This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.
Citadel Cadets Set Two Female Pioneers' Clothes on Fire With Nail Polish Remover: FBI Investigates as Possible Civil Rights Violation
In November 1996, junior cadets at The Citadel subjected two freshman female cadets -- Jeanie M. Mentavlos of Charlotte, NC, and Kim Messer of Clover, SC -- to sustained hazing that included spraying nail polish remover on their clothing and setting it alight. Neither woman was physically injured by the fire. The FBI and South Carolina Law Enforcement Division launched a civil-rights investigation in December 1996 after a male cadet disclosed the attacks to school officials. Mentavlos and Messer were two of the first women admitted to The Citadel after court-ordered gender integration in August 1996; both left the school in December without returning for the spring semester.
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Alert Sequence
2 messages in sequence
Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.
This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.
Background
Key Findings
Sources
- national media2 Citadel Women Say Cadets Set Fire to Clothes - Washington Postwashingtonpost.com
- national media
- national mediaCitadel Cadet Suspended in Alleged Fiery Hazing - Washington Postwashingtonpost.com
- Source
- national media
- NewsCitadel Expels 1 Cadet and Disciplines 9 - Roanoke Timesscholar.lib.vt.edu