Charges have been dropped against a second student allegedly involved in the dorm room assault of three Norwich University students.
Michael Curran, 22, was one of four Norwich football players charged with criminal burglary and assault after allegedly attacking a fellow student — along with a friend and a roommate — over a $5 debt.
The charges against Owen McKenna, a 21-year-old football captain, were dropped last month after further evidence revealed that he was not actively participating in the fight. Similar charges against Curran have been dropped for the same reason, according to Washington County State’s Attorney Rory Thibault.
“Any case involving interpersonal violence, particularly when in entails a home or residential setting, is concerning,” Thibault said. “That said, we have to make decisions about cases based not on perceptions, but on facts and evidence that’s available, and here, we did not enjoy great confidence that the state would be successful with proving the guilt of these two individuals.”
Thibault said statements from witnesses made it clear that Curran was in the room at the time of the assault, but they did not observe him throwing any punches. Thibault said that through additional witness statements, his own investigation, and information brought to him by the defense counsel, Curran’s involvement was “more complicated than what was initially set forth at the time of the charging.”
Curran agreed to write an apology letter and complete 20 hours of community service in order for the charges to be dropped.
Curran’s father, also named Michael Curran, sent VTDigger a statement from his son responding to the charges being dropped.
“The process was very stressful but once the evidence was brought forward, the State of Vermont was able to see I was not involved and they did the right thing,“ the emailed statement said.
The elder Curran added that his son has also been re-enrolled at Norwich after being suspended over the incident. A spokesperson for Norwich did not respond to request for comment about Curran’s academic status, and has previously declined comment on the assault.
The remaining two students charged in the incident, brothers Ryan and Connor Shea, are still facing charges, Thibault said. He said the state has “no present intention of dismissing either case.”
However, Thibault said he could not confirm whether the Sheas’ cases would proceed in juvenile or adult court. Two of the students initially charged were 22, and two were under 22, Thibault said, which meant that Connor Shea and Owen McKenna had the potential to be diverted to juvenile court, while Ryan Shea and Michael Curran did not.
“All four of these students were the same general age and maturity, they were certainly all in college, they had a lot of things in common,” Thibault said. “And yet, the treatment options available to them are somewhat different, which raises some questions about fairness of outcomes for all individuals.”
Regardless of age, though, Thibault said, all of the charges in question fall into the categories of crimes that the Legislature is trying to steer toward non-criminal outcomes, like restorative justice programs. He said he’s glad to see that there has been an opportunity for the students to make amends for their “poor decision making.”
Thibault said that Norwich can and has taken actions to ensure students’ safety and security following the assault, though he said what happens at the university is beyond the state’s purview.
“How Norwich sees fit to deal with it administratively is outside of our control,” he said. “I would not be surprised if there are consequences in Norwich that are independent from what happened here in court.”
Colin Meyn contributed reporting
Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that Michael Curran was not enrolled at Norwich or playing on its football team at the time of the alleged assault.
