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The Daily OrangeDevendorf investigated for alleged harassment
By Shayna Meliker
Posted: 11/19/08, 1:22 AM EST Section: News
Following allegations of harassment from a female Syracuse University student, the Syracuse Police Department submitted a summons application Nov. 1 for the arrest of SU men's basketball player Eric Devendorf, said Sgt. Tom Connellan of the SPD.
The SU student alleged Devendorf, a junior starting guard on the Orange, punched her in the face, Connellan said.
Devendorf has not been arrested, Connellan said Tuesday night. The summons request was submitted Nov. 1 to the Onondaga County's District Attorney's Office, which has since referred the case to SU's Judicial Affairs Office, Connellan said.
Since the alleged Nov. 1 incident, Devendorf has played in two exhibition games and two regular-season games.
"One way or another, they determined that they were just referring the case back to the campus judicial board," Connellan said.
He then referred any further comment to the DA's office.
Barry Weiss, public information officer for the DA's office, declined to provide more details Tuesday night.
Any further decision by the DA's office will be deferred pending the outcome of the university proceedings, according to a DA news release quoted by The Post-Standard.
Kimberly Smith, a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences, told police she was stopped on the 900 block of Walnut Avenue around 3 a.m. when several people began yelling at her and kicking the 2007 Hyundai Elantra she was driving, Connellan said. SPD was called by SU's Department of Public Safety, and met Smith at the intersection of University Place and Comstock Avenue, he said.
Smith told police that when she got out of her car, Devendorf allegedly approached her with a closed fist and punched her in the face, Connellan said.
Attempts to reach Smith Tuesday night were unsuccessful.
There were dents in both the passenger and driver sides of the car, Connellan said. Smith told SPD she didn't recognize the other people in the group, but that she had been an acquaintance of Devendorf. She said she wanted Devendorf arrested, Connellan said. He said the charge would be for harassment in the second degree.
Under New York state penal law, harassment in the second degree is defined as striking, shoving or kicking another person, or threatening to do the same. It's classified as a violation, which is a step below misdemeanor.
A DPS crime log shows a Nov. 1 report of harassment at 2:55 a.m. on Walnut Avenue.
Following Syracuse's 76-71 victory Tuesday night over Richmond, in which Devendorf scored 22 points, SU head coach Jim Boeheim said he could not comment on the allegations, but that there will be no possible athletic repercussions until the case goes through Judicial Affairs.
"Whenever any student or student athlete is involved in the judicial system, it's going to be decided through that system," Boeheim said. "How it comes out at the end is when we'll respond to it."
-Staff writers Kyle Austin and Jared Diamond contributed reporting to this article.
shmelike@syr.edu
The SU student alleged Devendorf, a junior starting guard on the Orange, punched her in the face, Connellan said.
Devendorf has not been arrested, Connellan said Tuesday night. The summons request was submitted Nov. 1 to the Onondaga County's District Attorney's Office, which has since referred the case to SU's Judicial Affairs Office, Connellan said.
Since the alleged Nov. 1 incident, Devendorf has played in two exhibition games and two regular-season games.
"One way or another, they determined that they were just referring the case back to the campus judicial board," Connellan said.
He then referred any further comment to the DA's office.
Barry Weiss, public information officer for the DA's office, declined to provide more details Tuesday night.
Any further decision by the DA's office will be deferred pending the outcome of the university proceedings, according to a DA news release quoted by The Post-Standard.
Kimberly Smith, a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences, told police she was stopped on the 900 block of Walnut Avenue around 3 a.m. when several people began yelling at her and kicking the 2007 Hyundai Elantra she was driving, Connellan said. SPD was called by SU's Department of Public Safety, and met Smith at the intersection of University Place and Comstock Avenue, he said.
Smith told police that when she got out of her car, Devendorf allegedly approached her with a closed fist and punched her in the face, Connellan said.
Attempts to reach Smith Tuesday night were unsuccessful.
There were dents in both the passenger and driver sides of the car, Connellan said. Smith told SPD she didn't recognize the other people in the group, but that she had been an acquaintance of Devendorf. She said she wanted Devendorf arrested, Connellan said. He said the charge would be for harassment in the second degree.
Under New York state penal law, harassment in the second degree is defined as striking, shoving or kicking another person, or threatening to do the same. It's classified as a violation, which is a step below misdemeanor.
A DPS crime log shows a Nov. 1 report of harassment at 2:55 a.m. on Walnut Avenue.
Following Syracuse's 76-71 victory Tuesday night over Richmond, in which Devendorf scored 22 points, SU head coach Jim Boeheim said he could not comment on the allegations, but that there will be no possible athletic repercussions until the case goes through Judicial Affairs.
"Whenever any student or student athlete is involved in the judicial system, it's going to be decided through that system," Boeheim said. "How it comes out at the end is when we'll respond to it."
-Staff writers Kyle Austin and Jared Diamond contributed reporting to this article.
shmelike@syr.edu
Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 42
lou
posted 11/19/08 @ 7:00 AM EST
How does a punch in the face equate to harassment? Isn't this considered assault? And, if the victim wants the attacker arrested and prosecuted, why didn't this happen? Are there special laws for athletes?
Ed
posted 11/19/08 @ 8:06 AM EST
I'd like to know the whole story before judging anyone. If this incident is over 2 weeks old- and had witnesses (As it sounds like it did) and he wasn't arrested, then there should be a legitimate reason why (having nothing to do with him being a starting guard on the hoop team). (Continued…)
Mike
posted 11/19/08 @ 8:47 AM EST
It sounds like a jilted acquaintance to me. Maybe she is looking for her 15 minutes of fame.
Tanya
posted 11/19/08 @ 9:09 AM EST
I don't think that there are two sides to the story. Athletes sexually, verbally, and physically harass women on this campus all of the time. I'm glad that somebody was finally brave enough to stand up for the difference between wrong and right. (Continued…)
oh snap
posted 11/19/08 @ 9:13 AM EST
Word on the street is this is not a random punching but an argument with a history that has been blown out of proportion by a disgruntled groupie.
trooper
posted 11/19/08 @ 9:23 AM EST
Yeah Tanya, that would be the right thing to do!! Did you not learn anything from the Duke case. Those boys lost a whole year because some girl made up a story. (Continued…)
Paul Piccone
posted 11/19/08 @ 9:37 AM EST
So is it a Hyundai or a Honda (Syracuse Online)? Can't we even get that right?
DeShaun Williams
posted 11/19/08 @ 9:44 AM EST
Devo-
Learn from my experience. Don't fall asleep in the court room.
-DeShaun
John Vanek
posted 11/19/08 @ 12:34 PM EST
Sounds fishy to me. If an athletic "superstar" like all of the SU players are (...) punched a girl in the face, it would leave an obvious mark, on both the girl, and his knuckles. (Continued…)
ben
posted 11/19/08 @ 1:40 PM EST
In the WSYR story, it states that:
"The victim's attorney said she recognized five people that night; all of them are allegedly SU men's basketball players. (Continued…)
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