TEXAS — When the student newspaper at the University of
Texas El Paso, the
Prospector, ran a front-page
story about the
self-dethroned homecoming queen, who was alleged to be a former exotic dancer,
it had no way of predicting a loss of more than 3,500 papers and $2,750.
April Dominguez was crowned homecoming queen Oct. 5 but resigned two days
later.
By Oct. 9 heaps of newspapers detailing her resignation began to
vanish.
Gary Edens, UTEP's associate vice president of student affairs, said
the homecoming queen resigned for personal reasons. He said the Prospector
speculated to why the student resigned.
"The news was, she resigned," said Adriana Gomez Licon, the
Prospector's editor in chief.
Licon said she never confirmed that Dominguez once worked at a
gentlemen's club and that Dominguez's resignation was her own
choice. However, the student paper alleged through unnamed sources that
Dominguez was a former dancer at a local strip club. Dominguez said only that
she was not currently working for the club, but did not confirm or deny having
worked there in the past.
Kathleen Flores, director of student publications, oversees the
Prospector. She became aware of the stolen papers when two individuals
tried to lift bundles of the newspaper from a kiosk outside her building.
"They said they were taking them for recycling," said Flores.
"I made them put them back."
Flores thought the missing papers were rare for that day's
publication. The Prospector is published on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Flores began surveying the campus because of suspicions that other papers
might be missing. At a nearby building, Flores noticed more empty kiosks.
She viewed surveillance film from cameras around kiosks where the papers
were taken and noticed seven different individuals in groups of three stealing
the papers.
Flores said the buildings missing the majority of papers were in close
proximity to the Greek organization office. And two of the people stealing the
papers had shirts with Greek letters on them.
"I called the University Police, and they came out and made a
report," she said.
However, the presence of the police did not slow the papers from
disappearing.
While Flores was talking with an officer, two students, in Greek letters,
picked up multiple copies of the newspaper, and said they needed the papers for
class.
While there is no policy regarding a fee for taking additional copies of
the Prospector, Flores said the paper incurred a monetary loss.
"There were about 3,500 to 4,000 papers missing," she said.
"In production and student salaries, paid by student fees, the paper lost
about $2,750."
Without a written policy on newspaper theft, campus police referred Flores
to Catie McCorry-Andalis, assistant vice president for student life and associate dean of students ,
* to consider the situation as a "malicious
prank" not theft.
Flores believes the missing papers had something to do with the article
about Dominguez, who is a member of a Greek organization.
"Not only are they (thieves) denying students and faculty a chance to
read the paper, they are also interfering with a contract between the
advertisers and the paper," said Gene Policinski, executive director of
the First Amendment Center. "Unfortunately, this is sometimes viewed as a
prank and treated lightly. But it is theft. Theft is a crime, and criminal
prosecution is appropriate."
Flores said an editorial, about the theft, would appear in the Oct. 15
edition of the paper. While the Prospector does not have a policy on
stolen newspaper, as of yet, the paper will adopt a policy soon, Flores said.
The school's investigation is underway. No one has been charged.
By Erica Walters, SPLC staff writer
CORRECTION, 10/16: An earlier version of this article incorrectly said the police referred Flores to Julie Wong instead of McCorry-Andalis. The SPLC regrets the error.
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