This week in the news

Disparate state-law interpretations breed dispute

The Virginia attorney general and
the American Civil Liberties Union
have interpreted differently a state
law relating to in-state tuition for
children of illegal immigrants.

According to a letter written to
Virginia colleges Tuesday, the ACLU
stated it is willing to offer legal representation
to students who it deems
have been denied in-state tuition rates
based on their parents’ status.

The ACLU bases its defense of
these individuals on the equal-protection
clause of the U.S. Constitution,
said ACLU legal director Rebecca
Glenberg.

Ronald C. Forehand, senior assistant
attorney general, stated in a
memo that students born and raised
in Virginia usually are classified as
in-state only if their parents hold
legal residential status.

A student in this situation could
acquire in-state tuition if he proves
his own legal residence in the commonwealth,
Forehand stated.

“If universities begin to reject students
based on the attorney general’s
memo, this more than likely would
end up in court,” said ACLU executive
director Kent Willis Wednesday.

The dispute between the ACLU
and the attorney general comes from
a query into the matter by the State
Council of Higher Education, whose
interest in the issue was prompted
by a University of Virginia student’s
situation.

Brief by Larry O’Dell, Associated Press Writer

Va. hospital calls patients to test for hepatitis

More than 300 former patients of
a Newport News hospital are being
asked to return for blood tests.

A nurse, who has been suspected
of infecting patients with hepatitis
in Texas and who worked at the
Riverside Regional Medical Center
in Newport News, Va., from July
through December, has been arrested
this month on federal charges.

Retired Army Capt. Jon Dale
Jones was arrested on charges for the
fraudulent possession of a controlled
substance and for assaulting three
patients.

Federal prosecutors have said they
think Jones spread hepatitis at an El
Paso military hospital four years ago
by diverting the strong painkiller
fentanyl from patients to himself.
Prosecutors think that by doing this,
Jones infected at least 15 military
service members or their relatives.

Jones denied the charges, pleaded
not guilty and was released on
bond.

Brief by The Associated Press Proposed settlement leaves Va. Tech families divided

Families of the victims of last
year’s Virginia Tech massacre are
divided about whether to accept the
commonwealth’s multimillion-dollar
settlement proposed Tuesday.

The settlement offer would provide
$800,000 to injured victims and
would extend the option to seek
additional compensation from a $1.75
million hardship fund.

However, the settlement, which
is to ensure $100,000 for those
representing each of the 32 killed, also
comes with questions about whether
the funds will be enough to honor
the families’ loved ones.

In October, both the deceased’s
families and the surviving victims
received payments between $11,500
and $208,000 from the Hokie Spirit
Memorial Fund, which handled donations
given via the university.

The language in the current offer
is vague as to how exactly the funds
will be allocated. The proposal states
the distribution of money will be
“based on a matrix acceptable to
the commonwealth, with a maximum
payment of $100,000 to any
individual.”

Roger O’Dell, whose son Derek
was wounded in the shootings, does
not think the issue will be settled by
April 15.

“I think there are too many question
marks in the proposed offer,”
O’Dell said.

Brief by The Associated Press