Va. governor announces review of Va. Tech’s handling of shootings

BLACKSBURG, Va. – Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine announced that he intends to form an eight-person panel to review Virginia Tech’s handling of last Monday’s shootings. \nAfter announcing the panel Tuesday, Kaine appointed retired Superintendent of Virginia State Police Lt. Colonel Gerald Massengill to lead the independent committee review board on Wednesday. \nAlso named to the board was former Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge, as well as several specialists in the fields of higher education, violent behavior and medicine. \nDespite the independent investigation into how the university responded to the shootings, Kaine expressed support for Virginia Tech President Charles Steger. \n“Charlie has been acting as a very, very good president,” Kaine said on Tuesday. “... This kind of event could happen anywhere on any campus, and there has been an innocence taken away from the students. But the positive values, and academic tradition of this university will help the community stay strong, and keep this university attracting students.” \nKaine also addressed the student body’s questioning of some of the decisions made by the university. \n“The students are acting appropriately to the situation,” Kaine said Tuesday. “But I know the strong sense of community spirit won’t let these questions divide this student body.” \nKaine applauded the unity shown by students, especially in the face of the media firestorm that ensued. \n“I saw all these reporters asking divisive questions, and the students stayed strong,” Kaine said Tuesday. “They didn’t place blame. They weren’t going to let anything divide them.” \nAlso named to the review were Carroll Ann Ellis, Diane Strickland, Marcus Martin, Roger Depue, Gordon Davies and Aradhana Sood. \nEllis is Director of the Fairfax County Police Department’s Victim Services Division. \nStrickland served as a Virginia circuit judge for 15 years and recently co-chaired a two-year study about involuntary institutionalization. \nMartin is the Assistant Dean at the University of Virginia School of Medicine. \nDepue is the founder of the Academy Groups, Inc., which conducts research and training on violent behavior. \nDavies was the former Director of the State Council of Higher Education for 20 years before his retirement in 1997. \nSood is the Chairwoman of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Virginia Commonwealth University. \nIn addition, Kaine said TriData Corporation will provide research and staff for the review panel. \nNo timetable or location has been set for the review.