Chris Jones, age 21, pleaded guilty on Sept. 30 to multiple rape charges and a kidnapping that occurred in the Brookings area last spring.

“[Jones] pled guilty to three counts of rape in the second degree, which is a class one felony and has a maximum sentence of 50 years in the penitentiary and or a $50,000 fine for each count,” said Clyde Calhoon, the State’s Attorney for Brookings County. “In addition he pled guilty to one charge of kidnapping, which carries a maximum sentence of life in the penitentiary and or a $50,000 fine.”

Calhoon said the sentencing Jones faces will be a serious action.

“He is facing four serious felonies …the judge (Circuit Judge David Gienapp) accepted his pleas on Thursday and found there was factual basis for the pleas,” Calhoon said. “He was also ordered to undergo a pre-sentence investigation which includes a psychosexual evaluation.”

Jones is not eligible for parole until 50 percent of his time is served.

In exchange for Jones’ four guilty pleas, the two counts of first-degree robbery and one count of attempted robbery, as well as the additional rape charges that Jones was originally charged with, have been dismissed, according to Calhoon.

“Until his sentencing nothing is set in concrete,” said Calhoon.

Jones has been held at the Brookings County Detention Center since his April 20 arrest. Judge Gienapp ordered Jones be held in custody without bond.

Jones’ next court appearance will be 11 a.m. on Nov. 9 in the Brookings County Courthouse.

Jones was arrested on April 20 in connection with three sexual assaults that occurred in Brookings, two on SDSU’s campus.

Brookings Police Chief Jeff Miller called Jones a “serial rapist” at the time of his arrest and said that he had become more emboldened with every assault he committed.

The two campus sexual assaults occurred on March 29 and April 7, both shortly after midnight. The first incident happened near the Hilton M. Briggs Library, while the second was in a parking lot near Young and Caldwell residence halls. He also confessed to the off-campus kidnapping and rape that occurred April 20.

“I feel safer knowing he isn’t around but the fact that it happened on our campus is freaky,” said Lisa Koch, a senior advertising major at SDSU. “I definitely try to not walk alone.”

During all three assaults, Jones was armed with a knife and demanded money from the women. The third victim that was attacked was forced to drive to another location where he raped her and later forced her to drive him to an ATM and withdraw money.

#1.1655932:2266018574.jpg:Chris Jones:Chris Jones:File Photo

The SDSU Academic Senate decided Sept. 14 to take an active role in the situation involving former Extension Entomologist Mike Catangui and his recent termination.

The Academic Senate took issue with the allegation that the university did not follow the protocol outlined in the collective bargaining agreement between the Board of Regents and the South Dakota Council of Higher Education (SDSU’s labor union), according to the American Association of University Professors.

SDSU officials have declined to comment about personnel matters, but Rich Helsper, SDSU’s attorney, made a general statement that SDSU “follows the COHE agreement to the letter,” and “every faculty member is afforded all due process rights, not only under general law, but under the COHE agreement.”

The BOR fired Catangui June 21 for reasons that have not been completely made public. Helsper confirmed that part of the reason for Catangui’s termination is that he followed his own research, instead of a mandated requirement, in deciding when to spray for the removal of soybean aphids.

“Really it’s becoming a public issue at this point because there is a serious threat that the university is going to get a censure from AAUP,” said Bill Adamson, president of the SDSU chapter of COHE.

The Academic Senate voted to wait until its Sept. 28 meeting to finalize any sort of plan, giving members time to think about the case and then decide on appropriate action. Part of the reason for the extended time frame is because senators said there is likely important information that has not been released that may influence their decisions. The extended time period gives senators time to gather information they believe exists that could influence their final decision.

“We’re sort of stuck with the information flow,” said Paul Johnson, entomology professor and chairperson of Academic Senate.

Senators Sandy Smart, animal and range sciences associate professor, and Patty Hacker, a health, physical education and recreations professor, said they think there is information that they likely won’t be able to know.

“There’s something darker under the surface,” Smart said. “Somebody’s out to get somebody.” Hacker agreed.

“There is a distinct possibility that there is something under the surface we will never be privy to because it’s a personnel issue,” Patty Hacker said. “…I would hesitate to push something forward for immediacy knowing what the ramifications are going to be down the road.”

In an attempt to get the necessary information, the senate plans to invite Catangui to the Executive Committee of the Academic Senate, which will meet Sept. 21, to see if there is any information he would want to discuss with the five senators on that committee.

Out of a five-step grievance process, Catangui’s case is currently the fourth step, which is the BOR level. Both COHE and the AAUP have stated that the fact Catangui was fired before the grievance process ended is part of what could lead to a censure.

“The problem is that the termination process is preempting the grievance process,” Adamson said.

Political science professor Delmer Lonowski, SDSU’s AAUP representative said the AAUP is waiting for the grievance process to conclude before deciding whether or not to investigate a possible censure.

However, Adamson said an investigation is very likely.

“If you read between the lines, the AAUP will probably conduct an investigation,” he said. “They won’t censure just SDSU. They’ll censure all the universities in the entire BOR system.”

A censure would be a mark on the universities in the regental system that would show deficient practices in academic freedom.

The Academic Senate recognizes the seriousness of this issue.

“Now is a good time to make a statement about what is fair and right,” Hacker said. “We need to say something and then be willing to stand behind it.”

#1.1599562:295684540.jpg:Mike Catangui:The SDSU Academic Senate decided Sept. 14 to take an active role in the situation involving former Extension Entomologist Mike Catangui and his recent termination.:File Photo