The year was 1990. The school was the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology. The leader of the group was Chris Cater. The resident assistant who was battered was Steve Dyker and this happened in front of South Hall, the dorm I lived in, although I wasn't there when that incident happened.
When Chris did this in front of witnesses he was expelled immediately although I did see him come back to sell drugs on campus a year later.
Before that incident the dean of students, Frank Etscorn, told me that it was just "my word against his" and that he could not press charges.
Chris was criminally minded and he certainly inspired a group of students into more criminal behavior than they would have done on their own. I don't believe that New Mexico Tech was much worse than other schools at this time, in fact around this time there were high profile incidents involving bullying and suicides of gay students at other schools.
I'm reticent to ask more questions given that you said receiving the newsletter was retraumatizing. But one of the people who witnessed the behavior you described should consider documenting it.
When Chris did this in front of witnesses he was expelled immediately although I did see him come back to sell drugs on campus a year later.
Before that incident the dean of students, Frank Etscorn, told me that it was just "my word against his" and that he could not press charges.
Chris was criminally minded and he certainly inspired a group of students into more criminal behavior than they would have done on their own. I don't believe that New Mexico Tech was much worse than other schools at this time, in fact around this time there were high profile incidents involving bullying and suicides of gay students at other schools.