Citadel BOV selects independent review team
August 27, 2012
CHARLESTON, SC – August 27, 2012 – Fulfilling its promise of November 2011, The Citadel Board of Visitors today selected a team to conduct a comprehensive and independent review of the matters surrounding a 2007 complaint against former summer camp counselor Louis Neal ReVille.
Manuel, Daniels, Burke International (MDBI) will undertake a review of The Citadel’s handling of allegations regarding ReVille’s conduct while a summer camp counselor in conjunction with Ann H. Franke of Wise Results LLP who will additionally assess the college’s policies and procedures regarding sexual abuse and sexual assault on campus and recommend policy and procedure changes regarding the protection of children involved in Citadel-sponsored activities on campus.
“We have laid out a very thoughtful, deliberative process and are confident this review will help us better refine what changes and actions we need to take in the future,” said Douglas A. Snyder, chairman of the Board of Visitors. “The independent review team’s work will result in a better understanding of what happened and our response, and help The Citadel develop and implement best practices to safeguard everyone on campus,” Snyder said.
MDBI, an investigative firm headquartered in Alexandria, Va., is composed of former FBI and federal agents with more than 25 years of service in the FBI in addition to 15 years of experience in the private sector. The firm has experience in a wide variety of criminal, civil and internal affairs investigations, including sexual misconduct in the workplace and sexual misconduct with minors.
Franke is a nationally recognized expert in higher education law and policy. She has worked on sensitive matters with higher education institutions around the country, and is a frequent lecturer who spoke recently at the National Association of College and University Attorneys on the subject of “Protecting Minors on Campus: Obligations, Policies, Procedures, and Best Practices.”
MDBI and Franke were among more than a dozen groups and individuals identified by the BOV’s subject matter expert, Columbia attorney Joseph McCulloch, who will engage the team and facilitate their work. Like McCulloch, neither MDBI nor Franke has any affiliation with The Citadel.
“The board was presented with a number of well qualified candidates with solid reputations in the field,” McCulloch said. “MDBI and Ann Franke have the experience and integrity to do the job right.”
The independent review team will begin its work immediately. The BOV has not set a deadline for the team to complete its review.
