NH Governor Maggie Hassan issued the following statement in the aftermath of riots that marred the annual family-friendly Keene Pumpkinfest:
“Like most New Hampshire citizens, I am outraged by the irresponsible, terrible actions that marred a New Hampshire tradition. I am confident that law enforcement will continue to investigate and prosecute individuals who are responsible, and I am calling on New Hampshire colleges and universities to take swift action to hold students involved accountable. The Keene Police, Keene State College security and the State Police will work together for an in-depth after-action review. I am very grateful that there weren’t more injuries, and we must be vigilant as a state to review and learn from the sad destruction that escalated in Keene.”
Keene State President Anne Huot issued this statement on Oct. 19:
The City of Keene and the Keene State College campus are calm and safe. Regretfully, Keene endured a great deal over this weekend. We care deeply about the citizens of Keene and our students, and we lament the impact of inexcusable behaviors on our city. I also want to share that we are appreciative of the efforts of the city over the weekend. We continue to work closely with the city to help repair damage, and find long-term solutions.
We are actively working to identify the individuals who participated in unlawful behavior, and those who are identified will be held accountable. We are reviewing images, videos, media coverage, social media postings, and information we have about off-campus residences. The most serious offenders will face interim suspension, followed by conduct action up to, and including, expulsion.
To be clear, Keene State College does not tolerate the outrageous behavior that occurred over the weekend.
Also, understand that it does not represent a great many of the students who attend this college. I am proud of the positive contributions that many of our students, faculty and staff offered to the community this weekend.
At this point in time, details about arrests and citations are being processed by the city. We will keep the public informed of our actions and the information that is available, on www.keene.edu.
Anne Huot
President
Keene State College
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