The Most Reprehensible Thing Charlotte Law Has Done -- And That's Saying Something

When faced with student criticism, the school slapped an honor code violation on him.

5876Charlotte School of Law has committed its share of villainy. It’s trumpeted the dream of legal employment to scores of students who will instead earn nothing but debt. It’s looked into the face of a government offering help for the students and said, “nah.” And now they need to crowdsource a food bank to provide for students.

But only now have they crossed over into “comic supervillainy.” That brand of evil as diabolically vile as it is wantonly unnecessary.

Over the weekend, Jeremy Snyder, one of the few students remaining at the struggling school, expressed the frustrations of many Charlotte students when he sent school officials a terse demand.

“Without adequate stipends, many students who have relied (to our detriment) on your ‘updates’ … are not able to pay rent, ongoing bills, schoolbooks, or even cover basic necessities like FOOD,” Snyder said in a Sunday message to [President Chidi] Ogene, [Dean Jay] Conison and others.

“Cut the B***S*** and finally, actually level with the few students who remain.”

Faced with this direct, honest plea for help, the school responded as one might expect:

Tuesday night, Snyder received an email from a school official, accusing him of violating an honor code requirement to “act professionally, respectfully and with integrity.” The school message described Snyder’s email as “unprofessional and obscene in nature,” and included a veiled threat.

“Every law student seeking entry to the bar must be certified by the law school that the student possesses satisfactory character and fitness,” wrote Branden Nicholson, the school’s director of student engagement. “Your actions, both by the language used in the emails and the subsequent post and comments on social media, call into question whether you possess that character and fitness.”

Oh f**k you. Foist debt and broken dreams on these students and then threaten to cut off their lifeline of potential bar admission because they used ouchy words? As Synder told the Charlotte Observer, “one would think that their time could be better spent fixing the crisis they caused.” Unfortunately, it’s becoming increasingly clear Charlotte can’t fix this crisis, so I guess bullying dissenting students is an entertaining diversion while the school burns.

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While this honor code violation is a regrettable and unnecessary mark on his career and he now has to worry about the school exacting revenge in the future with a petty letter knocking his professionalism, at least Snyder can take solace in the fact that, at this point, it’s hard to believe anyone takes Charlotte Law seriously, including bar admission officials.

In midst of chaos, Charlotte School of Law cites student with honor code violation [Charlotte Observer]

Earlier: Secret Recording: Charlotte Bar Passage Rates Would Have Been ’20-Something Percent’
Charlotte Law School Pulls Rug Out From Students
Charlotte Law Needs A Food Bank For Students


HeadshotJoe Patrice is an editor at Above the Law and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. Feel free to email any tips, questions, or comments. Follow him on Twitter if you’re interested in law, politics, and a healthy dose of college sports news.

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