By David R. Kazak

A disorderly conduct charge brought against SIUC senior Michael Anzaldi by Judicial Affairs in response to a critical Daily Egyptian letter to the editor has been dropped.

In his letter, published Sept. 22, Anzaldi detailed his frustration with trying to access SIUC’s computing system and criticized an Information Technology employee.

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The employee, IT Analyst Robert Roy, filed a complaint with Judicial Affairs, and Anzaldi was charged a few days later. Anzaldi was to attend a hearing on the matter Nov. 1.

Judicial Affairs officials would not comment on why the charge was dropped, nor would they explain how a published letter to the editor could result in a disciplinary charge in the first place.

According to the Student Conduct Code published in the 1996-1997 Undergraduate Catalog, disorderly conduct falls under the acts of social misconduct violations. There is no explanation of what disorderly conduct means.

The Code also states that a complaint, which can be brought by any member of the University community, is reviewed by the coordinator of Judicial Affairs to determine whether there are grounds for disciplinary charges.

Judicial Affairs coordinator Terry Huffman said through his assistant that he could not comment on the case, citing that details about the dispute between Anzaldi and IT analyst Robert Roy are privileged information.

Huffman later could not be reached for comment to explain how a letter to the editor could warrant a disorderly conduct charge.

Anzaldi said he is pleased with the Judicial Affairs decision but said this experience will make him think twice about writing an opinion which may cause a hassle.

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This is probably what would have happened if this thing had gone all the way to a formal hearing, Anzaldi said. It is just a sign of how ridiculous this whole situation really is.

The last sentence of Anzaldi’s letter said, Finally, if anybody is still having a trouble with pop e-mail, go see Rob Roy at Wham. This guy’s a real pleasure. I suggest seeing him during his lunch hour, then it’s extra hilarious.

Roy’s written complaint to Judicial Affairs did not mention disorderly conduct.

This letter has done direct harm to my 20-year career here at SIUC, Roy said in the complaint. This is a public ridicule of me by name in the public press. The hurt and slander this has done cannot be undone.

Roy’s only response to the dropped charge was, You guys have won.

Anzaldi said placing his complaint about Roy in his letter was just an afterthought to his original complaint about his accessing problems.

When Anzaldi went to Roy for help with his e-mail, he said Roy gave indications he did not want to be bothered.

Roy did not comment on this, but Information Technology director Lawrence Hendgehold said Roy has helped out hundreds of students, both over the phone and in person, without one complaint.

This needs to be put into perspective when you hear about one or two complaints, Hendgehold said. They need to be weighed against the hundreds (Roy) has helped without complaint.

Anzaldi said it was not his intention to cause any embarrassment or hurt for Roy, but he said he is not sorry for what he wrote.

I don’t apologize about the things I put in the letter, Anzaldi said. But it wasn’t my intention to hurt anyone.

Anzaldi also said this incident has caused him to rethink how he expresses himself in the future.

Obviously this will be in the back of my mind, he said. Sure, I didn’t get into trouble, but it was a hassle. If there is a comment I have that might be a hassle, I might be inclined not to write it.

When you have a million other things to deal with here at school, who wants hassle?