College News and Info

Statement on Jan. 25 incident at Men's Basketball Game

Greetings,

The Jan. 25 men’s basketball game between MVCC and HCCC began as a classic contest of sportsmanship by two outstanding teams and their true fans. Unfortunately, behavior by some spectators brought the evening to an ugly end.

With less than a minute to play, MVCC was in possession of the ball and down by one when a disturbance began in the bleachers. Several officers of MVCC Public Safety and the Utica Police Department were present and they responded immediately. Officers restored order, ended the game, and directed all spectators to return to their residence halls or leave campus. Together with my senior administration and Public Safety I am reviewing what we saw, and we are grateful to the officers who acted professionally to bring the situation to an end without reported injuries.

MVCC lost a chance to end the night on a winning note and we lost the respect of the public because of bad behavior by a few spectators. This is unacceptable for our college and our community. We have rules that exist to maintain our learning environment, and violations of these rules are taken seriously no matter who is responsible for violent and uncivil acts.

Anyone who violates MVCC’s rules for conduct and public order is subject to consequences: Removal or ban from campus, judicial sanction, arrest and criminal prosecution, and more. Public Safety and Judicial Affairs will continue to investigate last night’s behaviors and will follow through with due process if appropriate. As we work to make our campus a more civil place, one commitment we have made is to bolster Public Safety’s presence and our cooperation with local law enforcement. Incidents like this are not tolerated and will be met with response from officers. I ask all members of the college community to share in the responsibility of preventing embarrassing behavior like that which occurred in our gym the night of the game.

Randall J. VanWagoner, Ph.D.
President
Mohawk Valley Community College