Tara McMahon

A third arrest has been made surrounding the hate speech incidents that have occurred on the Quinnipiac campus, according to associate vice president for public relations John Morgan.
Freshman Charles Merritt of Clifton, Maine was arrested today in connection with the hate speech, and is currently being held by the Hamden Police Department on a $100,000 bond.
According to Morgan, he has been dismissed from the university.
Merritt, known as Chuck by many Quinnipiac students, was charged with three counts of intimidation based on bigotry and bias, three counts of first-degree harassment, and three counts of disorderly conduct.
Two female Quinnipiac students were also arrested this morning by the Hamden Police.
The students were charged with disorderly conduct, 1st degree harassment and 1st degree conspiracy to commit harassment.
Hamden officers transported them to the police department, where they were held on $2,500 bond.
Between the three arrests, President John Lahey believes that these combined arrests “account for all the hate speech/crimes of the past week.”
“I cannot state strongly enough that this University community has absolutely no tolerance for acts of this kind and will do everything in its power to prevent them,” Lahey said in a press release put out Wednesday night. “I call on the entire community to denounce these acts of hatred, particularly as we begin to move past what has been a very difficult week. Moments such as these can be an opportunity for reflection and dialogue, and for making an increased commitment to tolerance and the celebration of diversity.”
Lahey also asked that faculty spend time discussing the hatred issues with students.