Campus newspapers removed and trashed

By: Beth Spencer

Posted: 11/15/09

In response to The Daily Helmsman's story about University of Memphis student Ross Burton's arrest for assault and arson, the suspect's sister trashed the newspapers across campus.

Jennifer Burton, art graduate assistant, emptied some of the newsstands holding papers with her brother's photo on the front page into garbage cans at several locations at The University of Memphis yesterday.

Memphis police have charged Ross Burton with trying to burn the rainbow flag outside the Memphis Gay and Lesbian Community Center in Cooper-Young early Wednesday morning and for assaulting a police officer during the arrest.

"I absolutely went around and threw away any newspapers I could find," she said.

Burton said she glanced at each individual newspaper before disposing of them, and because The Daily Helmsman is available at no cost, said she believed no crime had been committed.

However, campus police informed Helmsman editors that the crime could qualify as malicious mischief.

Candy Justice, general manager of the newspaper, said Burton tossing the issues in the trash was a violation of the First Amendment.

"I can't address what city or state crimes the police said she committed, although I do know a crime was committed," Justice said. "Anytime you deliberately prevent people from seeing the news, you've violated the First Amendment of the (U.S.) Constitution."

Some students, like Carolyn Ritch, junior psychology major, said because The Daily Helmsman is a free publication, Burton should not be disciplined for disposing of the newspapers.

"If she wanted to claim that she picked up every copy and read it, she could," she said. "They still have a right to cover (the story."

Ryan Vanderley, art graduate and a friend of Jennifer Burton's, said defending her brother was a logical reponse to the story..

"That's passion," he said. "Isn't that something that should be saluted? Her passino and her actions - in her defense - are true and real."

Ryan Poe, managing editor of The Daily Helmsman, inspected newsstands on campus to see how many issues had been stolen.

"I walked around the Tiger Den, Jones Hall and other buildings around the Meeman Journalism Building and found that papers were missing in both the Tiger Den and Jones Hall," he said. "I even found newspapers in the trash can next to the newspaper dispenser in the entryway of Jones (Hall)."

Burton robbed students of information in The Daily Helmsman by stealing the newspapers, Poe said.

"She committed a crime, not only against the Helmsman, but also against the Helmsman's readers, who rely on the newspaper for their information," he said. "Although she disagreed with the story, throwing away the newspapers was out of line."

Trashing the newspaper does not change the fact that Burton's brother was arrested, said Jonathan Carey, sophomore criminal justice major.

"A crime is a crime," he said. "It doesn't erase it. She has to understand there are consequences for her actions. There is no excuse for assaulting an officer."

Parker Hemphill, junior chemistry major, said if his sibling committed a crime, he would expect news coverage to follow and would react in a calm manner.

"If it was my brother, I'd say, 'You dug your own hole. You should have your reputation slandered and smeared,'" he said.

Still, Hemphill said he understood the person's frustration and that each person could react differently in the same situation.

"It's her was of dealing with it," he said. "Everyone has a right to deal with things the way they see fit, as long as it's within reason," he said.

Reshad Rutherford, sophomore biology major, said he would have reacted similarly to Burton if his sibling were in the newspaper for committing a crime.

"If my sister was on the front page, and it wasn't in a positive light, I would want to take the newspapers," he said. "I would be more discrete about it."

At press time, Memphis police implicated fellow U of M student Wesley Higgins, 22, as the second perpetrator in the original vandalism Wednesday.