Freshers’ Week was meant to be a vital opportunity for the TCD Law Student Colloquium to engage with the wider Trinity community, welcome new students, participate in university activities, and represent our organization's work. We are grateful to everyone who engaged with us in a respectful and constructive manner.
Unfortunately, a serious, deeply concerning, and apparently premeditated incident involving our Chairman profoundly degraded the week. This incident occurred during a PGR Law Student Coffee Event on 16 September. We believe that what happened must not be ignored, because it took place at an event organized by the School of Law and subsequently resulted in the involvement of other students, academic staff, Security, and the Junior Dean’s Office.
The Incident
On Wednesday, 16 September, at approximately 11:30 am, a PGR Law Student Coffee Event was taking place in Room 3.03, Floor 3M Mezzanine, at 7–9 South Leinster Street. Our Chairman, had been invited to attend.
He was speaking normally with colleagues in the room. John F. Manderscheid was present within the same group. Lukian greeted those around him and, when he noticed John, attempted to greet him in a standard, peaceful manner.
What followed was an immediate and highly aggressive verbal confrontation. Lukian was publicly assaulted with abusive language. John aggressively shouted profanities, including “f** off” and “get the f** out of here”**, and explicitly referred to Lukian as a “criminal” after.
This was not a private quarrel. It occurred publicly, in a small room. 30 postgraduate students were present. We consider such behavior completely unacceptable. Aggressive, abusive, and degrading language has no place at a university event, let alone within an academic community where basic dignity and respect are expected.
Lukian’s Response: Restraint in the Face of a Calculated Provocation
It is crucial to highlight how Lukian responded to this extreme provocation, which was clearly designed to incite a physical confrontation.
Despite being placed under immense stress and having every reason to be outraged, Lukian did not respond to aggression with aggression. Instead, he opposed the manner in which he had been addressed and asked John to apologize for the public verbal attack.
This was a measured and appropriate response. Rather than escalating the situation, Lukian sought an acknowledgement of the abuse and an apology. No apology followed.
Escalation by Peers: The Conduct of Other Students
A significant number of postgraduate students were present. Some students associated with John interfered on his behalf. Rather than de-escalating the situation, they chased Lukian, restricted his ability to move freely within the area, and unapologetically blamed him for the quarrel.
We are particularly shocked by the conduct of Cormac Donnelly (former Chair of Colloquium). Instead of contributing to de-escalation, Cormac and some other students actively supported the aggressive atmosphere.
The Involvement of Faculty
Professor David Kenny (Director of TriCON) has taken highly significant interference of this incident that requires proper public consideration.
Following the initial confrontation, Lukian went to the ground floor, remaining there in the expectation that the matter might be resolved and an apology provided. During this time, he encountered Professor David Kenny and attempted to speak with him about the incident.
Professor Kenny declined to engage with Lukian. Instead of addressing the situation, Professor Kenny sided with John F. Manderscheid. He hided John in his office alone and, rather than de-escalating, began looking for a key to a back exit and called Slándáil - Security and the Junior Dean's office.
Security and the Junior Dean’s Office
The situation ultimately resulted in security being contacted. The arriving personnel confirmed that Lukian posed absolutely no threat and that the situation was entirely peaceful on his side.
Representatives from the Junior Dean’s Office also arrived quickly. However, they failed to take any action to address the verbal abuse Lukian had suffered.
The School of Law’s Complete Silence and Institutional Failure
The School of Law has provided absolutely no response addressing the circumstances of the incident that occurred at its own event. There has been no apology to Lukian, no acknowledgement of the seriousness of the abuse, and no attempt to investigate what happened. We find this total silence deeply disappointing and highly suspicious.
Our Official Position
The TCD Law Student Colloquium condemns aggression, hostility, intimidation, and abusive behaviour directed towards its members. We reject the idea that students should be expected to remain silent when subjected to such conduct. Speaking out is a legitimate demand for accountability.
We condemn the promotion of hate and the use of degrading language. The actions of John F. Manderscheid, Cormac Donnelly, and Professor David Kenny and the absolute silence of the School of Law and others involved, are entirely unacceptable.
Any actions directed against us or our members will be met with a loud, uncompromising, and strong response. We will not be silenced, we will not be intimidated, and we will not allow this conduct to be normalized or forgotten.
The Colloquium remains committed to student participation, respectful academic engagement, and the right of students to take part in university life without intimidation.
What occurred on 16 September deserves proper consideration, an appropriate institutional response, and a clear recognition that such conduct is incompatible with the academic environment.
19th Emergency Committee TCD Law Student Colloquium
Bhí sé i gceist go mbeadh Seachtain na Mac Léinn Nua ina deis ríthábhachtach do Cholóiciam Mac Léinn Dlí Choláiste na Tríonóide dul i dteagmháil le pobal níos leithne Choláiste na Tríonóide, fáilte a chur roimh mhic léinn nua, páirt a ghlacadh i ngníomhaíochtaí na hollscoile agus obair ár n-eagraíochta a chur chun cinn. Táimid buíoch de gach duine a rinne teagmháil linn ar bhealach measúil agus cuiditheach.
Ar an drochuair, chuir eachtra thromchúiseach, an-ábhar imní agus, de réir dealraimh, réamhbheartaithe a bhain lenár gCathaoirleach isteach go mór ar an tseachtain. Tharla an eachtra seo le linn Imeacht Caife na Mac Léinn Iarchéime sa Dlí an 16 Meán Fómhair. Creidimid nach féidir neamhaird a dhéanamh den méid a tharla, mar gur tharla sé ag imeacht a d’eagraigh Scoil an Dlí, agus gur tháinig mic léinn eile, baill foirne acadúla, Slándáil agus Oifig an Junior Dean isteach sa chás ina dhiaidh sin.
An Eachtra
Dé Céadaoin, an 16 Meán Fómhair, thart ar 11:30 ar maidin, bhí Imeacht Caife na Mac Léinn Iarchéime sa Dlí ar siúl i Seomra 3.03, Urlár 3M Mezzanine, ag 7–9 Sráid Leinster Theas. Bhí ár gCathaoirleach, Lukian Pudliak, tugtha cuireadh dó freastal ar an imeacht.
Bhí sé ag labhairt go hiondúil lena chomhghleacaithe sa seomra. Bhí John F. Manderscheid i láthair sa ghrúpa céanna. Bheannaigh Lukian do na daoine timpeall air agus, nuair a thug sé faoi deara John, rinne sé iarracht beannú dó ar bhealach gnáth agus síochánta.
Ba é an rud a lean ná achrann briathartha láithreach agus thar a bheith ionsaitheach. Bhí Lukian faoi ionsaí poiblí ó thaobh teanga maslaí de. Ghlaoigh John focail mhionnaithe go hionsaitheach, lena n-áirítear “f** off”** agus “get the f** out of here”**, agus thug sé “criminal” ar Lukian go sainráite ina dhiaidh sin.
Ní raibh sé seo ina chonspóid phríobháideach. Tharla sé go poiblí, i seomra beag ina raibh 30 mac léinn iarchéime i láthair. Measaimid go bhfuil iompar den chineál seo go hiomlán do-ghlactha. Níl áit ar bith ag teanga ionsaitheach, maslach ná náireach ag imeacht ollscoile, gan trácht ar phobal acadúil ina bhfuiltear ag súil le dínit agus meas bunúsach.
Freagairt Lukian: Srian agus Smacht os comhair Spreagtha D’aon ghnó
Tá sé ríthábhachtach aird a tharraingt ar an gcaoi ar fhreagair Lukian don spreagadh an-mhór seo, a bhí, dar linn, dírithe go soiléir ar achrann fisiciúil a spreagadh.
Cé go raibh sé faoi strus ollmhór agus go raibh cúis mhaith aige le bheith feargach, níor fhreagair Lukian don ionsaí le hionsaí. Ina áit sin, chuir sé in aghaidh an tslí inar labhair John leis agus d’iarr sé ar John leithscéal a ghabháil as an ionsaí briathartha poiblí.
Freagairt mheáite agus chuí a bhí anseo. In áit an scéal a ardú tuilleadh, d’iarr Lukian go n-aithneofaí an mhí-úsáid a rinneadh agus go dtabharfaí leithscéal. Níor tugadh aon leithscéal.
Ardú na Staide ag Mic Léinn Eile
Bhí líon suntasach mac léinn iarchéime i láthair. Chuir roinnt mac léinn a raibh baint acu le John isteach ar an scéal ar a shon. In áit iarracht a dhéanamh an teannas a laghdú, lean siad Lukian, chuir siad srian lena chumas bogadh go saor sa cheantar agus chuir siad an milleán air gan leithscéal as an achrann.
Táimid thar a bheith suaite ag iompar Cormac Donnelly, iar-Chathaoirleach an Cholóiciam. In áit cur le dí-ardú na staide, thacaigh Cormac agus roinnt mac léinn eile go gníomhach leis an atmaisféar ionsaitheach.
Rannpháirtíocht na Dáimhe
Tá an tOllamh David Kenny, Stiúrthóir TriCON, ina ghné thar a bheith suntasach den eachtra seo agus is gá a rannpháirtíocht a mheas go cuí go poiblí.
Tar éis na coimhlinte tosaigh, chuaigh Lukian chuig an mbunurlár agus d’fhan sé ansin agus é ag súil go réiteofaí an scéal agus go dtabharfaí leithscéal dó. Le linn an ama sin, chas sé leis an Ollamh David Kenny agus rinne sé iarracht labhairt leis faoin méid a tharla.
Dhiúltaigh an tOllamh Kenny dul i mbun comhrá le Lukian. Ina áit sin, de réir ár gcuntais, ghlac an tOllamh Kenny taobh John F. Manderscheid. Thug sé tearmann do John ina oifig leis féin agus, in áit iarracht a dhéanamh an cás a mhaolú, thosaigh sé ag lorg eochrach do bhealach amach cúil agus ghlaoigh sé ar Shlándáil agus ar Oifig an Junior Dean.
Slándáil agus Oifig an Junior Dean
Mar thoradh ar an gcás, cuireadh glaoch ar Shlándáil sa deireadh. Dhearbhaigh an pearsanra Slándála a tháinig ar an láthair nach raibh aon bhagairt á déanamh ag Lukian agus go raibh an cás go hiomlán síochánta óna thaobh féin.
Tháinig ionadaithe ó Oifig an Junior Dean go tapa freisin. Mar sin féin, níor ghlac siad aon ghníomh chun aghaidh a thabhairt ar an mí-úsáid bhriathartha a d’fhulaing Lukian.
Tost Iomlán Scoil an Dlí agus Teip Institiúideach
Níor chuir Scoil an Dlí aon fhreagra ar fáil ar chor ar bith maidir leis na himthosca a bhain leis an eachtra a tharla ag a n-imeacht féin. Níor tugadh aon leithscéal do Lukian, níor tugadh aon aitheantas do thromchúis na mí-úsáide, agus ní dhearnadh aon iarracht imscrúdú a dhéanamh ar an méid a tharla.
Measaimid go bhfuil an tost iomlán seo thar a bheith díomách agus an-amhrasach.
Ár Seasamh Oifigiúil
Cáineann Colóiciam Mac Léinn Dlí Choláiste na Tríonóide ionsaí, naimhdeas, imeaglú agus iompar maslach atá dírithe ar ár mbaill. Diúltaímid don tuairim gur cheart a bheith ag súil go bhfanfadh mic léinn ina dtost nuair a chuirtear iompar den chineál seo orthu. Is éileamh dlisteanach ar chuntasacht é labhairt amach.
Cáineann muid cur chun cinn fuatha agus úsáid teanga náireach agus dhíghrádaithe. Tá na gníomhartha a rinne John F. Manderscheid, Cormac Donnelly agus an tOllamh David Kenny, chomh maith le tost iomlán Scoil an Dlí agus daoine eile a bhí páirteach, do-ghlactha go hiomlán.
Déileálfar go láidir, go neamh-chomhréiteach agus go poiblí le haon ghníomhartha a dhírítear orainn nó ar ár mbaill. Ní chuirfear ina dtost muid, ní chuirfear imeaglú orainn, agus ní ligfimid don iompar seo a bheith normalaithe ná dearmadta.
Tá an Colóiciam fós tiomanta do rannpháirtíocht mac léinn, do rannpháirtíocht acadúil mheasúil agus do cheart na mac léinn páirt a ghlacadh i saol na hollscoile gan imeaglú.
Tá aird chuí, freagra institiúideach iomchuí agus aitheantas soiléir tuillte ag an méid a tharla an 16 Meán Fómhair, agus ní mór a aithint nach bhfuil iompar den chineál seo ag luí le timpeallacht acadúil.
19ú Coiste Éigeandála Colóiciam Mac Léinn Dlí Choláiste na Tríonóide
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This is getting sad