MARIJUANA FOUND ON MOVE-IN DAY

The Drug Was Found in the Lobby of Oliver Hall As Students Moved on
Sunday

About a gram of marijuana was found in the lobby of Oliver Hall by an
unknown person as students moved into the hall on Sunday. A KU Public
Safety Officer flushed the drugs down the toilet, which a student
could be kicked out of the University if found in possession of.

An Oliver Hall desk manager found a small amount of marijuana Sunday
in the hall lobby during the weekend move-in.

If the person who brought in the drug had been caught and convicted,
he or she could have been expelled from the University and denied
access to future federal financial aid.

Desk manager Katelyn DePenning didn't see who dropped the baggie,
which contained about a gram of marijuana according to the KU Public
Safety Office.

Officer Alissa Counley identified the drug and flushed it down a
women's restroom toilet in Oliver with DePenning as witness, according
to Counley's report.

If an officer can't determine who may have dropped an unattended drug
packet, then the investigating officer destroys the drugs and the case
is considered closed, said Schuyler Bailey, University of Kansas
Public Safety Office spokesman.

Forty-five drug-related offenses were reported by the KU Public Safety
Office in 2005. Marijuana appears to be the most common drug at the
University, Bailey said.

Merely possessing a hallucinogenic drug like marijuana could get a
student kicked out of the University in addition to penalties under
federal or Kansas state law.

The University can discipline students and athletes caught with drugs,
including putting them on non-academic probation if the situation
warrants it, said Jane Tuttle, assistant to the vice provost for
student success. Offenders could be removed from student housing, too.

Violating probation can lead to being expelled.

Possessing drugs while employed by the University is clear grounds for
dismissal, said Ola Faucher, director of Human Resources and Equal
Opportunity.

"Possession of illegal drugs is a crime and also misconduct, but we
never dismiss people without hearing their side of the story," Faucher
said.

Punishment might not end there, though. Being caught with even a small
amount of marijuana on University property is a Class A misdemeanor
and could result in a year in state prison and a $2,500 fine.

Manufacturing or selling drugs is far more serious; fines for
manufacturing can reach $500,000 along with up to 17 years in prison.