New information prompts assault report to be delayed
Director of Student Life Mark Lucas said he received a police report listing new witnesses last Friday in beating of Maryland man.
Published Nov. 8, 2005
The MU Department of Student Life is delaying action against anyone involved in the assault of Daniel Maddox, a Maryland resident, outside of the Kappa Alpha Order fraternity house, director Mark Lucas said.
The delay is because of a police report that revealed new witnesses in the case, Lucas said.
Lucas had said the department might make a decision by the middle of this week, but is now postponing any university action.
"(A decision) is definitely not going to happen by mid-week," Lucas said. "I'd be speculating if I said any decision would be made by the end of the week."
Lucas said he received the police report Friday and that it mentioned witnesses who were not previously identified. Lucas declined to reveal the names of the witnesses, but said he has interviewed several of them.
"We've got a couple staff members working on the case," Lucas said.
Lucas said a decision regarding university action would be released to the public only if it involves the Kappa Alpha organization. Any university punishment against individuals will not be released to the public.
"If it happens to involve the organization and not the individual, we'd be happy to share our information with the public," Lucas said.
Maddox told The Maneater six men came out of the Kappa Alpha house, 1301 University Ave., and attacked him while calling him "faggot" and "pretty boy" at 3 a.m. on Oct. 15.
He later walked away and was standing in the driveway of a nearby house when another man came out of the Kappa Alpha house and beat his face into the pavement repeatedly, Maddox said.
He suffered injuries to his left eye, a concussion and scarring from his left temple to his left eye, Maddox said.
Maddox had been visiting friends in Columbia for Homecoming.
Police arrested Kappa Alpha member Jeffrey Forkan, 20, on suspicion of third-degree assault.
Forkan later disputed Maddox's account of the incident, saying Maddox entered the fraternity house drunk and was forcibly removed by residents. Forkan said Maddox started the altercation by punching him.
Forkan said he pushed Maddox, who stumbled onto the street curb and hit his face.
Forkan said Maddox called several Kappa Alpha members "faggots."
The Kappa Alpha National Administrative Office said today it considered the assault a legal dispute between Forkan and Maddox that did not concern the fraternity.
"The National Administrative Office of KA doesn't feel it has an active role to take in a legal dispute between two parties," spokesman Scott Rowson said.
Kappa Alpha President Chip Wagner said he planned to meet with police officers and file trespassing charges against Maddox.
Last week, Forkan said he planned to charge Maddox with assault, but the charge has not been filed.
Forkan would not comment further on the incident.