A ‘haughty few’
Students blasted for massive party after coronavirus lockdown
UMass Amherst students who attended a massive party over the weekend are staring at a suspension, as the university cracks down on “these haughty few” students following a campuswide coronavirus lockdown last month.
The off-campus party with 200 students occurred Saturday in what is traditionally the so-called “Blarney-Blowout” weekend in early March ahead of St. Patrick’s Day.
The students who hosted and attended the party were shredded by a university official on Monday.
“Sadly, it has happened again — a group of students flagrantly flouted the rules over the weekend,” Brandi Hephner LaBanc, vice chancellor for Student Affairs and Campus Life, wrote to the campus community.
“It has become clear that a relatively small but highly visible subsection of the student population in the Amherst area feels entitled to break the agreed-upon policies and rules so they can party, with no regard for the health and safety of their peers,” she said.
Amherst Police on Saturday afternoon responded to the offcampus property after receiving calls from local residents. The police officers broke up the crowd of about 200 students who had gathered in violation of university policy and state public health mandates.
The crowd of mostly unmasked students was dispersed, and citations were issued to the hosts.
“Those students identified as being involved — hosting or attending — will be issued an interim suspension,” LaBanc wrote. “If a student also lives on campus, they will face the additional consequence of an interim housing restriction (which requires moving out of the halls) as they pose an immediate health risk to other residents.”
This comes after the university in February locked down following large frat parties and a surge of coronavirus cases.
“All students involved will have their appropriate due process, but under no circumstances will they continue as a university student in the interim,” LaBanc continued. “The actions of these haughty few are not representative of the larger student population who consistently demonstrate their commitment to public safety. This incident (and others like it) will be dealt with swiftly and effectively so those of you abiding by the rules can enjoy more university privileges.”