Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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The South Carolina Library Campus gamecock Volume LXX, No. AA University of South Carolina, Columbia, S.C. Jan. 14,*1980 Shooting victim's mother sues USC By Jean P. Relston Gsrrwtcock Staff Wrh?r An $8.2 million lawsuit has been brought against USC and Southern Security Services, Inc. in connection with the Oct. 6 murder of Terrell Johnson at a fpotornifv norfir A* MWI MIVJ |/U? VJ ? . Annie Louise Benjamin, mother of the deceased, is charging the university and the security service which supplied the security guard for the Kappa Alpha Psi party with negligent and reckless actions. Johnson was killed at the homecoming party at Bates West social hall duriiig a shooting spree by USC student Mark Houston in which one other student was killed and five were wounded. "BENJAMIN IS charging that the death of her son v resulted from the "wrongful acts" of the university and the security service. "Houston might have been stopped if there had been more security," Benjamin said. "We are looking to tie this case to the university and Southern Security Services, Inc. because they are the ones that have the funds to answer to a settlement," Hammond A. Beale, Benjamin's lawyer, 'There's nothing to stop i shooting up everybody at walking out said. Beale said it was "ludicrous" that security guards were required by the university to be disarmed at social events. "There's nothing to stop someone from running in and shooting up everybody at these parties ittnllrinrf At?t " DAMtnmin rnt/1 ?<nuu vixcii jiui warning uuv, oaiu, George A. Key, USC director of Public'Safety and Security said the only people who are allowed to be armed at USC are professional police officers. Security guards are not professional police but are strictly for security purposes, he said. USC HAS a contract with Southern Security Services Inc. to provide security guards for social events, Carolina Coliseum events and residence halls. Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity hired one security guard through the Division of Student Affairs and USC Security in accordance with the USC requirement that all social events on campus where alcoholic beverages are served have a security guard Houston sente By Mike Albright Gamecock 8t?M Writer ^*|p||p^|| Mark Houston was sentenced MpfQil Hon Ot fn fii?A nAnoAm?f?ir/\ iyw. ?ii w vvrv tuiiacvunvc Hie | terms in prison for two counts of H^SBgHpf < murder, plus an additional 76 ^ years for five counts of assault and battery with a deadly jam^M weapon for the Bates West shootings Oct. 6. WjM Houston pleaded guilty to the wlmt seven charges before fifth circuit court Judge William T. Powell. After sentencing, wBmk Houston said, "I'm sorry this happened." Houston will ^Pl become eligible for parole in 25 years, Sam McCuen, Public Information director for the South Carolina Department of sad that those] Corrections said. li?es, and I ti about it if I can | THE SHOOTINGS occurred said he feels 1 on Oct. 6,1979 in the Bates West life in a way als \ social room when Houston drew know he'll be a a .32 caliber psitol and shot he gets out of pr Terrell Johnson of St. Mat- Houston is at 41. ...Uv? Ji?J II. utcwa, wnv uicu uutuiiiuy. nc cvaiuauwi v;cwn shot four other students in the remain until F< social room and two on the then be transft ramp outside, including Patrick South' Caro McGinty, who died later in maximum sec Richland Memorial Hospital. McCuen said he Michael Lawyer, the other time either < student shot on the ramp, will Correctional be returning to USC this Columbia or semester and hopes that Manning. This another incident of this type will mined while n^.. happen again. "I'm very evaluation cent in attendance, according to James B. Campbell, vice president for Student Affairs. The main function of security guards at social events is to check tickets, check doors, and make sure no outsiders enter if the event is for members only, Key said. If any problem arises the security guards are instructed to call campus police. "If anything goes wrong, the security guards are supposed to call campus police but by then several students have already been killed," Benjamin said. Benjamin is charging that security guards were not provided with adequate means for calling for immediate assistance in case of emergencies and that no precautions were taken to prevent firearms from being brought into the party. She said all visitors should have been frisked before entering. KEY SAID by law people cannot be searched as they enter a social event or even a public event at the coliseum. Thn o-.-H c r.? ill*; aica supci viaui iui OUUUICMI OtJUUlliy atlvices, Inc. would not comment on any of the circumstances of the killings or on the lawsuit itself. someone from running in and these parties and then just Annie Louise Benjamin, Terrell Johnson's mother Beale said several students will testify in court that they knew Houston had a gun in his dorm room before the killings. Beale said the university should have tighter security to prevent students from having firearms on campus. Other charges against USC, as cited in the lawsuit, include allowing a party in an overcrowded facility with inadequate lighting and allowing alcohol to be served at the party. USC and the Southern Security Services, Inc. are both charged with failing to observe the circumstances that led to the production and firing of the gun and failing to disarm the assailant when he produced the gun. BEALE SAID the figure of $8.2 million was based upon the grief brought upon his mother, Johnson's life expectancy and the earnings Johnson would have acquired during his lifetime. need State scho tappraising j By Teresa K. Weave ; Gamecock Staff Writer | The S.C. State Budget and Contr resolution Jan. 3 authorizing states and universities to develop their performance appraisals of acaden The Council of College and Univ representing each of the public ins learninc in the state, anneared hef month in a unanimous revolt again appraisal of the performance of t Pl?pip After consulting with the state a W&FW? office, the board ruled that the \ retain their traditional control oy bers. people lost their ^ board resolution stipulates y not to think submit a developed performance i help it Lawyer approval no later than March 1. louston lost his school's plans are required to pi a because " you appraisals of unclassified academic n old man when Unclassified academic employee! i it fflrnUv Honartmont honrfa Haane ISOn .~V?.V , UVfTH* W?vu. .?VUUV>, UVU<? a reception and the president, but not unclassifi? er where he will sta?- 8u<;h ? vlff presidents ibruary He will Also, the board "strongly" urgei erred to one of of appraisals be in wriUng, revic Una's three' ployee, and kept in a permanent file urity facilities. ! could serve his UNDER THE state system of pei it the Central faculty members are considere< Institute in employment at the end of a s Kirklnnri nr Common university procedure stip will be deter- four to seven years before a tenure* he is wit the "Tha major distinction betweei er university review and the typical si by historic practice in American "KJCni A. ^Hi Dav? Roback - GAMECOCK Southern Security Services, which also provides guards for the bookstore (aboveJ, has been named with USC in a lawsuit stemming from the Bates shootings. ols to set up systems ? faculty performance ir and by contract we have a peer review process," USC President James B. Holderman told the board, ol Board passed a This peer review includes consideration not only of tupported colleges teaching ability, but also of research activity, own systems of publications, and service to the university and the (lie personnel. university community, Holderman said. ersity Presidents, "It is literally impossible," he said, "for such a titutions of higher performance appraisal to be more than begun within ore the board last six months." The universities' established ist state-regulated probationary period of four to seven years is designed acuity members, to allow faculty members to begin and complete ttorney general's research projects, he added. iniversities could rer faculty mem- HOLDERMAN CONCLUDED, "This system is based on the principle that experience informs that each school judgment, but more importantly it is based on the ippraisal plan for concept that a faculty benefits the institution and its Tn ortrlitinn fhn r<nncH h mntn mnot uikan tko fn/ii<lfi> Uealf nknAane AM Huviivivai) WIV VUiMUVUVllH} lllVO? VTIIVII MIV mvuiij 1WJVU MIVWCt3 ovide for annual those with whom it will be working with during the : employees. long period of tenure.'' s include teaching A challenge to the Council of Presidents' request , the provost and came from Vickie Eslinger, the attorney for three id administrative USC professors that are currently involved in the state grievance procedure. Eslinger requested that I that the findings the board not consider the universities' recomwed with the em- mendations at least until after Feburary. i. She said the S.C. Code of Laws Section 8-11-230(6) requires that the budget and control board coordinate _ _ 1 1 I I 11 + # - - I r?? - * * ' ' * -sonnei appraisal, | policies 01 penormance appraisal. J?ne aaaea, "li i for permanent - doesn't require that they use a standard appraisal lix-month period. policy. If a professor is given some sort of appraisal ulates a period of evaluation on a periodic basis, it can't posible do any Jecision is made. harm to anybody ," n the established tate review is that WORK WILL begin on the evaluation plans at the higher education beginning of the spring semester, Borkowski added.