Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, April 7, 1994 TAG: 9404070133
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
A lawsuit against The Citadel in South Carolina could lead to a mandated military program for women in that state. If so, one option might be sending students out of state.
Mary Baldwin's plan to offer the all-female military program in 1996 or 1997 is Virginia's response to an order from the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The order said that Virginia Military Institute must admit women, go private, create a parallel program for women or come up with a creative option.
The proposed military program at all-female, private Mary Baldwin is the "creative option," but the U.S. District Court in Roanoke has not yet ruled whether it is acceptable.
No matter what the ruling in the VMI case, Mary Baldwin will establish a military program to foster leadership, President Cynthia Tyson said at a news conference in Columbia, S.C.
VMI and The Citadel are the only all-male, state-supported military schools in the country.
Shannon Faulkner, 19, is suing The Citadel to join the corps of cadets, challenging the school's all-male admissions policy. The case is scheduled for trial May 16.
The Citadel has not contacted Mary Baldwin to learn more about its planned military program, Tyson said.
Mary Baldwin's military education will be as good as VMI's, if not better, Tyson said. "My instinct is this is going to be a very strong and very popular program," she said.
Mary Baldwin's board of trustees began its two-day annual meeting in Columbia, S.C., on Wednesday. School spokeswoman Crista Cabe said the meeting site was chosen more than a year ago because of the school's strong alumnae support in South Carolina.
Cabe said the school held the news conference because officials thought there would be interest in South Carolina because of The Citadel case.
by CNB