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  1. Clearly, by asking Mr. Haskins' to help them re-enter Dr. Stokes' class, all four students indicated they wanted to appeal Dr. Stokes' disciplinary action. Dr. Stokes has not offered any evidence that the students were required to file a formal appeal in writing.
  2. Further, Dr. Stokes also admitted in her testimony that she did not follow the procedures “to the letter” that are set forth in the Student Handbook regarding the “Responsibility of the Instructor” to notify the student and administration of a student’s academic offenses. 2 HR 2:35. It is disingenuous at the least for Dr. Stokes to argue now that KSU offered no proof that the students appealed her recommendation of an “F” for the course.
  3. This is a further example of Dr. Stokes obfuscating the issues and attempting to avoid responsibility for her actions. It is also another example of Dr. Stokes acting as if she could unilaterally control access to her classroom.
  4. By barring four students from her class while they appealed the “F” she gave them for the entire class, Dr. Stokes violated the student’s right to due process under the Standards Governing Student Conduct section of the KSU Student Handbook, Section 1(D)(3).
  5. Offensive Communication with Academic Counselor Travis Haskins
  6. Charge 4 of the April 22, 2016, Notification of Charges states as follows:

On October 20, 2015, academic counselor Travis Haskins reported to the Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Lynda Brown-Wright, that Dr. Stokes spoke to him in an offensive manner regarding an incident that occurred the previous day in relation to one of her classes and threatened to have him removed by the police if he returned to her class again. Section 2.9.2(b) (sic) of the KSU Faculty Handbook requires faculty members to "act with propriety in all dealings with members of the University community." The actions of Dr. Stokes in this incident constitute a neglect or refusal to perform her duty to act with propriety in dealing with Mr. Haskins, which is cause for termination under KRS 164.360(3).

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