The American Civil Liberties Union will “more than likely” support two area college journalists facing administrative charges after they interviewed residents inside an on-campus dormitory.

A letter asking James Madison University to dismiss the charges against Tim Chapman, 21, and Katie Hibson, 19, was expected to be sent to the university Oct. 30, says Kent Willis, executive director of the Virginia ACLU.

Chapman, editor in chief of The Breeze, and Hibson, a reporter for the student newspaper, have said the charges are a violation of the First Amendment, a point JMU denies.

The students face administrative charges of trespassing, disorderly conduct and noncompliance with an official request stemming from an Oct. 18 incident where they entered Hillside Hall to gather information for a story.

Separate hearings for Chapman and Hibson have been tentatively set for Nov. 5 with JMU’s Office of Judicial Affairs. Some JMU students are planning a rally in support of the reporters on the same day they’re scheduled to have their hearings.

Anticipated support from the ACLU is the latest development in the case that has garnered attention well beyond the Friendly City within the news media and elsewhere.

The Virginia Society of Professional Journalists issued a statement Oct. 27 urging the university to drop the charges, saying school officials acted “beyond reason to stifle The Breeze from reporting about crime on campus.”

Hibson had gone to the dormitory to interview students about a “Peeping Tom” incident. The reporter asked to be taken inside by a resident who let her in. A resident adviser asked Hibson to leave as she talked to residents. She later returned with Chapman, who told the RA and residence hall director the reporters had a right to be there per an Office of Residence Life policy that allows guests as long as they are invited and escorted. A Hillside Hall resident who also works for The Breeze escorted Hibson and Chapman the second time.

JMU’s Student Handbook defines trespassing as “refusing to leave an area as directed by an authorized faculty or staff member.”

The university contends that the charges were brought to ensure all students — not just reporters — follow university policies, not to prevent the student journalists from doing their job, JMU spokesman Don Egle says.

New rules at RMH hope to slow spread of H1N1
In an effort to slow the spread of flu, Rockingham Memorial Hospital is implementing visitation restrictions.

Like many hospitals across the country, RMH is seeing increasing cases of flu as the H1N1 virus proliferates and the traditional flu season approaches.

Effective Nov. 2, the hospital no longer allows guests younger than 18 to visit patients, according to Deb Thompson, director of corporate communications for RMH. Additionally, it will limit the number of visitors to a patient’s room to two at a time, she said.

“That’s for their safety and for the safety of patients,” Thompson said.

RMH is seeing more and more patients with flu-like illness, with most of the cases being mild, said Thompson. In fact, the hospital’s emergency department saw a record number of patients last week, nearly 300 in one day, she said. Additionally, about 20 to 30 percent of patients visiting the hospital’s health clinics, such as RMH Family Medicine, are presenting flu-like symptoms, she said.

“We are seeing a wave of sickness now which is what you would see at the peak of flu season, but we don’t even peak until January or February,” Thompson said.

RMH continues to encourage patients with flu-like symptoms to see their physicians or go to the hospital’s flu clinic rather than the emergency room for care.

The hospital’s flu clinic is located in the Kroger shopping center, just off East Market Street in the city. It is open from 6 to 11 p.m. Fridays and Mondays and from 3 to 11 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Only people with flu-like symptoms who are 4 years old and older will be seen at the clinic.

RMH is considering expanding the clinic’s days and hours of operation to meet the growing demand, Thompson said.

In addition to more patients presenting flu-like symptoms, many of the hospital’s employees have come down with flu, Thompson said. Employees are being told to stay home for at least seven days or until they are fever-free for at least 24 hours, she said.

The hospital has received only a small shipment of H1N1 vaccine and has administered it to high-risk employees, including pregnant women. It is unclear when the hospital will receive more vaccine, Thompson said.