Virginia Tech Fined For Response To 2007 Shooting
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- During the massacre at Virginia Tech, 32 students and faculty were all killed on campus in 2007. Now the school is being slapped with a fine for not reacting fast enough.
Kai Jackson explains how this tragedy has sparked change at schools across Maryland.
The fines are substantial and the U.S. Department of Education apparently wanted to levy even more.
The massacre at Virginia Tech is now etched into the minds of those who lived through it and the American public that watched the horrifying images as they were released.
Police say Seung-Hui Cho, a student, shot and killed 32 people and then took his own life on April 16, 2007. The event was a catalyst for change across the country, prompting colleges, universities and other agencies to develop and improve campus-wide alerts for emergencies.
But the Department of Education has fined Virginia Tech $55,000. Officials say the university waited too long to notify students when the shootings started. It's a violation of a federal law called the Clery Act.
"Universities all around the country need to do more in terms of these types of incidents," said Hopkins student Stephanie Valarezo.
Virginia Tech objects to the fines and plans to appeal.
"It's essential, that's why we come here, for a safe environment," said Hopkins student Melissa Simmonds.
Virginia Tech could have lost some of its $98 million in federal funding.
