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A case in point, which coincidentally is causing a furor this spring, involves Steven Verr, 19, a slight (5 ft. 9 in., 140 Ibs.), mild-mannered fourth classman, or freshman. Verr's troubles began last August while he was attending "Beast Barracks," the summer of rigorous training and hazing given to incoming plebes (a word derived from plebeians). Verr was subjected to a traditional form of harassment: upperclassmen ordered him not to put certain foods on his tray, or made him sit at attention while others ate. After going hungry for two days, Verr had tears in his eyes as he left the dining hall. When an upperclassman demanded, "Mister, what are you crying about?" Verr told a disjointed story about his parents' having been in an automobile accident. Verr's lie was discovered, and he was found guilty of violating the honor code by both the Honor Committee and the officers' reviewing board.
Berry reversed the findings, saying that Verr had had "no intent to deceive." But it was an unpopular decision, and Verr's troubles were only beginning. He found himself shunned by many of his classmates, although the practice—known as "the silence"—has been officially banned at West Point since 1973. In that year, wide publicity was given to the case of Cadet James J. Pelosi, who was subjected to this treatment for 19 months after having been reinstated on a legal technicality, although he had been convicted of an honor code violation. Referring to Verr's experience, Cadet William Andersen, the present head of the Honor Committee, issued a statement declaring that "a significant number of us disagree with Berry's decision." Added Andersen, who is considered a zealot and a martinet by a number of cadets as well as officers, and has been accused of conducting vendettas against those who do not measure up to his rigid standards: "While we have no authority or right to infringe on the human dignity [of individuals], we have the right to choose who we associate with and who to speak to."
Verr claims that his mail has been intercepted and his room ransacked, and there have been vague reports that his life has been threatened. The academy has assigned him a bodyguard. Verr has complained to newsmen about his treatment, much to the disgust of some cadets. Says one: "Verr is getting every ounce of publicity he can out of this and is doing the academy a disservice."
The case of Cadet Timothy Ringgold shows how absurd the honor system can be. After the engineering-exam scandal broke, Ringgold, who was not accused of cheating, and other cadets happened to meet with Army Under Secretary Norman R. Augustine. During the talk, which was supposedly off-the-record, Ringgold said he felt cheating was "widespread" at the Point. Another cadet who was present felt duty-bound to charge Ringgold with toleration.