrott, director of University Relations for U of I, said Rhodes will remain as vice president for University Relations until the end of the month.

Rhodes will now serve as an associate counsel in the U of I Office of General Counsel.

She will also teach within the College of Nursing and the College of Education.

Rhodes came under fire for a statement she made following the arrest of Tarsha Claiborne, the dental student accused of sending racist e-mails and charged with two hate crimes.

“I figured it was going to be a white guy between 25 and 55 because they’re the root of most evil,” Rhodes said following the arrest.

She later apologized for the comment.

“Ann didn’t go into any detail; I think she did acknowledge to some reporters over the weekend that that did play some role in her decision, but it wasn’t the primary motivation,” Parrott said.

The decision was Rhodes’ alone, Parrott said, and U of I will now conduct a nationwide search for her successor.

In the interim, Rhodes will be replaced by David Skorton, vice president for research.

Skorton has served as U of I vice president for Research for 10 years.

He joined the U of I faculty in 1980.

—briefs compiled by Justin Kendall