Full opinion text
McLAUGHLIN, District Judge. TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Procedural History .....................................................227 II. Findings of Fact........................................................227 A. Introduction.......................................................227 B. Temple’s Code of Conduct...........................................228 C. The Incident on April 5, 2008 ........................................230 D. University Disciplinary Charges Against the Plaintiff ...................230 E. Correspondence and Scheduling the Hearing ..........................231 F. The Hearing ....................................•..................233 1. Conflicts ......................................................234 2. The Hearing Summary..........................................234 3. Absent Witnesses and Requested Continuance .....................235 4. Wolfe’s Testimony ..............................................235 5. Other University Witnesses ......................................237 6. The Plaintiffs Testimony ........................................237 7. Other Testimony for the Plaintiff .................................239 8. The Plaintiffs Advisors..........................................240 G. Panel Deliberations ................................................240 H. Rebuttal and Appeal................................................240 1. The Review Board ..............................................241 2. Foley’s Investigation ............................................241 I. Carry’s Review ....................................................241 1. Meeting with Doug Segars.......................................242 2. Carry’s Decision................................................242 J. Carry’s Recommendation to Powell ...................................243 K. Post Appeal Events ................................................244 L. Absent Witnesses ..................................................244 M. Other Events ......................................................245 III. Conclusions of Law .....................................................246 A. Due Process Requirements ..........................................246 B. The Plaintiff s Challenges ...........................................247 1. Facial Challenge to the Code.....................................248 2. Departures from the Code of Conduct.............................249 3. Failure to Provide Notice ........................................250 4. Right to Remain Silent, Cross-examine Witnesses, and Right to Counsel .....................................................251 a. Right to Remain Silent.......................................251 b. Cross-Examination..........................................251 c. Right to Counsel............................................252 5. Absence of Witnesses and Alleged Perjured Testimony ..............253 6. Bias and Impartiality ...........................................255 7. Other Issues with the Fairness of the Hearing Process ..............256 a. The Hearing................................................256 b. The Appeal.................................................257 C. The Plaintiffs Disciplinary Process as a Whole.........................258 D. Qualified Immunity.................................................260 IV. Conclusion.............................................................261 MEMORANDUM This suit arises from the plaintiffs expulsion from Temple University. The plaintiff claims that Temple University and various Temple employees violated his Fourteenth Amendment right to procedural due process during the disciplinary process that led to his expulsion. The Court held a bench trial from March 26, 2012 to April 5, 2012 and heard the parties’ closing arguments on June 21, 2012. This memorandum and order constitutes the Court’s findings of fact and conclusions of law. The Court finds in favor of the plaintiff on his procedural due process claim but finds that the individual defendants are entitled to qualified immunity in their individual capacities. 1. Procedural History The plaintiff filed a complaint and motion for preliminary injunction on June 2, 2009 and an amended complaint on June 9, 2009 following his expulsion from Temple University in May of that year. The plaintiff alleged violations of his Due Process and Equal Protection rights as well as breach of contract and retaliation. He sought reinstatement as a student at Temple and expungement of any record of the expulsion from his college records. The Court stayed the case while the parties engaged in settlement discussions. After those discussions were unsuccessful, the Court considered and denied the defendants’ motion to dismiss. The Court set an expedited discovery schedule and a hearing. At the close of discovery, the defendants filed a motion for summary judgment on all claims. The plaintiff filed a motion for leave to file a second amended complaint alleging several new due process violations and amending the relief requested to include monetary damages. This request was denied except that the plaintiff was permitted to amend his complaint to include a damages request for attorney fees and costs. The plaintiff’s second amended complaint was filed on May 27, 2010. Following a full briefing and oral argument on the defendants’ motion for summary judgement, the Court granted summary judgment in favor of several defendants who were not involved in the decision to expel the plaintiff, and in favor of the remaining defendants on all counts except the procedural due process claim. The case was stayed again while the parties engaged in settlement discussions. The discussions were unsuccessful and the Court scheduled a trial. Shortly before trial, the plaintiff withdrew his jury demand. An eight-day bench trial followed. II. Findings of Fací A. Introduction 1. In April of 2008, the plaintiff, Kevin Furey, was a full-time student at Temple University in the second semester of his sophomore year. 3/26/2012 Tr. at 27:13-15. On May 27, 2009, the plaintiff was expelled from Temple University. Ex. P-40. 2. The defendant Temple University (“Temple” or “the University”) is a public university and member of the Commonwealth system of education. 3. The defendant Andrea Seiss was Temple’s Associate Dean of Students and University Code Administrator for the Office of Student Conduct. 4/2/12 Tr. at 227:17-18; 4/3/12 Tr. at 39:8-19. 4. The defendant Brian Foley was Vice Code Administrator and Program Coordinator for the Office of Student Conduct. 4/2/12 Tr. at 4:22-5:1. 5. The defendant Valerie Harrison was Temple’s Associate .University Counsel. 4/4/12 Tr. at 194:7-12. 6. The defendant Richard Greenstein was a Professor of Law at Temple’s Beasley School of Law and a chair of Temple’s University Disciplinary Committee. 3/30/12 Tr. at 72:4-8, 74:6-9. 7. The defendant Keith Gumery was a professor in Temple’s Department of English and the Associate Director of Temple’s First Year Writing Program. He was a vice chair of Temple’s University Disciplinary Committee. 3/29/12 Tr. at 174:5-9, 281:25-282:8. 8. The defendant Diane Adler was a retired Professor at the School of Nursing. 4/4/12 Tr. at 58:18-24. 9. The defendant Theresa Powell was Temple’s Vice President for Student Affairs. 3/30/2012 Tr. at 7:7-11. 10. The defendant Ainsley Carry was Temple’s Associate Vice President and Dean of Student Affairs. 3/28/2012 Tr. at 169:4-7. B. Temple’s Code of Conduct 11. Student conduct at Temple University is governed by the Student Code of Conduct (“the Code”). ■ 12. The Code applies to conduct within 500 yards of the University campus and to off-campus conduct that seriously threatens the safety and well being of Temple University students or staff or that adversely affects the University community. Ex. P-68 at 1-2. 13. The Code of Conduct lists prohibited activities and the possible sanctions for those activities. One possible sanction is expulsion. Id. at 5-7. 14. The University Code Administrator oversees the University’s judicial system. Id. at 3. 15. When an incident occurs that could be a violation of the Code, the Code Administrator determines whether to charge the student with Code violations. Id. at 1, 3. 16. The Code Administrator is responsible for notifying a student charged with Code violations of the specific charges, the identity of any witnesses, and a description of any physical or documentary evidence filed with the charges. Id. at 3. 17. The Code Administrator schedules a Pre-Hearing Meeting with the charged student within five days of the student being charged. This meeting is informal and non-adversarial so the student and the University Disciplinary Committee (“UDC”) staff member can discuss the charges, the incident, the hearing procedures, and the possible sanctions. The student must attend the Pre-Hearing Meeting and may be accompanied by an advisor in a non-active role. Id. at 11-12, 14. 18. The student may choose to accept responsibility for the charges or continue to a hearing. Id. at 11-12. 19. The Code Administrator determines the appropriate hearing body from among the four bodies that hear disciplinary charges. Complex cases or cases involving severe sanctions are referred to the UDC Hearing Panel (the “Full Panel”). The Full Panel is composed of three faculty members of the UDC, one of whom is the panel chair, and two student members of the UDC. Id. at 12. 20. A Full Panel hearing should occur thirty business days after the Pre-Hearing Meeting, but the time limit may be extended at the Code Administrator’s discretion. Id. at 13. 21. The Full Panel, like all UDC hearing bodies, is an administrative, fact-finding panel. Its proceedings are non-adversarial; rules of evidence, standards of proof, and other elements of court proceedings do not apply. Id. at 2. 22. During the hearing, the University has the burden to prove that the student violated the Code of Conduct under a more likely than not standard. Ex. D-2 at 12. 23. At the hearing, an accused student can offer testimony, witnesses, and other evidence in his own defense. Accused students may also question testifying witnesses by posing questions through the presiding Chairperson. Id. 24. When a student wishes to present witnesses who are members of the Temple community, the student can request that the Code Administrator’s office issue notices requiring the witnesses’ appearance at the hearing. Id. 25. If evidence is presented at the hearing that was not included with the original hearing notice, the student may have time during the hearing to examine and respond to it. Id. at 13. 26. A student may have an advisor or an attorney to assist in preparing for the hearing and at the hearing itself. The advisor or attorney plays a non-active role and cannot question witnesses or address the panel. Id. 27. The charged student is not required to testify and the panel can draw no inference from the student’s failure to testify. Id. 28. All hearings are closed to the public. The Dean of the student’s school, the Dean of Students, and the Vice President for Student Affairs or her designee may attend hearings as observers. Id. at 12-13. 29. The hearing panel deliberates and determines a violation by majority vote and then recommends a sanction. Faculty or administration officials may make recommendations to the hearing body concerning sanctions. Id. at 13. 30. When expulsion is recommended, the student can appeal the recommendation and sanction directly to the Review Board. An appeal must be filed within three days and based on: (1) availability of new evidence sufficient to alter the decision, (2) procedural defects substantially preventing a fair hearing, (3) insufficiency of the evidence to reasonably support the decision, or (4) sanctions grossly disproportionate to the offense. Id. at 14. 31. The Review Board is comprised of two students, two faculty members, and one administrator. Id. at 11. 32. If the Review Board decides that the sanctions are grossly disproportionate to the offense, then it may recommend modified sanctions. If a majority of the Board decides that there were procedural defects that substantially prevented a fair hearing, it will recommend a new hearing before a new panel. If a majority of the Board decides that the decision could not have been reasonably reached from the evidence presented at the hearing, the Review Board will recommend that the original decision and/or sanctions be modified. Id. at 14-15. 33. The Review Board conveys its recommendations to the Vice President for Student Affairs. Id. at 15. 34. The Vice President for Student Affairs, or her designee, reviews the entire record, the hearing panel’s recommendation, and the Review Board’s recommendation. The Vice President for Student affairs must give presumptive weight to the Review Board’s recommendations. Id. 35. Once the Vice President for Student Affairs has made a final determination of responsibility and sanctions, the Code does not provide for further review of the decision or sanction. Id. 36. Although the Code does not provide for additional appeals, if new information is discovered after the appeals process, a student could bring that information to the Dean of Students Office or the Office of Student Affairs. The Dean of Students and University counsel would review the material and determine if another appeals process was appropriate. 4/3/12 Tr. at 15:10-16:8. C. The Incident on April 5, 2008 37. In the early morning hours of April 5, 2008, the plaintiff was arrested following an encounter with Travis Wolfe, an off-duty Philadelphia police officer. 38. Following this incident, the plaintiff was charged by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania with aggravated assault on a police officer. 3/26/12 Tr. at 72:20-22. 39. The plaintiff appeared in Municipal Court before Judge Jimmie Moore for a preliminary hearing on April 15, 2008. Wolfe testified at the hearing about the events of April 5, 2008. Ex. P-12. 40. Judge Moore continued the case, and the plaintiff again appeared before Judge Moore on November 24, 2008. Ex. D-82. At this hearing, the parties reached an agreement for the plaintiff to enter an Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition (“ARD”) Program in lieu of continuing prosecution. The plaintiff read a statement that he believed were proposed terms of the ARD agreement admitting the truthfulness of Wolfe’s testimony and apologizing. Id. at 22:21-24:4. The plaintiff believed these terms could later be negotiated. 3/28/12 Tr. at 114:7-18, 145:6-13. The plaintiff was placed in the ARD program on June 10, 2009 at a later hearing before a different Judge. 3/28/12 Tr. at 114:11-18, 153:1-14. The terms read at the November 28, 2008 hearing were not part of the eventual ARD agreement. Id. at 145:6-13. D. University Disciplinary Charges Against the Plaintiff 41.Seiss received a report from the Temple campus safety services with a one paragraph description of the April 5 incident. 4/3/12 Tr. at 46:15-47:2. That paragraph read: At 3:29am on Saturday April 5, 2008 PO Binder observed two men struggling on the ground. As he approached the men, Travis Wolfe identified himself as a Philadelphia Police Officer. Wolfe requested help in controlling the other male, Temple student Kevin Furey. Binder helped Wolfe handcuff Furey. Wolfe told Officer Binder that he had been in his car and observed Furey with an unidentified object that appeared to be a handgun. Furey started walking toward Wolfe. Wolfed asked Furey what he had in his waistband. Wolfe said that Furey removed a machete from his pants and started walking toward him in a threatening combat motion. Wolfe removed his service handgun and showed Furey his badge and instructed Furey to put down the machete. Furey pointed the machete to the ground but did not drop it. Wolfe again ordered Furey to put down the machete. Furey then dropped the machete. Ex. D-3. 42. Other than the names of witnesses to the event, this is the only information about the case that the Code Administrator received from the Campus Safety Office. 43. Seiss determined that the incident was within the Code’s jurisdiction because it both occurred within 500 yards of the University campus and might have seriously threatened the safety of University community members. 4/3/12 Tr. at 76:3-13. 44. On April 10, 2008, the Code Administrator’s office sent an e-mail to the plaintiffs Temple University e-mail address with the subject line “Notice of Disciplinary Action.” Attached to the e-mail was a one page “Charge Notice.” Ex. D-3; 3/28/12 Tr. at 7:15-20; 4/3/12 Tr. at 57:16-58:11. 45. Based on the description provided in the referral, Seiss charged the plaintiff with three Code violations. 4/2/12 Tr. at 221:7-10, 226:19-20. 46. The Charge Notice stated: “You have been charged by Temple University with violation(s) of the following section(s) of the Temple University Student Code of Conduct” and included the full text of those sections: 3. Any act or threat of intimidation or physical violence toward another person including actual or threatened assault or battery; 8. The use, possession, sale or storage of articles and substances that endanger a person’s health and/or safety. This includes, but is not limited to, firearms (e.g. guns, pistols, rifles, stun guns, air rifles, pellet guns, etc.), fireworks, knives, weapons, ammunition, gun powder, explosives, or other material containing flammable substances, as well as replicas of any such articles or substances. The University will confiscate any such articles. Any student found in possession of a firearm will be immediately suspended from Temple University pending the outcome of the UDC process; 12. Engaging in disorderly conduct. Disorderly conduct may include disruption of programs, classroom activities or functions and processes of the University. This includes unreasonable noise, creating a physically hazardous or physically offensive condition; inciting or participating in a riot or group disruption; failing to leave the scene of a riot or group disruption when instructed by officials. Ex. D-3. 47. The Charge Notice also included a web site where the student could access the Student Code of Conduct online. Ex. D-3. 48. In addition, the Charge Notice contained a copy of the paragraph reproduced at Finding of Fact 41 upon which Seiss based the charges. 4/3/12 Tr. at 46:15-47:2. 49. Finally, the Charge Notice also instructed the plaintiff to schedule a PreHearing Meeting with the University Code Administrator within five days. Ex. D-3. E. Correspondence and Scheduling the Hearing 50. The plaintiff forwarded the notice to his mother, Margaret Boyce Furey, Esq., who acted as his attorney. 3/28/12 Tr. at 8:8-9. 51. Boyce Fnrey responded to Seiss in a letter dated April 16, 2008, describing the plaintiffs version of the incident and requesting a Pre-Hearing Meeting after he finished classes on May 5, 2008. Ex. D-4. 52. Because the April 16 letter was written by an attorney, Seiss forwarded a copy of the letter to University Counsel Harrison. 4/3/12 Tr. at 9:3-21. 53. The Pre-Hearing Meeting was not scheduled at that time and no further action was taken by any party until the fall of 2008. 54. In April of 2008, the plaintiff had not enrolled in any courses for the fall 2008 semester. Because Temple does not schedule a hearing when a student is not registered for classes, a “hold” was placed on the plaintiffs student account. The hold was removed in the summer of 2008 when the plaintiff attempted to register for classes for the fall of 2008 and the parties attempted to schedule a hearing. 4/2/12 Tr. at 173:14-175:15, 285:12-286:16. 55. During the fall of 2008 and the spring of 2009, Boyce Furey, Seiss, and Harrison attempted through phone calls, e-mails, and letters to schedule both the Pre-Hearing Meeting and Hearing. 56. A Pre-Hearing Meeting was held on December 15, 2008. The plaintiff, Boyce Furey, Seiss, and Harrison attended. 4/3/12 Tr. at 36:3-6, 70:17-21. 57. During the correspondence, Boyce Furey requested notice of the charges against the plaintiff, a summary of the evidence supporting the charges, a copy of the disciplinary hearing procedures, and a Copy of the Code of Conduct. Exs. D-5; D-18. 58. This information had been provided in the Charge Notice sent to the plaintiff, but it was not re-sent to Boyce Furey. 59. Boyce Furey also requested that the Temple police officers who were present on April 5 attend the disciplinary hearing. Ex. D-18. 60. Seiss sent the plaintiff a list of all of the witnesses the University intended to call to the Hearing. Officer Wolfe and all four Temple University officers who were present on April 5 were included on this list. Exs. D-13; D-30. 61. Boyce Furey also requested that Temple provide her with the names and addresses of the individuals accompanying Wolfe on April 5. Exs. D-18; D-19; D-21; D-24; D-28; D-33. 62. Seiss contacted Ed Woltemate with the Temple Police department to request information about the individuals with Wolfe on the night of the incident. 4/3/12 Tr. at 106:10-107:12; Ex. D-35. 63. Woltemate provided Seiss with three names: Steve Robinson, Douglas Segars, Colin Anderson. Colin Anderson and Douglas Segars were both students at Temple University. Exs. D-36; D-37. 64. Seiss and Harrison sent the plaintiff and Boyce Furey the names of these individuals but not their contact information. Exs. D-22; D-27; 4/2/12 Tr. at 267:12-23; 4/4/12 Tr. at 144:12-17. Seiss informed the plaintiff and Boyce Furey that the University would contact these witnesses about the Hearing. Ex. D-22. 65. The Hearing date was rescheduled on several occasions, including once by Seiss when one of the student witnesses reported to her that he would be unable to attend, twice at Boyce Furey’s request because a Pre-Hearing Meeting had not been held, and once to accommodate Boyce Furey’s schedule. Exs. D-14; D-18; D-23; D-29; D-32. 66. A Hearing was scheduled for March 25, 2009 before a Full Panel. Seiss informed the plaintiff that Professor Green-stein would act as Chair of the Panel. 4/3/12 Tr. at 47:3-7; Ex. D-34. 67. Boyce Furey included Greenstein as a recipient on several letters sent to University officials. Greenstein read one of the letters and did not open or read the rest. From the letter he read, he was aware both that the plaintiffs case involved an attorney advisor and there were continuances in scheduling the Hearing. 3/30/12 Tr. at 114:19-25, 212:6-15, 213:13-17. 68. Shortly before the Hearing, Brian Foley became the Code Administrator for the plaintiffs ease. 4/3/12 Tr. at 87:23-88:4. 69. Neither Seiss nor Foley discussed the substance of the matter with any of the Panel members, including Greenstein. 4/2/12 Tr. at 89:18-90:5, 299:15-300:13. 70. Foley sent University notifications about the Hearing by email to Temple students Segars and Anderson. Exs. D-48, D49. Neither responded to the notifications. 71. Seiss had sent university notification by e-mail to Anderson and Segars informing them of an earlier hearing that was later rescheduled. Exs. D-22; D-44A. In response to this notice Segars wrote an email saying, “I don’t want to be a witness or involved in the case.” Ex. D-45A; 3/27/12 Tr. at 41:7-10. Seiss responded to this e-mail urging him to speak with her about the case and Segars was notified of the cancellation and rescheduling of this hearing. Ex. D-47A. 72. Foley informed Robinson about the Hearing by telephone. During a two to three minute phone call, Robinson informed Foley that he was in a police academy and would not be able to attend. 4/2/12 Tr. at 44:24-45:15; 46:17-22. 73. Foley also contacted Woltemate to inform him that Officers Wolfe, Binder, Crawford, Harvey, and Sargent McGuire were needed for the hearing on March 25, 2009. Exs. D-39; D-40. 74. The day before the Hearing, Woltemate informed Foley that Binder and Harvey would not be able to attend because of an illness and a family obligation, respectively. 4/2/12 Tr. at 43:1-13, 196:21-197:4; Ex. D-42. Woltemate also wrote, “Sgt. McGuire and P/O Crawford will attend. P/O Wolfe (City PD) was notified and confirmed his attendance. This should be enough. Let’s just get this one done already.” Ex. D-42. 75. The plaintiff was not informed prior to the Hearing that any witnesses would not be attending. 4/2/12 Tr. at 46:23-25; 58:12-21. F. The Hearing 76. A disciplinary hearing was held on March 25, 2009 at Temple University. The Panel contained three University professors, Richard Greenstein, Keith Gumery, and Diane Adler, and two Temple students, Lisa Krestynick, and Malcolm Kenyatta. Professor Greenstein served as Chair of the Panel. 77. Brian Foley acted as Code Administrator for the Hearing. 78. The plaintiff attended the Hearing along with his parents, Boyce Furey and Mr. George Furey, who were acting as his advisors. 79. Seiss and Harrison both attended the Hearing as observers and because of then-past involvement with the case. 4/2/19 Tr. at 10:17-24; 4/4/12 Tr. at 114:1-18. Harrison attends two to three hearings a year. 4/4/12 Tr. at 183:9-20. 80. Temple University presented as witnesses Philadelphia Police Officer Wolfe, Temple Police Officer Crawford, and Temple Police Sergeant McGuire. In addition to his own testimony, the plaintiff also presented testimony by Temple students John Fischer, Brian Bariden, and Andrew Haff. George Furey and Boyce Furey also testified. 81. The plaintiff questioned the witnesses he presented and also submitted exhibits to the Panel. 82. The Hearing was transcribed by a court reporter at the request of the plaintiff and his advisors. Ex. P-23; 3/28/12 Tr. at 101:1-7. 1. Conflicts 83. At the start of the Hearing, Foley asked if any Panel member felt he or she could not be fair or impartial. All responded that they did not. P-23 at 9:11— 15. 84. Panels members are trained to inform the code administrator or hearing chair if they recognize any of the participants in a hearing, in order to assess whether they could be impartial. 4/3/12 Tr. at 51:5-52:16. 2. The Hearing Summary 85. Prior to the date of the Hearing, the Panel members did not know anything about the case they were about to hear. 4/4/12 Tr. at 64:10-11. 86. At the start of the Hearing, the Panel members were provided with a one-page “Hearing Summary.” This document lists the date and time of the Hearing, the Code violations alleged, the names of the University witnesses, and the names of the Panel members. Ex. P-25. 87. The Hearing Summary did not list witnesses requested by the plaintiff. Ex. P-25; 4/2/12 Tr. at 218:3-19. The witnesses listed were Officer Travis Wolfe, Sergeant Kenneth McGuire, Officer Carl Binder, Officer Crawford, and Officer Harvey. P-25. 88. The Hearing Summary also included a paragraph entitled “Specifications” which is identical to the “Specifications” paragraph in the Charge Notice, quoted in Finding of Fact 41. Exs. P-25; D-3. 89. In introductory remarks at the Hearing, Greenstein explained that “The information that’s set out in the Specifications on that sheet in front of you is for the purpose of making clear to you and to the Panel what the hearing is about, but that’s not the evidence.” P-23 at 15:13-21. 90. The plaintiff received a copy of the Hearing Summary at the start of the Hearing. 91. The plaintiff was not able to submit his version of events to the Panel to contradict the description in the Hearing Summary. No opening statements were made at the Hearing. The plaintiffs first opportunity to present his version of the events of the incident was during his testimony, after the University witnesses testified. 3. Absent Witnesses and Requested Continuance 92. The following witnesses did not appear for the Hearing: Officer Binder, Officer Harvey, Steve Robinson, Douglas Se-gars, and Colin Anderson. 93. Upon learning that morning that the witnesses he requested would not be in attendance, the plaintiff requested that the Hearing be continued until all of the witnesses were present. Ex. P-23 at 13:10— 13; 3/26/12 Tr. at 122:7-13. 94. In response to the plaintiffs request, Greenstein stated that the Hearing would go forward, but the plaintiff would have an opportunity to describe what he believed the witnesses would have added and the Panel would take that information into consideration. Ex. P-23 at 13:14-24. 95. The decision to delay a hearing is the responsibility of the Code Administrator. 3/30/12 Tr. at 96:21-97:5. Once a hearing has begun, the Chair does not have the authority to grant a continuance. Id. at 96:13-97:1; 4/2/12 Tr. at 50:18-51:10. The Panel can only consider the effect of absent witnesses on its determination. 3/30/12 Tr. at 96:13-20. 96. Neither Seiss nor Foley discussed the possibility of postponing the Hearing because of absent witnesses. 3/30/12 Tr. at 99:24-100:7; 4/2/12 Tr. at 50:18-51:10; 289:20-290:3. 97. The notices of the Hearing date and time that were sent to both Segars and Anderson informed them that failure to attend a disciplinary hearing will result in a charge for a Code violation. Exs. D-48, D-49. 98. Although this warning was included, the University usually charges this Code violation only when a complaining witness or the accused student fails to appear. 4/2/12 Tr. at 30:5-15; 4/3/12 Tr. at 87:5-18. In consultation with Harrison, Seiss decided not to charge either student with a violation of the Code. 4/4/12 Tr. at 154:19-155:4. 99. Other than this threat of sanction, the Code Administrator does not have the ability to compel witnesses to attend the disciplinary hearing. 4/2/12 Tr. at 271:23-25. 4. Wolfe’s Testimony 100. Wolfe was the first witness to testify at the Hearing. In a mainly uninterrupted statement, Wolfe described his version of the events of April 5, 2008: He was driving on Monument Street when he saw the plaintiff walking along the road and yelling loudly. The plaintiff retrieved what Wolfe suspected was a gun from the trunk of his car. Concerned for the safety of a crowded block of students leaving a party on the street, Wolfe asked the plaintiff what he had. In response, the plaintiff pulled a machete from his waistband, lifted it above his head and charged, in a combat manner, towards Wolfe’s car. Wolfe got out, drew his gun, identified himself as a police officer, showed his badge, and told the plaintiff to drop the knife. The plaintiff stopped moving but did not drop the machete. After being told to drop the machete several times, the plaintiff complied. Wolfe attempted to restrain the plaintiff. The plaintiff resisted, and the two were wrestling on the ground when a Temple police officer arrived and helped handcuff the plaintiff. Wolfe also told the Panel that the plaintiff appeared to be drunk. Ex. P-28 at 19-23. 101. Wolfe was then questioned by individual Panel members who asked him to explain or expand upon details of his narrative. Id. at 23-35. 102. The Chair asked the plaintiff if he had any questions for Wolfe. Id. at 35:22-25. The plaintiff requested a number of questions be posed to Wolfe. Id. at 35-50. 103. The Chair posed many of these questions to Wolfe. For some of the questions, Greenstein asked the plaintiff to explain the relevance of the question before asking the question. Id. at 80:10-22, 82:2-19, 94:6-11; 100:7-17. 104. Greenstein refused to ask some of the plaintiffs proposed questions, including how many people were with him on April 5, why the Police report differed from his testimony at the Hearing, about a paper he had written entitled “Media in my Childhood,” about discrepancies with prior testimony, if Wolfe was on probation with the police department, and questions about his attendance at parties with Temple students. Id. at 48:17-49:12, 49:17-23; 79:5-7,80:6-81:2,84:8-12; 99:6-10. 105. The plaintiff provided the Panel with a transcript of Wolfe’s testimony from the April 15, 2008 preliminary hearing and a police report from April 5, 2008 in order to demonstrate inconsistences in Wolfe’s description of events. Id. at 51, 58. 106. The Panel took two breaks, one break to make copies of the preliminary hearing transcript, and a second break to review the transcript. Id. at 51:11-19; 67:18-68:1. 107. These breaks were not taken because Officer Wolfe became flustered and unable to answer questions. 108. During the first break, Officer Wolfe made a phone call outside of the Hearing room. 3/29/12 Tr. at 20:25-21:6. 109. After returning from the first break, before the Panel reviewed the transcript, Wolfe was given permission to read a written statement into the record. Id. 110. In this statement, Wolfe testified to the consistency of his testimony in other proceedings, stating “as you will see from any document that ... may be produced from anywhere, will always be accurate, will be accurate from my testimony today, they’ll be the same.” P-23 at 53:2-6. He stated that he, Wolfe, had been exonerated by an internal affairs investigation of any wrong doing related,to this matter. Id. at 55:3-5. He also told the Panel that the plaintiff had stated in court “that his actions were wrong, and the Officer, myself, acted reasonable and just and my actions were — were right. And he also apologized on record to the Court in front of Honorable Judge Moore.” Id. at 55:10-16. Wolfe concluded his statement by saying that it has been the practice of the plaintiff and his attorney to make a mockery of this and other proceedings and make ludicrous allegations against him. Id. at 55:17-56:7. 111. The plaintiff objected to this statement and pointed out to the panel that Officer Wolfe had been on the phone prior to making this statement. Id. at 57:12-17. Later he asked Greenstein to determine to whom Wolfe had spoken on the phone. Greenstein refused to inquire, stating that it was not relevant to the Hearing. Id. at 100:3-17. 5. Other University Witnesses 112. The University also presented the testimony of Officer Crawford and Sergeant McGuire of the Temple Police Department. 113. Both told the Panel they arrived at the scene of the incident after the plaintiff was handcuffed. Id. at 106:12-14, 119:7— 11. 114. Crawford testified that he was alerted to the incident by a radio call by Temple police officer Binder about a fight on Monument Street. Id. at 101:11-15. 115. Both officers testified that the plaintiff was yelling obscenities and refusing to get in the marked Temple police car. Id. at 101:21-24,120:12-22. 116. Crawford testified that he observed the machete on the ground near the plaintiffs car. Id. 107:24-108:11. 117. McGuire testified that the plaintiff appeared to be intoxicated. Id. at 120:2-11. 6. The Plaintiffs Testimony 118. At the start of the Hearing, Green-stein told the plaintiff “You may also testify on your own behalf, but I want to make very clear, that you are not required to testify at this hearing.” Id. at 17:16-19. 119. The plaintiff testified on his own behalf at the Hearing. 120. The plaintiff told the Panel his version of events: On April 4, 2008, he went to a party with two friends, where he did not drink heavily. Around midnight or 12:30 in the morning of April 5, the plaintiff and several friends left the party and went to Jon Fischer’s house on Monument Street, where they spent several hours watching television. Around 3:00 a.m or 3:30 a.m., Fischer realized he had locked his keys in his bedroom, along with his credit cards and cell phone. Hoping to pry open the door, the plaintiff went to his car on Monument Street to retrieve a machete he had in his trunk for yard work. The plaintiff was at the trunk of his car when he was approached by five people on foot. One asked him what he had. He responded that it was none of their business. Wolfe then drew a gun and pointed it at the plaintiff. The other individuals stated “he’s a cop” and then Wolfe said “I’m a cop.” He did not show the plaintiff a badge, and the plaintiff thought he was being mugged. The other individuals started saying “shoot him, shoot him.” The plaintiff dropped the machete. Wolfe tackled him and the others ran over and began kicking him. He lost consciousness from his heading hitting the pavement. Temple police officers arrived and helped handcuff the plaintiff. His knees were injured when the Temple police officers dropped him while he was handcuffed. He did not yell at the officers. He was taken to the 22nd District where he waited in the parking lot for over half an hour before being taken to Hahnemann Hospital for about ten hours and then back to the police station. Id. at 134-142. 121. The plaintiff was then questioned by each of the Panel members. 122. Greenstein did not remark “Why would a Philadelphia police officer lie?” 3/29/12 Tr. at 298:25-299:4; 3/30/12 Tr. at 179:24-180:3; 4/2/12 Tr. at 181:11-23; 4/3/12 Tr. at 123:24-124:3. While questioning the plaintiff, Greenstein did ask several questions about the plaintiffs understanding of Wolfe’s motivation that evening, stating, “I’m trying to understand why a Philadelphia Police Officer would want to attack you for money.” and “I’m just trying to understand why he would have done what you’re saying he did.” Ex. P-23 at 148:14-150:8. 123. During his questioning, Kenyatta had to be told by Greenstein to allow the plaintiff to complete his answer before asking another question. Id. at 159:9-14. 124. Adler questioned the plaintiff about the amount of alcohol he had consumed prior to the incident and about the length of time he was at Hahnemann Hospital and the scope of treatment he received. Id. at 166-175; 183-185. 125. During questioning, Adler stated, “according to the record you provided, you tested positive for alcohol. They put positive ETOH, which means you smelled like alcohol when you went to the hospital.” Id. at 183:19-22. Adler repeated this comment, stating “And the person who admitted you said ... positive for alcohol, which meant you smelled of it .... ” Id. at 184:14-18. Adler made these statements on the basis of the Hahnemann Hospital record from April 5, 2008. Ex. D-84; 4/3/12 Tr. at 213:12-15, 215:11-17. 126. Other Panel members heard Adler’s statement. 3/29/12 Tr. at 307:3-15; 3/30/12 Tr. at 156:1-2. 127. By “tested positive,” Adler meant a “nose test.” The designation “positive ETOH” meant that the hospital staff smelled alcohol. 4/3/12 Tr. at 213:12-15, 215:11-17. The term does not mean inebriated or intoxicated. 4/4/12 Tr. at 73:2-5. 128. When the plaintiff tried to dispute that the hospital staff detected alcohol, the following exchange occurred between, Adler and the plaintiff: Q: Not everybody can be lying and, you know, be wrong. A: I mean, I’ve heard of conspiracies before and several people are lying, so. Q: Hillary heard of conspiracies too. Ex. P-23 at 185:2-6. 129. During a break, George Furey overheard Adler say “This wasn’t supposed to take this long.” 3/29/12 Tr. at 17:13-16. 130. Gumery questioned the plaintiff about his statement that he believed he was being approached by a “gang” on April 5. The following exchange occurred: Q: Could you define a gang for me; what you believe a gang to be? A: A group of criminals with the same allegiance and same mind set. That’s the type of gang I’m talking about. Not our gang, not a T.V. show. People— Q: So if they were a group of friends who’d been to a club and were wearing board shorts and Hawaiian shirts, you would see them — and there were more than five of them, you would see those as being a gang? A: I mean potentially— P-23 at 180:16-181:3. 131. Boyce Furey objected to this line of questioning as argumentative. Gumery responded to her, “Shut up, please.” Id. at 181:4-6. 132. At the end of the Hearing, Green-stein asked the plaintiff what testimony he expected from the witnesses who did not appear at the Hearing. Id. at 234:11-13. 133. The plaintiff responded “I mean, I wanted Colin Anderson, I wanted the people who he alleges ... were in the car.” Gumery interrupted the plaintiffs next answer, leading to this exchange: MR: GUMERY: I’m sorry, can I just ask, you just said they were in the car? MR. FUREY: Allegedly in the car, I— MR. GUMERY: No, you said they were in the car, right? MR. FUREY: Alleged. According to Officer Wolfe— MR. GUMERY: No, but you said— MR. FUREY:-they were in the car. MR. GUMERY: You just said— MS. BOYCE-FUREY: You’re arguing with my son. MR. FUREY: This is — I’ve been— MS. BOYCE-FUREY: He’s saying— what he said is true. MR. GUMERY: No, I’m just — I want to check. Id. at 234:14-235:22. 134.Professor Greenstein asked the plaintiff what he wanted to elicit from the absent witnesses. The plaintiff responded that he wanted to establish the character of the other people with Wolfe on April 5, 2008. Id. at 236:15-237:1. 7. Other Testimony for the Plaintiff 134. Three Temple students, Jon Fischer, Brian Bariden, and Andrew Haff testified on behalf of the plaintiff. Although all three had been with the plaintiff on April 4, none of them were present on Monument Street when the incident occurred. 135. George Furey corroborated his son’s testimony that the machete was a gardening tool he had purchased for yard work. He showed the Panel pictures of his home where the machete was used. He also provided the Panel with exhibits gathered from Facebook.com showing Wolfe in plain clothes and at parties. Id. at 222-26. 8. The Plaintiff’s Advisors 136. At the start of the Hearing, the plaintiff introduced his advisors. Foley informed everyone that “the role of the advisor is to advise the student charged. The advisor is not permitted to question witnesses directly, or address the panel.” Id. at 9:16-10:6. 137. Boyce Furey addressed the Panel throughout the Hearing, including objecting to the Chair’s decisions and answering questions posed to the plaintiff. See, e.g., id. at 12:9-10, 38:11-15, 43:12-14. Boyce Furey also questioned the plaintiff during his testimony to the Panel. See, e.g., id. at 136:2-3, 137:24-138:1. She was told by the Chair and other Panel members not to address the Panel and allow the plaintiff to speak for himself. See, e.g., id. at 43:24-44:9, 54:2-7; 237:5-12. 138. During the Hearing, members of the Panel told the plaintiff that his conversations with his advisors were too loud and distracting from witness testimony. See, e.g., id. at 21:11-19, 36:11-12; 3/28/12 Tr. at 87:14-19; 3/29/12 Tr. at 15:2-12. G. Panel Deliberations 139. The Panel conducted its deliberation in two parts: responsibility and sanctions. 140. During both parts, Foley attended the Panel’s deliberations, but did not have a vote in either phase. Ex. P-23 at 237:23-238:3; 3/29/12 Tr. at 257:21-258:1; 3/30/12 Tr. at 217:7-8; 4/2/12 Tr. at 117:12-17. 141. At the start of deliberations on sanctions, Foley reminded the Panel members to focus on the evidence presented at the hearing, not the conduct of the Hearing itself. 4/2/12 Tr. at 120:8-25. 142. The Panel reached a unanimous decision that it was more likely than not that the plaintiff had violated each of the charged sections of the Code of Conduct. Exs. P-23 at 238:7-23; D-58. 143. During deliberation on sanctions, the Panel determined that it could consider the plaintiffs demeanor at the Hearing in recommending a sanction. 3/29/12 Tr. at 304:11-21; 3/30/12 Tr. at 242:14-243:12. 144. When asked, Foley informed the Panel that in past cases, when violation occurred involving a weapon and a conflict with a police officer, the sanction was usually expulsion. 4/2/12 Tr. at 119:13-18; 4/4/12 Tr. at 22:16-24. 145. The Panel unanimously recommended immediate expulsion. Exs. P-23 at 243:3-10; D-58. 146. Wolfe was among those in the Hearing room at the time the Panel announced its sanction recommendation. 3/27/12 Tr. at 32:4-24; 3/30/12 Tr. at 218:22-24; 4/2/12 Tr. at 186:18-22. 147. The Panel deliberated for approximately twenty minutes on the issue of responsibility and approximately ten minutes on the issue of sanctions. H. Rebuttal and Appeal 148. After the Hearing, the plaintiff submitted a letter of rebuttal and appeal and two addendums to that letter. The letter and addendums listed twenty seven grounds for the rebuttal and appeal and included several attachments. Exs. P-33; P-34; P-35. 149. One attachment to the second addendum was a report from Dr. Alfred Sacchetti stating that there was no evidence in the plaintiffs medical records from April 5, 2008 that he had been using alcohol immediately prior to his hospital visit that morning. Ex. P-35. 150. The second attachment to the second addendum was a screen capture from Facebook.com showing that Malcolm Kenyatta and Travis Wolfe were “Friends.” Id. 151. The letters of rebuttal and the exhibits from the Hearing were sent to the Review Board. The Review Board was also given access to the audio recording of the Hearing through Temple University’s “Blackboard” website. 3/28/12 Tr. at 239:3-18; 4/2/12 Tr. at 155:17-156:2. 1. The Review Board 152. Members of the Review Board independently reviewed the appeals materials, including the audio recording of the Hearing, and then met to discuss the case. Ex. P-52 (Scott Dep.) at 12:5-11,13:2-5. 153. The Review Board considered each of the numbered reasons for appeal in the plaintiffs letters. Id. at 14:11-13. 154. The Review Board found no basis for appeal on twenty-four of the twenty-seven grounds the plaintiff listed. Ex. P-39. 155. On three grounds, the Review Board determined there was a basis for appeal. Id. 156. First, the Review Board recommended, “that there was not sufficient evidence to find Kevin Furey responsible for violating section 3 of the Student Code of Conduct.” Id. Section 3, set out in Finding of Fact 46, dealt with intimidation, physical violence, and actual or threatened assault and battery. 157. Second, the Review Board recommended that the sanction was disproportionate to the violation. The Review Board recommended suspension rather than expulsion. Id. 158. Finally, the Review Board recommended that a procedural defect occurred when a Hearing Panel member was a Facebook friend with a principal witnesses. The Review Board recommended that the Code Administrator investigate this issue further, but did not recommend a new hearing. Ex. P-39. 159. The Review Panel reported their recommendations to Foley. 2. Foley’s Investigation 160. Foley investigated the Facebook friend issue by meeting with Kenyatta. 4/2/12 Tr. at 107:12-17. 161. During a five to ten minute meeting, Kenyatta informed Foley that he was not aware of the Facebook friendship until that meeting and that he did not know Wolfe. 4/2/12 Tr. at 107:17-108:7, 109:15-110:2, 111:2-5; 4/4/12 Tr. at 253:13-15, 254:8-21. 162. Kenyatta did not have a personal relationship with Wolfe. At the time of the hearing, Kenyatta had over one thousand Facebook “friends” and used the website to publicize events he participated in at Temple. 4/4/12 Tr. at 254:19-24. I. Carry’s Review 163.Carry was Powell’s designee for the purpose of reviewing disciplinary appeals. 3/28/12 Tr. at 235:23-24. 164. Carry first learned of the incident on April 5, 2008, shortly after it occurred, when he received a copy of the report generated by the campus safety department. 3/28/12 Tr. at 179:13-22. Over the course of the disciplinary process, the Code Administrator’s office kept him informed about the progress of the case. 3/28/12 Tr. at 180:16-182:14. 165. Foley compiled the Review Panel’s recommendation, the plaintiffs letters of rebuttal and appeal, and the documents from the Hearing. He gave this information to Powell and Carry. 3/28/12 Tr. at 239:18-21; 3/30/12 Tr. at 7:7-11. 166. Foley and Carry met for approximately fifteen to twenty minutes to discuss the case, the Review Board’s recommendation, and Foley’s investigation. 3/28/12 Tr. at 244:7-246:19; 4/2/12 Tr. at 113:3-12,156:21-157:11. 167.Foley was not asked for his recommendation on the resolution of the case, and he did not offer a recommendation. 4/2/12 Tr. at 157:12-16. 1. Meeting with Doug Segars 168. In April of 2009, Carry met with Doug Segars, one of the Temple students with Wolfe on the night of the incident. Segars did not attend the Hearing. 3/27/12 Tr. at 137:2-15. 169. Carry and Segars met for approximately twenty minutes to half an hour in Carry’s office. . 3/27/12 Tr. at 137:16-22. 170. At the start of the meeting, Carry asked Segars what happened on April 5, 2008 and Segars described the events from his point of view. 3/27/12 Tr. at 137:7-15. 171. The two also discussed Segars’s academic major. 3/27/12 Tr. at 137:7-15. 2. Carry’s Decision 172. After meeting with Foley, Carry reviewed the case file in order to make a recommendation to Powell. 173. Carry listened to the audio recording of the Hearing and reviewed the appeals material. 3/28/12 Tr. at 185:11-13; Ex. P-47 (Carry Dep.) at 9:3-10:6. 174. Carry considered both the Hearing Panel’s recommendation and the Review Board’s recommendation. He did not give presumptive weight to the Review Board’s recommendation. 175. In considering whether there was sufficient evidence to find that the plaintiff violated Code section 3 regarding assault or threatened assault, Carry considered how the University had handled situations involving a weapon and a police officer in the past. 3/28/12 Tr. at 256:3-11. He determined that a threat of violence had occurred based on the physical altercation between the plaintiff and Wolfe, the possession of a weapon during this incident, and that the plaintiff resisted arrest. Id. at 331:3-15. 176. Carry gave weight to Wolfe’s position as a police officer. 177. Although it was not evidence at the Hearing, Carry relied upon the specification paragraph included in the Hearing Summary when he made his decision. Ex. P — 47 (Carry Dep.) at 172:5-173:1. 178. In determining the appropriate sanction Carry again considered past University treatment of students involved in incidents involving a weapon and a police officer. In those cases, the University had always expelled. 3/28/12 Tr. at 256:13-257:21. J. Carry’s Recommendation to Powell 179. Carry recommended to Powell that she follow the decision of the Hearing Panel and expel the plaintiff. 3/28/12 Tr. at 240:12-17. 180. Powell did not meet with Foley or review any material in connection with the case. 3/30/12 Tr. at 8:25-9:2; 4/2/12 Tr. at 157:20-22. She did not listen to the audio recording of the Hearing. 3/30/12 Tr. at 42:10-14. 181. Powell relied upon Carry’s review and recommendation to make her decision. 3/30/12 Tr. at 8:25-9:2,14:6-10, 63:1-4. 182. After speaking with Powell, Carry-directed that a letter be written for Powell’s signature. 3/28/12 Tr. at 295:13-296:15. 183. A letter dated May 27, 2009 was sent to the plaintiff from Powell informing him that she would be upholding the Hearing Panel’s finding of responsibility and imposing a sanction of immediate expulsion. Ex. P-40. K. Post Appeal Events 184. In a letter dated June 9, 2009, Boyce Furey wrote to Powell to request reconsideration of her decision to expel the plaintiff. This letter included new information not known at the time of the Hearing, including that there was an ongoing police investigation of Wolfe’s conduct on that night. Ex. P-41. 185. Powell did not read the June 9, 2009 letter. 3/30/12 Tr. at 31:2-5. Powell’s office forwarded this letter to the University General Counsel’s office. 3/30/12 Tr. at 35:9-18. 186. Harrison received the letter and referred it to outside counsel because this litigation had begun. 4/4/12 Tr. at 186:13-18. L. Absent Witnesses 187. All five of the witnesses who did not attend the Hearing provided descriptions of their version of the incident in interviews to the Philadelphia police, Temple police, and/or during discovery in this case. The Court briefly summarizes each witness’s version of events. 188. Steve Robinson. On April 5, 2008, Robinson accompanied Wolfe to the 16th District Police Station to pick up court notices and then to Monument Street to pick up Wolfe’s family members from a party. After they had picked the passengers up, and were driving along Monument Street, Robinson heard yelling. He heard Wolfe ask the plaintiff if he was okay and then saw the plaintiff waving a machete. He could not recall if the plaintiff moved towards Wolfe’s car. Wolfe got out of the car and identified himself as a police officer several times and showed his badge once. The plaintiff looked scared and he eventually dropped the machete. Wolfe tried to effect the arrest and the two struggled on the ground until Temple police arrived. 3/27/12 Tr. at 215:22-216:25; 206:14-16. Robinson did not see anyone in the street beside the plaintiff and the individuals with Wolfe. Id. at 208:1-10. He observed that the plaintiff was drunk. Ex. P-18. 189. Douglas Segars. On April 5, 2008, Segars attended a party and called Wolfe for a ride home. Segars and Anderson were riding in the back seat of Wolfe’s car when he heard yelling, possibly from someone in the car. He looked out the car window and saw the plaintiff holding a machete and gesturing towards Wolfe’s car. 3/27/12 Tr. at 59:24-60:6; 125:25-126:16. Wolfe got out of the car and identified himself as a cop. Segars then saw Wolfe and Furey on the ground and then saw the Temple Police arrive. Id. at 125:14-127:16. Segars got out of Wolfe’s car for a moment and was back inside the car when the Temple police arrived. Id. at 127:1-20. Segars did not recall seeing a big group of people on the street that night. Id. at 77:23-78:3. 190. Colin Anderson Anderson was in the back seat of Wolfe’s car when he saw Wolfe get out of the car and walk towards the plaintiff, who was holding an elongated object down by his side. He saw Wolfe draw his gun and identify himself as a cop. Wolfe ordered the plaintiff to drop the item at least three times and then pulled the plaintiff to the ground. Anderson got out of the car briefly and was told by Wolfe to get back inside the car. He did not remember if the plaintiff approached Wolfe, or if the plaintiff was yelling when the incident occurred. Anderson was not able to identify the elongated object as a machete until after the plaintiff was handcuffed. Ex. P-15. 191. Officer Binder: While on patrol on Monument Street, Binder observed two men fighting in a lot beside the road. Ex. P-53 (Binder Dep) at 24:10-25:21. One man was on the ground, the other on top of him. When Binder approached to grab the male on top, he identified himself as an off-duty police officer. Id. at 93:2-24. Binder helped hold the plaintiff to the ground and supplied Wolfe with handcuffs to handcuff the plaintiff. Id. at 98:18-21, 105:19-24. Once detained, the plaintiff refused to get into Binder’s car. Ex. P-16 at 2. Binder could tell the plaintiff had been drinking because he smelled of alcohol, his speech was slurred, and his eyes were bloodshot. Id. at 3. Binder observed a minor abrasion on the plaintiffs forehead and a mark about an inch wide below his left eye. Id. at 2. He took the plaintiff to Central Detective where he was told the plaintiff had to be medically checked out before he would be accepted. Binder then took the plaintiff to Hahnemann Hospital and then back to Central Detective around 7 a.m. Ex. P-53 (Binder Dep.) at 126:11-129:1,133:19-23. 192. Officer Harvey. Harvey drove to Monument Street in response to a radio call from Binder reporting a fight. P-54 (Harvey Dep) at 46:16-22. When Binder arrived, the plaintiff was sitting on the ground in handcuffs. Id. at 8:20-9:16. He saw Wolfe standing about six feet away, and saw both his gun and badge. Id. at 9:10-13. Harvey also saw two individuals in Wolfe’s car. Id. at 11:9-12. Harvey had been to Monument Street twice that night because of noise complaints at a party. While responding to those calls, he saw Wolfe’s car parked in front of the house where the party was occurring. Id. at 30:17-31:31; P-16. Harvey observed that the plaintiff had a strong odor of alcohol and slurred speech. P-54 (Harvey Dep) at 158:22-159:9. M. Other Events 193. After this litigation began, the plaintiff discovered a photograph of Kenyatta and Segars posted on Facebook.com. P-38. 194. The photograph was taken after a talent show Segars helped to organize and in which Kenyatta participated. 3/27/12 Tr. at 88:11-18; 4/4/12 Tr. at 257:11-16. Kenyatta did not know Segars when the photograph was taken after the talent show or at anytime before the Hearing. 4/4/12 Tr. at 258:8-16. III. Conclusions of Law There is no dispute that the plaintiff, a student at a state-funded school, is entitled to procedural due process in a disciplinary action against him. The difficult question in this case is what process is due. Morrissey v. Brewer; 408 U.S. 471, 481, 92 S.Ct. 2593, 33 L.Ed.2d 484 (1972). The Court will describe the basic legal principles of due process in student disciplinary proceedings before addressing the plaintiffs challenges in this case. A. Due Process Requirements The requirement of due process is a requirement of fundamental fairness. There is no fixed standard that applies in all cases. Instead, due process implies a flexible standard that varies with the nature of the interests affected and the circumstances of the deprivation. Gorman v. Univ. of Rhode Island, 837 F.2d 7, 12 (1st Cir.1988). . In 1975, the Supreme Court held that, at a minimum, when a school charges a student with a disciplinary violation, it must provide “notice and an opportunity for hearing appropriate to the nature of the case.” Goss v. Lopez, 419 U.S. 565, 579, 95 S.Ct. 729, 42 L.Ed.2d 725 (1975). In Goss, a public high school student faced a ten-day academic suspension. The Court held that due process required that he be given oral or written notice of the charges against him, and if he denied those charges, an explanation of the evidence against him and an opportunity to present his side of the story. Id. at 581, 95 S.Ct. 729. The Court declined to require “even truncated trial type procedures,” recognizing the limited administrative resources available to academic institutions. Id. at 583, 95 S.Ct. 729. The Court was concerned that requiring formal disciplinary proceedings would divert resources from the school’s educational mission and destroy the effectiveness of the teaching component of the discipline process. Id. at 583, 95 S.Ct. 729. Thus, in the context of a ten-day suspension, the Court held that a hearing could occur almost immediately after notice was provided, and the school did not need to give the student “the opportunity to secure counsel, to confront and cross-examine witnesses supporting the charge, or to call his own witnesses to verify his version of the incident.” Id. at 583, 95 S.Ct. 729. Due process required an “informal give-and-take” between the student and the administrative body disciplining him where the student had the opportunity to “characterize his conduct and put it in what he deems the proper context.” Id. at 584, 95 S.Ct. 729. But the Court also recognized that longer suspensions or expulsions might require more formal procedures. Id. In Palmer, the Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit considered whether a student facing a sixty-day athletic suspension in addition to a ten-day academic suspension was entitled to additional process. Palmer v. Merluzzi, 868 F.2d 90 (3d Cir. 1989). In that case, the student learned of the accusations against him and the evidence supporting those accusations from two school administrators during an informal hearing. Id. at 94. The student did not contest the sufficiency of the process for the academic suspension, but argued that he should have been told that an athletic suspension was a possible sanction against him. To determine the process due, the Court of Appeals applied the three balancing factors from Mathews v. Eldridge: 1) the private interests at stake; 2) the governmental interests at stake, including the government function involved and the fiscal and administrative burdens entailed by additional or subs