The link to this post is:
http://www.tuftsdaily.com/2.5541/woburn-resident-expands-charges-filed-against-tufts-students-in-wmfo-lawsuit-1.608533#.T_-XRDFr_ng
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Woburn resident expands charges filed against Tufts students in WMFO lawsuit
Published: Thursday, August 31,
2000
Updated: Sunday, August 17, 2008
16:08
Viglione, who is also suing Dougan for $2,000 in damages in Woburn small claims court, was a volunteer DJ on the station until he was fired on July 1 by Dougan , Novey, and WMFO General Manager Michael Dupuy.
"I'm charging them with every single aspect of what they've done wrong, from being unprofessional to throwing me off the property," Viglione said yesterday. In an Oct. 16 letter to Dean of Students Bruce Reitman and Dean of Judicial Affairs Veronica Carter, Viglione accused the two students of numerous offenses, including holding double standards and failing to follow due process.
"It was malicious, it was done with premeditation, and it is a total abuse of power," said Viglione of a July 2 e-mail from Dougan that notified him of his dismissal.
According to Reitman, both students have been informed of the charges being pressed against them, and the University will attempt to resolve the conflict within its own judicial system. "We will provide all of the due process we can," he said. "It's not clear to me whether there is wrong doing here or not. That is not my role. My role is to facilitate the process that will make the determination as to whether there is validity to [Viglione's] argument."
Dupuy called the charges "ridiculous" and stood by the board's original decision to dismiss Viglione for "impeding the operations of the station" after the incident, which occurred in the WMFO studio last June.
"No one is at fault here," he said. "We went as closely as we possibly could as to the policies laid out in our constitution. In that sense, I don't think we did anything wrong."
While Reitman declined to comment on the specifics of the legal proceedings, he acknowledged that his office "is involved in the adjudication of the case," and added that Tufts provides legal counsel for all students who are charged with non-criminal offenses all relate to their capacities as leaders in campus groups.
Viglione has accused the University of "dragging its feet" on the issue, misleading him on his options, and withholding his police report for an unreasonable period of time. In a letter last week to Nathan Gantcher, chairman of the University Board of Trustees, he called for the WMFO executive board to be abolished and for Tufts to turn over items which he plans to use as evidence in court.
It is unclear exactly what procedure Tufts' disciplinary system will follow in the adjudication of the case, though it will most likely be heard by some sort of student-administrative judiciary committee.
According to a report filed by the Tufts University Police Department (TUPD), the dispute erupted on June 22 while Viglione was preparing music for his show, Joe Vig's Pop Explosion. Both Viglione and June Weintraub, another WMFO community DJ, wished to use the same recording studio, which Viglione claims to have reserved according to procedure. Alleging that the quarrel made her feel uncomfortable, Weintraub phoned the TUPD and accused Viglione of "verbally assaulting" her.
"She said I needed to leave immediately because she needed to use not only my studio, but another studio as well," Viglione said. "Finally, when she realized that I wasn't going to relinquish the room, and that she had not signed into the room, she phoned the Tufts police."
According to the police report, Weintraub "did not respond to the officer's suggestion [that she use a different studio], and then left the area without further incident." The TUPD left Viglione in possession of the room. Weintraub was contacted yesterday, but declined to comment.
As a result of the conflict, Dupuy, Novey, and Dougan decided to suspend both DJs from their shows for the rest the summer. While Viglione is still denied access to the station, Dupuy acknowledged that Weintraub is still a member of WMFO, although she does not currently host a show.
The case has attracted the attention of national media outlets, and Viglione received a letter from the television program Judge Judy requesting that he and Dougan attempt to mediate the problem on television. CourtTV has also expressed interest in the case.
The radio station, which is owned by Tufts, integrates both Tufts students and community members into their programming. Dupuy, who serves as the station's general manager, values this combination of talents.
"They are a huge asset in terms of programming," he said of the community DJs, who are usually older than the students and have worked at WMFO for a much longer period of time. These DJs also help to provide continuity and to smooth the rough transitions caused by the rapid turnover of student employees.
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7 comments Log in to Comment
Anonymous
Tufts University must be so proud of the
students publishing libel with impunity. What a sad statement on a
college that wants to be in the same league as Harvard and M.I.T.
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Chris R.
What a loser you are Joe ! The guys on this
board is Chris...is Chris.. you moron. You cheated me and many others!
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Merideth Johnson
Did Zappelli bring his friend from WRKO that
was involved with the 14 year old to the TV station? Isn't Gary
Zappelli the guy who put "Free Sex" on a sign by a sitting City
Councilor? Isn't Zappelli in hiding right now? Gary Zappelli is
currently posting garbage about a LOT of people in Medford. Didn't he
call a Mayoral appointee "fat ass" on TV, spill alcohol into the console
and let Medford residents pay for it, and didn't Zappelli and his boss
seriously damage a beautiful board donated by a major TV station,
destroying equipment the city co-owns? Zappelli has been harassing
people for years and this garbage is more of the same. City Hall
reprimanded Zappelli at TV 3 for harassing a woman. City Hall hasn't
called anyone else out at TV 3 ...yet - only the fellow calling himself
"Chris" on this board. TV 3 Medford is being audited and evaluated by
the Issuing Authority. Millions of dollars of PUBLIC MONIES have not
been accounted for...yet. Where are they "Chris", "Dave" or whatever
you are calling yourself this week.
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This pinhead is seriously complaining that
Tufts "misled" him as to his legal options. News flash Bozo Joe: Tufts
isn't obligated to inform you of your legal options. In fact, since
Tufts is providing opposing counsel......Is
it really necessary that I continue? You're most likely an idiot.
Recognize your limitations.
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concerned
I thought the Tufts Daily had more class
than allow libel to be published on its site. Clearly someone is on a
vendetta and the Tufts Daily - by allowing this material to post- is
aiding and abetting people who make crazy allegations about the mob and
things of a sexual nature etc. etc. etc. Pure rubbish this paper
appears to be promoting
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David
He lost the Tufts Case.....
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Chris
This may be the most unscrupulous person I
have ever met. It all started in the mid 80's. I met Joe Vig, as he was
to be called, and despite warnings I got involved with his little music
scheme. We later named it "Flavor of the Week", as he would find a band
fall in love with them, promise them riches and fame, and then
proposition them and move on. Let me tell you, when things crashed and
burned, they crashed at burned. I can think of bands that all were
seduced by his promises, and then were threatened that they would never
play in Boston again if they crossed the mighty "Count". What Joe Vig
would say is that he had a record company in France, Red Rose, and he
could get you a deal, or on one of his The Count Boston compilation
records. It always ended the same way, after you paid for the studio,
for him to produce you, then came the charge to be on his record. When
bands caught on that is when you felt his rathe. Back in 1988, he drove
my band *********** to disband, because of this. We when we balked at
the cost of being on his record, he went ballistic on us. He threatened
us, he even told us he had mafia connections and to watch out.
He was also found of throwing around his sexuality. He claimed to be bisexual and always would tell these young men, mostly in high school or just out of high school, that they could get somewhere if they "blew him, or one of his associates". He would approach the weakest member of the band with that proposition. Most of them were minors for Christ sake.
This guy also befriended Jimmy Miller who produced the Rolling Stones best work. He would dangle the Miller connection too. That also ended in the typical Joe Vig way. It blew up ugly with Joe threatening Jimmy also. Miller was talented, but also an alcholic and a heroin addict. He used this to his advantage.
Joe's greatest scheme was when he fleeced the recording studios of Boston. For example Downtown Recordings. The bands would pay "the count" to produce, plus studio fees. Guess what, the studio never got paid and the bands never received their masters. He was actually in hiding from one of the studios he owed. Word was on the street that if he showed his head he would get his ass kicked. He was and is a criminal! There is a place in hell reserved for predators like him. Last I saw him was in 1992. It was outside of WFNX night at this bar in the Peabody Marriott. He had a band outside, doing his usual routine. I put my arm on his shoulder and told the band to run, this man is the DEVIL. I said you can't do anything to me, and you are lucky I don't kick your ass right now.
He was also found of throwing around his sexuality. He claimed to be bisexual and always would tell these young men, mostly in high school or just out of high school, that they could get somewhere if they "blew him, or one of his associates". He would approach the weakest member of the band with that proposition. Most of them were minors for Christ sake.
This guy also befriended Jimmy Miller who produced the Rolling Stones best work. He would dangle the Miller connection too. That also ended in the typical Joe Vig way. It blew up ugly with Joe threatening Jimmy also. Miller was talented, but also an alcholic and a heroin addict. He used this to his advantage.
Joe's greatest scheme was when he fleeced the recording studios of Boston. For example Downtown Recordings. The bands would pay "the count" to produce, plus studio fees. Guess what, the studio never got paid and the bands never received their masters. He was actually in hiding from one of the studios he owed. Word was on the street that if he showed his head he would get his ass kicked. He was and is a criminal! There is a place in hell reserved for predators like him. Last I saw him was in 1992. It was outside of WFNX night at this bar in the Peabody Marriott. He had a band outside, doing his usual routine. I put my arm on his shoulder and told the band to run, this man is the DEVIL. I said you can't do anything to me, and you are lucky I don't kick your ass right now.
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Is this all he does, going around suing community radio stations and public access stations?
ReplyDeleteYes, this is all he does.
ReplyDelete