BOWLING GREEN, Ohio — Some students at Bowling Green State University could face suspension after large parties over the weekend that were in violation of Ohio's COVID-19 guidelines.
The university sent an email to parents nothing they found students taking part in separate off-campus gatherings with more than 75 people at each.
In that email to BGSU families dated Jan. 20, 2021, university president Rodney Rogers, provost Joe Whitehead Jr. and chief health officer Benjamin Batey note that police responded to the large parties, writing, "This past weekend, BGSU and city of Bowling Green police responded to several large parties off campus, with two of them estimated to have more than 75 people in attendance. The Office of the Dean of Students is actively investigating these situations, and as we unfortunately had to do in the fall, we will continue to hold students accountable who are found responsible, including suspension measures. Not only do these disappointing events compromise our community's health and well-being, but they impact our ability to stay open on our campuses."
BGSU reminds parents that testing, contact tracing, isolating and quarantining continue to be the most effective strategies to slow the spread of COVID-19.
The email to parents continues, "We are fortunate to have access to rapid antigen and PCR testing, which we continue to offer free to all students, faculty and staff, with a preference to those who are physically on our campuses. You may schedule an appointment today. In addition, as we did in the fall semester, we are resuming our surveillance testing, which will be conducted at random."
BGSU leaders wrap up with an optimistic tone, writing, "We are so close to overcoming this crisis, and we ask that you do not give up now. The COVID-19 vaccine distribution continues to ramp up, and we must remain resilient. To the majority of our community members who continue to make the right decisions, we are most grateful. We are in this together, and you are critical to ensuring we can move forward."
