Resize 
Related
- Making sense of the past offers closure
- Steger, mental health officials to face trial in April 16 suits
- Several officials to stand trial in April 16 civil suits
TOPICS: charles steger, seung-hui cho, lawsuit, april 16
Virginia Tech President Charles Steger released a statement to university employees Tuesday addressing the discovery of Seung-Hui Cho's records at the home of former Cook Counseling Center director Robert Miller.
Steger said he wanted to "answer some questions about the discovery of the records and our ongoing efforts to make them public."
The statement obtained by the Collegiate Times focused on making the records public.
"We strongly believe it is everyone's best interest that the records be fully disclosed, and we have communicated this directly to the attorney for Cho's estate, Bernard DiMuro. We hope that sunshine into these records can illuminate some missing and important information about Cho in the fall of 2005," the statement said.
Cho's estate must approve of the records being made public.
The statement said Steger was disappointed with Miller.
"It goes without saying that we were greatly disappointed to learn that, over the last three years, the records were discovered to be in the possession of the former director of the counseling center, Dr. Robert Miller," the statement said. "That Dr. Miller immediately returned the records to the University is to his credit. But that he had them at all is troubling. Dr. Miller's removal of these records was unauthorized and is in opposition to standard university policy and operating procedures."
Steger also attempted to provide a time line for the discovery of the documents.
"The university became aware of the discovery of Cho's records on Thursday, July 16, after Dr. Miller's attorney informed the Virginia Attorney General's office," the statement said. "Dr. Miller returned the records to Cook Counseling Center on Thursday afternoon. I was out of the office, but I was informed on Thursday about the discovery."
The statement continued to explain that Miller's lawyer was unavailable on the following Friday, so the "legally correct course of action" was not determined until Monday, July 19.
Friday:
The former director of Cook Counseling center who found Seung-Hui Cho's mental health records in his home has released a statement that says he did not intentionally take the documents from the center.
The statement, made through attorney Ed McNelis, said Miller inadvertently removed the records of Cho and several other students when he left his post as director.
It said "Dr. Miller inadvertently placed documents regarding Mr. Cho in a box he packed with his personal documents during the time he was leaving the Center."
The box was first opened, according to the statement, days ago in search of documents that may relate to the civil suit filed by the families of April 16 victims Julia Pryde and Erin Peterson. The statement said "Dr. Miller was very surprised to find that he had documents regarding Mr. Cho."
Miller is named as a defendant.
"Dr. Miller deeply regrets that his inadvertence has caused so much distress for the families of the victims as well as his former colleagues at Virginia Tech," the statement said.
Robert Hall, a lawyer representing the Pryde and Peterson families, said Miller had not been contacted for an interview or any information.
The statement said Miller's "candor and diligence" in returning the documents showed he had no ill intent.
Miller is currently employed by Edward Via Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine. The school's Web site now says Miller is on "administrative leave."
Wednesday:
Gov. Tim Kaine sent e-mails today to families of April 16 victims announcing that Seung-Hui Cho's medical records have been found. In the past, Virginia Tech told families the records from Cook Counseling Center were lost.
Related: Memo to civil suit lawyers
Gov. Tim Kaine sent e-mails Wednesday to families of April 16 victims announcing that Seung-Hui Cho's medical records have been found. In the past, Virginia Tech told families the records from Cook Counseling Center were lost.
The records were found in the midst of the civil suit against Tech and the Commonwealth of Virginia filed by the families of Julia Pryde and Erin Peterson, who were killed along with 30 others on the Tech campus in Cho's April 16, 2007 shootings.
According to a memo sent from Tech legal counsel Mary Beth Nash to a lawyer in the civil case, former Cook Counseling Center Director Robert C. Miller located the file at his house and returned it to the center Thursday.
Leave a comment 46 Comments Write a letter to the editor
All letters to the editor must include a name, e-mail, daytime phone number and affiliation to Virginia Tech. Affiliation includes: year and major for students; position and department for faculty and staff; current city for alumni and parents.
By submitting your comment, you agree that it will not:
Comments that violate these guidelines will be moderated by the public editor and will then be buried in the comments section.
Why would medical records ever be taken to an employee's home? Was this a common practice? Was it just Cho's records or others as well?
Reply to this Top
Wow, either the counseling center was run by a nitwit or he was hiding something. If it was just Cho's records he may face criminal charges...
Reply to this Top
The article reads like Tech wants to prioritize release of Cho's records over how Cho's file wound up in the home of Dr. Miller. Another cover up from the incompetent Kaine administration and of Tech pres Steger.
Reply to this Top
Now, how do we know those were not doctored by anyone while they were missing? Or are they really orginal record?
Reply to this Top
Did Dr. Miller Prescribe antidepresants to Cho. Did he hide the records to protect himself and the Pharma Industry. Was the good Dr. on Pharma's payroll?.. www.ssristories.com
Reply to this Top
This seems like a drastic cover up. There are many questions. Why did they records ever leave the center? What is contained in the records? When did they really "go missing"? Why were they not kept electronically like the medical records at the health center. I could go on, but this just has me livid.
Reply to this Top
This guy won't get charged with a crime, are you guys crazy!? He'll get promoted to Obama's cabinet! ooooh I went there
Reply to this Top
Okay so I will go with the cover up scandal. How the HELL do CONFIDENTIAL records even leave Cook Counseling Center? The guy was not even a treating therapist, so why did he even have access to private and confidential records? Having talked to a therapist at Cook I worry about the confidentiality of my records. I think everyone should. I don't think confidential means confidential to Virginia Tech. Let's see how long it takes for Steger to step down now! He needs to get out!
Reply to this Top
And really what will Steger do? He has seemed to be spineless in all of his efforts so far. He might do the "right" thing but there is an invisible hand behind him telling him what to do and what to say - he never has enthusiasm about anything other than football or anything else that makes money for his old boy system - and quite frankly I am sick of it!
Reply to this Top
Kinda seems like people have forgotten that one person killed all those people. The files and actions of the others related to it are miniscule in the big picture. One crazy person killed a lot of innocent people...time to stop blaming everyone else.
Reply to this Top
You seem to have no concept of the responsibility of leadership, when you say things like that. If you really believe that one man did all that, all by himself - who, may I remind you, was mentally handicapped - then you probably have never seen a good leader in your life. Think about it: they knew for over a year that Cho was a danger to others, yet they hid it. You don't agree that that would have changed "the big picture"?
Reply to this Top
If I were a student there, I would raise the roof and demand an investigation into the competancy of Cook Counseling Center personnel. Just exactly who are the clowns that run the place? I mean, goodness gracious, Dr Miller stole confidential records w/o any authorization nor permission. I wonder what else has he done behind the backs of personnel he's supposed to supervise.
Reply to this Top
And no mention of any of this on the VT website.
Reply to this Top
thank you for bringing attention to the fact that Virginia Tech has neither made a comment on this issue, nor can you find any information about this on their website. I wrote an email this morning to the person who decides what news goes up on the website and told him there should be some statement issued by the university. I encourage any and all other virginia tech students who are enraged about this issue to do so as well - as we are the voice of the VA Tech community and maybe if enough people demand a response it will happen. I am sick and tired of being deceived!
Reply to this Top
Saying he was insane is stating the obvious. You would have to be f'king insane by definition to murder one person, let alone 32. But I am not down with the scapegoating that is going on here. There is some merit to what Adam says- it was one person who did the shooting. Unless Cho walked into cook and said "I am going to kill people," there is not much they could have done. Given that this was the worst crime of its kind in US history, it's hard to make the assumption that if they had handled things differently they could have seen April 16 coming. Also, it is not a sure thing that this was a "cover up," since the records seem to have left the center long before the shooting, although that's being investigated. But it is certainly odd and at a minimum may suggest systemic poor management and lack of professionalism. Anything they did wrong should certainly be addressed, but acting like this was the cause or Steger was the cause or society or anything else was the cause of the shootings only adds to the continued negative impact of the tragedy.
Reply to this Top
"one crazy person killed all those people" your ignorance about the mentally ill only perpetuates more ignorance. Crazy might be the term used by someone who is uneducated, but mentally ill better describes what Cho was. He had been deemed mentally ill a year prior to the events of April 16th, and I would go as far to say, it probably happened a lot earlier in his life as well. Mentally illness is a serious topic that does not receive the attention it deserves.
Reply to this Top
I don't think anyone is trying to blame anyone in particular. The families of my friends who were shot and killed just want the truth. Which, no one can argue, Virginia Tech has covered up and delayed and changed and lied about for the past 2 years. All I am saying is that it's time for Virginia Tech officials to grow some balls and be honest. Steger does not think he did anything wrong. He said to the families of the victims and survivors, "I would not do anything different". When asked if, God forbid, something like April 16th were to happen again, would you do anything different? That is a huge mistake right there, but Steger hasn't and I doubt he will ever take responsibility for anything. I am not blaming Steger for Cho's ACTIONS, but he should have cancelled classes and notified students earlier about what was going on.
Reply to this Top
Crazy and mentally ill are basically the same thing, I just didnt use the politically correct term. Crazy is the group of mentally ill people that kill other people. Mentally ill is just a blanket term for a lot of things. I wouldn't classify people that see imaginary spiders with people that kill people (both of which are mental illness). The point is that people are looking for a controversy instead of taking the event for what it is. He had a mental history, but not one that said he would definitely kill people. Steger has had enormous balls. He is the only one that has said he stands by his actions. Why should he say he did something wrong if indeed he doesn't believe he did. Standing behind your actions is taking responsibility for them when you believe in what you've done.
Reply to this Top
I thought he should have shut down the campus too and communications were very poor on April 16, but that is a different question and maybe it only would have delayed what was going to happen anyway. Maybe it would not even have done that. I used to get super angry about this stuff too when it first happened but I've tried to come to terms over the last couple years. Getting upset at VT or at Cook for not being perfect is useless- being negligent is a different question, but I haven't seen any evidence of that yet. I'm afraid there is not much more of a story to be told. Steger or Miller could accept blame and step down, or even go to jail, but that wouldn't change anything.
Reply to this Top
"Crazy and mentally ill are basically the same thing" Adam - I disagree with that comment. They are NOT the same thing. I can be 'crazy' for the Baltimore Orioles or for the the most beautiful girl walking down the street. Crazy can also mean a person who does something risky just to get attention or goof off. It's the same thing as being "nuts" to do something stupid or risky. Mentally ill means the person is not dealing with reality in a proper way. Cho fits that description perfectfully. Cho was neither crazy or mentally ill. He was just plain evil.
Reply to this Top