WEAR YOUR ‘JUSTICE FOR JASON’ T-SHIRT over appropriate court attire. If you don’t have a t-shirt, we will provide you with one. No signs please.

CARPOOL FROM AMHERST: Meet at 8 am at the parking lot in downtown Amherst, across from Pasta y Basta and next to the Amherst Town Hall. If you are traveling to the courthouse on your own, please arrive promptly at 8:45 am. Please RSVP for the carpool and/or the courthouse vigil by emailing Dan at dkeefe@student.umass.edu.

John Bowes is one of the two non-student white men who attacked Jason Vassell in his dormitory on the morning of February 3rd, 2008. John Bowes and his co-conspirator John Bosse (who has yet to be charged at all) smashed Jason’s window, hurled racial epithets at Jason, and physically cornered and attacked Jason.  While Jason is being charged with Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon (which potentially carries a 30-year prison term), John Bowes is merely being charged with a Civil Rights Violation: in other words, a slap on the wrist. The unseriousness with which John Bowes’ prosecutors are pursuing the case is further evidenced by their decision to drop the original charge of Assault and Battery, despite video documentation of Bowes’ physical assault of Jason. Bowes already has a prior arrest for a racially-motivated attack on his record.

Join us Friday August 15th in support for Jason. Help us maintain our vigilance and express our outrage in the face of this egregiously racist double standard.  Supporters of Jason have mobilized for each of his pre-trial hearings with
resounding success. Over 150 supporters came out for Jason’s pre-trial hearing July 24th. We hope to bring out even more supporters for his next hearing September 8th.  Maintaining a continued presence at the courthouse is extremely important to demonstrate community support; build momentum and strengthen community ties; and make it clear to the judges, the prosecution, and the DA that they are all accountable to their/our community. Please come and bring your friends.

Pre-Trial Hearing for Jason Vassell

Thurs. 7/24/08, 2pm

Hampshire Superior Court (15 Gothic Street,

Northampton MA)

For info about carpools from the Boston area, contact justiceforjason@gmail.com 

This will be an important pre trial hearing for Jason Vassell, and it will provide an opportunity for opposing counsel to come up with a roadmap for how Jason’s case will be tried.  Jason’s lawyers will be asking the Commonwealth to provide certain evidence and will agree to turn over other evidence that may come into our possession. At the present time, it is unclear who will be prosecuting Jason’s case as the Assistant District Attorney who was assigned to it has left or is about to leave the District Attorney’s office.  The physical presence of friends, family members, and other supporters would be greatly appreciated!!

Background: On Sunday, February 3, 2008, two white men—not university students—appeared at the window of the dormitory room of Jason Vassell, a twenty-three year old African American student at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The two men subjected Vassell to racial invective and threats of violence. They kicked in Vassell’s window and later gained access to an outer vestibule of the dorm, where they attacked Vassell, breaking his nose and causing a serious concussion. The injured Vassell, defending himself with a small pocketknife, wounded his assailants. 

At present, caught up in a protracted and costly legal process, Jason Vassell—an otherwise decent, gentle, young black man and law-abiding citizen described by his professors as a serious, respectful, and diligent student—finds himself in a Kafk-esque nightmare. Removed from school he faces two charges that could, if the prosecution succeeds, subject him to 30 years in state prison.
If you haven’t yet done so, please sign the petition calling for the charges again Jason to be reconsidered: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/justiceforjason/ . 

To contribute to Jason’s defense, you may write a check to Esmie James, Mr. Vassell’s mother.
Mail checks to “Justice for Jason,” PO Box 197, Amherst MA 01004

www.justiceforjason.org

http://umass.facebook.com/group.php?gid=8053969667&ref=nf

STUDENT/FACULTY GROUP DEFEND UMASS AMHERST JUNIOR.

GROSS MISCARRIAGE OF JUSTICE ALLEGED. COMMUNITY

PETITION CALLS ON PROSECUTOR TO REEVALUATE CHARGES. 

jason_press_conference_release51208.doc

To:                   All Media

For:                  Immediate Release, May12, 2008                                                                                                                            

AMHERST, MA –A group representing students and faculty of the University of Massachusetts, as well as citizens from the surroundingcommunity is calling on Northwestern District Attorney Elizabeth D. Scheibel to“seriously and carefully” reevaluate her office’s handling of the Jason Vassellcase.  A petition bearing nearly2,000 signatures, which urged the prosecution to reduce the charges, waspresented to the District Attorney at her offices in Northampton today.

Vassell is the twenty-three year old African American UMassstudent who has been charged with two counts of aggravated assault with adangerous weapon after a February 3^rd 2008 altercation with twowhite men.  The men kicked in hisdorm room window, repeatedly called him “nigger,” and later attacked him,breaking his nose and causing a concussion. It was his attempt to defendhimself with a small knife during the ensuing struggle which led to the chargeswhich Vassell now faces.  Chargeswhich, if the prosecution was to prevail, could result in sentences of up tofifteen years on each count.

“This petition is an attempt to again communicate to theprosecutor the extent of this community’s concern and dismay at the apparentexcessiveness and unfairness in her office’s prosecution of this case.” saidProfessor Ekwueme Mike Thelwell a committee spokesman.  “Can the District Attorney be unaware,or insensitive or possibly indifferent to, the extent of community indignationand outrage at the appearance of injustice in the handling of this case?  I implore her to think again. Howeverreluctantly, one is forced to ask the inevitable question. Had the situationbeen racially reversed, had the intruders been two young blacks from Roxbury orSpringfield who came unto the campus, damaged a university building, screamedracial insults at, and attacked a white student who then responded as Jasonhad.  And, had it later beendiscovered that one of them had a prior record of unprovoked, racially inspiredviolence against a white victim, would her disposition of the case be thesame?”

The Monday, May 12^th press conference in Amherstreflected a broadly based coalition of concern from all areas of the largestate university. Among the speakers were Tiffany Vassell, the victim’s sister,Max Page, President of the Massachusetts Society of Professors, Malcolm Chu,President of the Student Government Association, and senior professors from anumber of academic departments. A statement was presented from Attorneys DavidP. Hoose and Luke Ryan of Sasson, Turnbull & Hoose, the highly respectedcivil rights law firm that has taken the case.

The Attorneys represented Jason’s emotional and legalsituation as follows:

“It has now been over three monthssince Jason was subjected to a vicious, racist assault by two white men whoentered his dormitory for the sole purpose of causing him harm.  In addition to experiencing all thefeelings associated with being the victim of a violent crime, Jason remains confusedand deeply troubled by a series of decisions on the part of the DistrictAttorney. 

He does not understand why theDistrict Attorney initially chose to prosecute only him or sought to have himincarcerated as a dangerous person. He does not understand why one of his assailants, Jonathan Bosse, hasnot been charged or why the other, John Bowes, has not been indicted.  Jason does not understand why theDistrict Attorney insisted that he be subjected to electronic monitoring andstrict pre-trial conditions of probation, yet acquiesced in the release of Mr.Bowes on his own personal recognizance. Having suffered a broken nose at the hands of Mr. Bowes, Jason isparticularly perplexed as to why the District Attorney now takes the positionthat Mr. Bowes did not commit a civil rights violation which resulted in aninjury.

Jason’s confusion isunderstandable.  As an AssistantDistrict Attorney acknowledged in court on March 14, 2008, the facts of thiscase are largely undisputed.  Thereis no question that Mr. Bosse and Mr. Bowes instigated a confrontation withJason by invading his privacy, smashing his window, and uttering a stream ofreprehensible racist slurs.  Thereis no question that Mr. Bowes threw the first punch.  And there is no question that when Jason ended theconfrontation by retreating behind a locked door, Mr. Bosse attempted to breakdown that door while pleading with Jason to ‘finish the fight.’”

Professor J. Zane Barlow Coleman, one of Vassell’s teachersdescribed the accused’s conduct as a student:

“I first met Jason Vassell when hewas a student in my small summer session class of Introductory Biology100.  This past year he also tookmy General Genetics Biology 283 class. In addition to interacting with Jason in the classroom, I have talkedone on one many times during office hours and around campus.  I have to say that I have always foundJason to be a polite, courteous, and responsible student.  He came to every class session and satin the front row.  He interactedwell with other students in working groups, and he was very professional in hisdealings with me, both inside and outside the classroom.  When news came to me of his arrest inthis matter, I could not have been more shocked.  Jason simply is not a confrontational student.  In my experience he is anythingbut.  Jason in class is quiet,reserved, and has excellent manners. When we would debate something controversial in class, and the argumentswould get heated between students, Jason would always be the person to pull backand just listen.  I absolutely knewwithout a doubt in my mind, when I read the newspaper account of this incidentthat this just had to have been self defense.

Jason is a dedicated andoutstanding member of this university community.  I know of his volunteer service both here and at home.  Most of all, I know Jason’s motivationand determination to do well in his academics here, and I know he would notvoluntarily do anything to jeopardize that standing unless he had not otherchoice.  He is a good student,without any trouble or criminal activity in his past, and is an upstandingyoung man.”

Tiffany Vassell, Jason’s sister and a graduate of theUniversity, speaking for the family, thanked the community,

“Without our faith in god and yourconstant encouragement, we do not know how we would pull through thisexceedingly difficult time.

Our family immigrated from Jamaica to the United States of America over40 years ago. From the day we arrived, we have been law-abiding and hardworkingcitizens of this great country. Never taking for granted the opportunities wewere afforded. Always using education as a steppingstone to acquire a betterlife. 

Jason means so much to our family and to see him going through such adifficult situation is heartbreaking. Yet we remain steadfast in our beliefthat the truth and justice will prevail.

Always a dedicated student, Jason has followed in the footsteps of threeof his older siblings. All of whom went through the UMass system within thepast five years. Education has always been a cornerstone within our family. We treasure this and realize that it is a privilege to which many do not haveaccess. 

The judicial process has causedmental anguish and financial distress to my family… We never thought anythinglike this could happen to us. We work too hard. We stay out of trouble. We careabout our education. Why us?”

Professor Max Page, President of the Massachusetts Societyof Professors, the union of faculty and librarians at UMass Amherst, said,

“Our union represents morethan just the rights of our members at work; we pride ourselves on fighting forrespect and justice for all members of the university community. We seeneither in the actions of the prosecutor.  We cannot stand by idly bywhile a student — by all accounts an outstanding member of our community — isunfairly threatened with years in prison.  I have no idea how to explainto my faculty members and my students how this harsh and selective applicationof the bare letter of the law serves any public good. What message is beingsent? And exactly to whom? What social value is being advanced, what publicinterested protected?”

“It is important for you to understand why we are here,”said Professor Thelwell, speaking for the Committee. “It is impossible for usto believe that this truly distressing situation can represent anything morethan an egregious procedural error. An error fraught with potentially tragicconsequences for an exemplary young life. For this reason, we are convincedthat upon reviewing all the contingent facts, now available, the DistrictAttorney cannot fail to propose a disposition of the case more consonant withour community standards of fairness and justice. Toward this end we urge allmembers of the community to convey their opinion to the prosecutor with alldeliberate speed.”

For more informationvisit www.justiceforjason.orgor contact justiceforjason@gmail.com

-30-

Press Conference: Justice for Jason Vassell

Monday May 12, 2008, at 11 a.m.

Massachusetts Room, Mullins Center, UMass Amherst 

Open to the Public

The press conference, featuring faculty and students, will raise awareness about the status of Jason Vassel’s case prior to Mr. Vassell upcoming pre-trial hearing (schedule for July 24, 2008).  

  Your presence and support is vital. We wish to show strong support for the campaign before the spring semester ends. We will also be taking this opportunity to deliver the petitions in support of Justice for Jason.

**If you have not yet signed the petition, please do so NOW***

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/justiceforjason/

At a recent pretrial hearing, the judge removed Jason’s ankle bracelet, while maintaining his curfew, drug and alcohol screenings, and they added a new order preventing him from trespassing on the UMass campus. On March 25th, a Grand Jury barely lessened the charges against Jason from two counts of attempted muder and two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, to two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. However, these charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon are a felony, which could mean 10 years in prison for the highly respected Mr.Vassell — which is absolutely unacceptable! One of the white male attackers still has had no charges brought against him, and no arrests have been made for either of the attackers, no bail has been posted. We are calling for justice. Our community needs to be ensured that the attackers that cast this bigotry and hatred on our community are being held responsible to the full extend of our judicial system.

We desperately need you to attend Jason’s arraignment tomorrow (Tuesday 4/15) at 2pm at Hampshire Superior Court (15 Gothic Street, Northampton MA). There is a carpool leaving from the UMass Amherst Southwest Cafe *and* the Student Union at 1pm.

We would also like to thank everyone for supporting Jason Vassell in these hard times. The support at the forum, vigil, rally and court dates has been phenomenal. This gives Mr.Vassell and his family so much hope for justice. If you have not already done so, please sign the petition calling for the excessive charges to be reconsidered: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/justiceforjason/

JUSTICE for JASON RALLY

WED March 12th, 12-1pm

Student Union Steps at UMass Amherst

On Sunday, Feb. 3, 2008, Jason Vassell, a twenty-three year old African American student at the University of Massachusetts, was arrested and charged with two counts of assault with intent to murder and two counts of aggravated assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. These charges stem from an altercation that Jason had with two white men, who were on campus for no legitimate purpose and provoked the confrontation by smashing Jason’s window and repeatedly referring to him as a “nigger.” Although Jason never left the dormitory, he was the only one charged at first. While one of the perpetrators, John Bowes, was recently charged with two hate crimes and disorderly conduct, the other white man, Jonathan Bosse, has not been charged as of yet.

Rally Co-Sponsored by: Committee for Justice for Jason Vassell, UMass Amherst Student Government Association, ALANA (African,Latino,Asian, & Native American) Caucus, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc, Student Bridges & More. To be a co-sponsor email justiceforjason@gmail.com

Tonight (February 27) at 6-7PM

Malcolm X Cultural Center
(Below Berkshire DC of Southwest UMass Amherst)

On Sunday, February 3, 2008, Jason Vassell, a twenty-three year old African American student at UMass, was arrested and charged with two counts of assault with intent to murder and two counts of aggravated assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. These charges stem from an altercation that Jason had with two white men, who were on campus for no legitimate purpose and provoked the confrontation by smashing Jason’s dorm window and repeatedly referring to him as a “nigger.” Although Jason never left the dormitory, he was the only one charged at first. While one of the perpetrators, John Bowes, was recently charged with two hate crimes and disorderly conduct, the other white man, Jonathan Bosse, has not been charged as of yet.

Following the Yuri Kochiyama film and discussion in the MX Cultural Center (4-6pm)

Save the Date: Justice for Jason Rally on March 12^th Location/Time TBA

It is incumbent on us all to meet this challenge. We must respond quickly, thoughtfully and effectively by coming together as a community and supporting our administrators in addressing this situation and in so doing publicly reaffirm those fundamental values which unite us as UMASS. It is imperative that we do this as much for ourselves and our fellow students as for the mutual trust, respect, and loyalty implied by the term community. But how exactly can this best be done?

Of the four incidents reported in the administration message one in particular- that of our fellow student Jason Vassell- seems to demand the vigorous, informed, and responsible community involvement to which the Chancellors’ message summons us.

This case demands our attention precisely because, much more so than the others, it has profound implications for the security and well being of students living in university dormitories while at the same time raising very troubling questions of the fundamental justice of the legal system. Also, the nature of the event, driven apparently by extreme bigotry, racial hostility, and a random, unprovoked rage, is particularly alarming in its sudden arbitrariness, the sick feeling that it could have happened to any one of us.

So what are the facts?

The most recent press release from the University is as follows. Bear in mind that given ongoing legal procedures the University sees itself as being “under some restraint as to what we can say…”

Press Release from the UMass Amherst Office of News and Information.
Man Charged with Civil Rights Violations Following Fight in UMass Amherst Residence Hall

Amherst, Mass.- A Hancock, N.H.., man will be charged for his alleged involvement in a disturbance at MacKimmie residence hall at the University of Massachusetts Amherst that occurred on Sunday, Feb. 3, UMass police report.

John Bowes, 20, is being summonsed to Eastern Hampshire District Court to face charges of disorderly conduct, civil rights violations with injury, and assault and battery to intimidate with bodily injury. Bowes, who is not a UMass Amherst student, is believed to have instigated a verbal confrontation with student Jason Vassell, 23, which resulted in Bowes being stabbed multiple times. Police say that Bowes yelled racial slurs prior to the stabbing and was involved in the altercation, which resulted in Vassell suffering a broken nose. Bowes is white, and Vassell is African American.

The incident occurred about 5 a.m. Sunday in MacKimmie, which is part of the Southwest residential area. Bowes and Jonathan Bosse, 19, of Milton, Mass., were stabbed during the fight in the building’s lobby, police said. Vassell, a resident of MacKimmie, has been charged with two counts of aggravated assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (a knife) ad two counts of armed assault with intent to murder.

So what did indeed happen? Why does a member of our community find himself facing very grave criminal charges, and why does an intruder find himself wounded, in a hospital, and facing what are essentially hate crime charges? The sequence of events triggering these dismal outcomes is as follows, as best as we have been able to determine through extensive interviews with eyewitnesses.

At approximately 4am on Sunday February 3rd two young women students visited Jason Vassell a fellow resident of MacKimmie in his dormitory room. Upon entering and finding the room “stuffy” one of the young women crossed to the window and raised the shades. She was astonished to find the face of “a large white man” pressed against the window and staring back at her. Asked by Jason to explain his presence outside his window the man (John Bowes) launched into a loud tirade of racial invectives and violent threats directed at Jason. Another man was observed outside the room and he joined in the abuse. Told to go away, the man became more enraged and kicked in the window. Understandably frightened, the two young women then left the room, and the police were called.

While awaiting the arrival of the police, Jason, feeling outnumbered and at risk, called a friend from a neighboring dorm for support. When his friend arrived Jason went to the lobby and not seeing his tormenters, opened the outside door. As his friend was entering the two intruders appeared from the side and entered the lobby. The big intruder assaulted Jason and broke his nose. In the ensuing skirmish both intruders were stabbed. The cops arrived, disarmed, restrained, and handcuffed Jason. On determining what happened they released Jason from the handcuffs and allowed him to go clean himself up in the washroom. All three men were transported to Cooley Dickinson Hospital for medical attention.

Later that morning Jason’s parents arrived from Boston and were taking their son back home to receive further medical care. It occurred to the parents that there might be legal implications to taking him out of town and they did not wish him to appear to be a fugitive. Upon calling the UMass police for clarification they were told that they should bring Jason back. When they arrived at the police station he was arrested on the very serious charges outlined in the University press release. The arrest took place at approximately 2pm that day. There was thus a lapse of some nine hours between the confrontation in the dorm and Jason’s arrest.

Trouble, Blues and Trouble

The above is a very brief summary of these unfortunate events which raises certain questions. And of course there are a number of victims in this. Two young women paying a casual visit to a neighbor are confronted by the kind of violent racist abuse which is alien to their experience. Even the intruder, evidently a victim of demons of irrational hatred and anger quite obviously beyond his control, will himself have grim consequences to face. The residence community finding their privacy and the security of their home violated by strangers. And then there is Jason, at one moment a student respected by all who know him, peacefully at home at his dorm, welcoming neighbors only in the next moment to suddenly find himself in grave legal jeopardy, his reputation besmirched in the public media, suspended from school and facing prison time.

Jason’s reputation, both here at the university and in the Boston community where he grew up, is an exemplary one. In Amherst his peers hold him in the highest regard describing him as “gentle and compassionate”, “courteous”, “hardworking”, and as an “honorable and principled young man.” Prior to this misfortune he has had absolutely no involvement of any kind with the criminal justice system. In fact quite the opposite: his youthful record is one of social service. As a teenager Jason volunteered in an arts based youth program at a local museum. He transferred to the University from Bunker Hill Community College where he was a dedicated and highly effective tutor in the Success Program. Most recently he has worked with disabled adult men and volunteered as a mentor at a local middle school. At the University he is currently a biology major with aspirations to graduate research in medical school. Now a cloud of uncertainty hangs over those plans and aspirations.

So there are a great many questions that this community needs to address and we must immediately begin organizing ourselves to undertake that process.

When we speak of a university community and list its constituent elements we think immediately, students, faculty, staff and administration and later perhaps add the alumni. “WE WERE WE ARE UMASS”. But an important, perhaps the most important constituency, is frequently never mentioned. This is, of course, the parents. The patient, proud, hard-working parents, many of whom sacrifice deeply and willingly to afford their children this opportunity.

If it is the state university’s mission to provide affordable and accessible education to the people of the state then the family from which Jason comes is poster material for that mission. Immigrants from the Jamaican country side, the parents are not rich people. Mr. Wilks Vassell is a self employed electrical contractor. They are a profoundly respectable, industrious, self-respecting family that values education and is inordinately proud of their children. Mr. Vassell will tell you proudly that Jason is the third of five siblings to come through the state university system. An older sister graduated from Amherst, and another from Dartmouth. His oldest son he says with great pride is an electrical engineer who currently holds the rank of Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy. When Mr. Vassell talks about his pride in Jason his youngest, the pain, distress, and anger in his eyes and voice is palpable. “How could such a thing happen at the University?” This family evinces much respect for this university system. It will be to our everlasting credit as a community that we find appropriate ways to reciprocate this family’s respect for us by reaching out to them in their hour of crisis. To that end the committee is establishing a fund so that members of this community who wish to do so may assist the family in defraying the cost of Jason’s legal defense, which could cost more than $15,000.

To contribute, you may write a check to Esmie James, Mr. Vassell’s mother. Check can be mailed to “Justice for Jason,” PO Box 197, Amherst MA 01004.

This is but the first step. We also invite you to join with us in mobilizing our community to ensure that justice prevails in this case.

Please also join us in signing an online petition calling for the excessive charges against Mr. Vassell to be reconsidered:
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/justiceforjason/

For more information you may contact justiceforjason@gmail.com

Sincerely,

Tobias I. Baskin, Faculty, Biology Department
Aaron Buford, UMass Amherst Student Government Association President
Jules Chametzky, Faculty, English Department & Editor, Massachusetts Review
Malcolm Chu, UMass Amherst Student Government Association Secretary of Diversity
Dan Clawson, Vice President, Massachusetts Society of Professors
Laura Doyle, Faculty, English Department
Carla Dominguez, Student Government Association Speaker of the Senate
Tracy Kelley, Executive Secretary, Committee for Justice for Jason Vassell
Mishy Leiblum, Secretary, Committee for Justice for Jason Vassell
Jeff Napolitano, President, Graduate Student Senate
Max Page, President, Massachusetts Society of Professors
Amilcar Shabazz, Chairman, W.E.B. Du Bois Department of Afro-American Studies
Michael Thelwell, Professor, W.E.B. Du Bois Department of Afro-American Studies
Ruth Thompson, UMass Amherst Student Trustee