Chancellor Responds to Ex-Football Player Story

 

Several newspaper stories and editorials have recently focused on Larry Tarone Harrison Jr., a former University of Michigan football player and ex-defensive lineman for N.C. A&T. Official documents from Michigan characterize Harrison as a convicted felon by authorities in Michigan and authorities in North Carolina but he is not required to register in North Carolina as a sex offender. Harrison was enrolled at A&T during the second session of summer school but has not enrolled for the upcoming fall semester. The official N.C. A&T procedures for re-admitting Mr. Harrison are in the "Re-Admission of Former Students" policy outlined in the Undergraduate Bulletin. During the most recent, full investigation of the Harrison case, Special Assistant to the Chancellor Shirley T. Frye went to Michigan, obtained important documents from the Michigan Court System, and reported her findings Monday morning to the Chancellor. The following statement was issued by Chancellor Lloyd V. Hackley in summarizing this case:

The Harrison story originally broke on Thursday, August 3, 2006. At that time, we had not been informed about the Harrison case. When two of my top administrators were briefly informed by A&T's public information officer regarding the case, they then talked with athletics director Dee Todd to receive in-depth information. Following that conversation with the athletics director, Dr. Shirley T. Frye and Dr. George Antonelli (Special Assistants to the Chancellor) recommended that Mr. Harrison not be allowed to participate in extra-curricular activities. I fully supported their recommendation because after hearing the background of the case, I concurred that the student could continue his education but extra-curricular activities are a special privilege determined by academics, integrity and conduct.

Since that time Drs. Frye and Antonelli have led a full investigation into the case which involved Frye's trip to Michigan. Due to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the university is still unable to answer many of the questions posed by the News & Record reporter because we must protect the student’s right to privacy.* A&T has been forthright and has answered every question that can be legally answered. We have a criminal background check process where we review each situation on a case-by-case basis in deciding whether or not applicants with criminal backgrounds are admissible.

A&T is mandated as a public, state institution to provide educational opportunity and access for candidates who meet the academic and disciplinary criteria outlined in our policies. Ethics, integrity, character and moral responsibility are very close to my heart. We see it best on this campus when we say "Aggie Pride" because Aggie Pride means educational excellence and character counts! We nurture our students to help them reach their full potential with standards exemplified in our Aggie Pride Compact such as values, respect, service, achievement, commitment, confidence, and self-determination. We want our students, faculty, staff and alumni to mirror these attributes.

As Chancellor, I will continue to promote to the entire Aggie Family these high expectations we must all live up to and illustrate in our day to day lives both on and off this campus. Since 1891, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University has been an outstanding, premier, land-grant university that has graduated many of America's finest leaders. We must continue to press forward with these high standards of excellence in academics, lifestyles, and conduct. During my tenure, these tenants must be and will be a top priority!"

*The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34CFR Part 99) is a Federal law that protects the privacy of student educationrecords. The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education.

FERPA gives parents certain rights with respect to their children's
education records. These rights transfer to the student when he or she reaches the age of 18 or attends a school beyond the high school level. Students to whom the rights have transferred are "eligible students."

Aggie Pride Compact

The N.C. A&T Department of Police and Public Safety provides access via this website to the Sex Offender Link. N.C. A&T’s responsibility under federal law (Campus Sex Crimes Security Act) is to tell our community where information about sex offenders can be obtained.