by Christine Owen
Editor in Chief
Misdemeanor battery charges have been filed by the La Verne Police Department against two members of the University of La Verne women’s volleyball team as a result of a Sept. 30 altercation.
The charges were filed last Friday with the Los Angeles County District Attorney against sophomores Amy Smith and Adrian Pearson for their alleged role in a physical altercation with freshman Lyssa Ortiz.
Ortiz alleges that Smith struck her in the face and Pearson pushed her in a fight that took place at the Oaks last month.
On Wednesday, Pearson and Smith declined to comment.
Lt. Scott Pickwith of the La Verne Police Department said that the case was presented to the district attorney last Friday, only for the D.A. to request additional information before deciding whether to proceed with the charges in the case.
Pickwith said that the ULV campus safety department would not allow detectives access to the report that was taken by campus safety officers on the night of the incident. To obtain the report, a subpoena will be necessary, which Pickwith said will be obtained.
John Lentz, director of campus safety and transportation for ULV said that it is standard procedure to keep such reports confidential.
“Those are student records protected by FERPA (Federal Education Rights And Privacy Act),” Lentz said. “By law, we cannot release those records without a subpoena.”
Lentz said that when he receives a subpoena mandating that the report be turned over to the D.A., he will do so.
Pickwith said that the D.A. also requested that an independent witness to the case be asked to identify one of those involved.
After the D.A. has received the requested information, Pickwith said that “he will make the determination of whether or not to press charges.”
Pickwith said that the case could be presented to the D.A. again as early as next week.
As a result of the altercation, Smith was suspended from the team from Oct. 1-15 and six other members of the team, including Pearson, were suspended for two games.
All women suspended were present when the fight occurred.
Journalism operations manager at the University of La Verne. Production manager and business manager of the Campus Times.