Four Iowa State students are facing university misconduct charges which may force them from their campus leadership positions.

Milton McGriff, a graduate student in English; Allan Nosworthy, a graduate student in English; Teresa Thomas, a graduate student in journalism and mass communication; and Meron Wondwosen, a junior in political science, have been charged with three violations of university policy after they spoke at an unauthorized meeting held in Beardshear Hall on Nov. 5 of last year.

Under university rules, students who are found guilty at All-University Judiciary hearings are subject to three types of reprimand: disciplinary reprimand, conduct probation or suspension.

Dean of Students Kathleen MacKay has said that these students, if found guilty on all counts, could receive conduct probation.

According to the Student Information Handbook, conduct probation is “a period of review and observation during which the student must demonstrate the ability to comply with university rules, regulations, and other requirements stipulated for the probation period. While under conduct probation, a student may not serve as an officer of a student organization or a member of a university committee or council.”

Between 20 and 30 other individuals who were also involved in the November meeting face lesser charges including unauthorized entry into a university building and failure to comply with proper order.

McGriff, Nosworthy, Thomas and Wondwosen face stiffer penalties because they are also charged with disruption of rights of others on university property.

Nosworthy, who is president of the Black Cultural Center, a Government of the Student Body senator and a member of the September 29th Movement, said, “This is not what we were told going into this situation. We were told we would receive a written reprimand.”

Thomas is president of the Asian-Pacific American Awareness Coalition. McGriff is a GSB senator and spokesman for the Movement. Wondwosen is president of the Black Student Alliance.

University officials had little to say Wednesday about the charges. Grace Weigel, programs coordinator for the All-University Judiciary Committee, said, “I cannot release any information.”

Weigel mentioned the Buckley Amendment, an legal measure preventing disclosure of student information, and said she could not discuss the hearings. However, the four students said they have repeatedly asked for open hearings.

It wasn’t clear Wednesday when the hearings will be held or if they will be open to the public.

The Sept. 29th Movement’s attorney, Maggi Moss — a noted civil rights lawyer from Des Moines — said the third charge has only been pressed on the people the university considers to be leaders.

She said it does not mention in the student handbook that if a student is labeled as an organizer that he or she is subject to extra punishment.

According to a Movement press release, there were 65 organizers at the meeting. This number included faculty and student participants.

Moss said she feels the third charge against the four student leaders is “arbitrary” and that the university is “attempting to treat differently” the people they have labeled leaders.

“All I ask of this university is that we treat everybody the same,” she said.

Neither Dean MacKay nor Paul Tanaka, director of University Legal Services, could be reached for comment.