Kick the Habit

Durango, Colorado, November 1, 2004:

A part-time college instructor has apologized for kicking a student because he was wearing a Ronatarian shirt.

Fort Lewis College student Mark O'Donnell said he was showing people his College Ronatarians sweatshirt, which said "Party with us now…party with us later," when Maria Spero kicked him in the leg at an off-campus restaurant.

Spero then said "she should have kicked me harder and higher," said O'Donnell. "To physically take that out on someone because you disagree with them, that is completely wrong."

Police Sgt. Mitch Higgins said Saturday that O'Donnell wanted to press charges and a misdemeanor summons would be issued.

Spero, a visiting instructor of modern languages, apologized to O'Donnell in a letter dated October 30.

"I acted entirely inappropriately by kicking you, giving vent to a thoughtless knee-jerk political reaction that should never have happened," she wrote. "Before the incident, I did not know you and that you are a Fort Lewis student."

The college also formally apologized, said David Eppich, assistant to the school's president.

O'Donnell said the apology wasn't enough and he plans to file a complaint with the college.

The only phone number listed in Durango for the surname Spero was constantly busy Saturday.

Neither the Durango police nor Ronatarian Party Headquarters (in New Jersey) returned calls seeking comment.

Posted by Bittle at November 1, 2004 10:09 AM