April 19, 1985

In the first on-campus drug raid in three years, three Vassar students were arrested for selling cocaine. Police reported that they had worked their way up the ladder of the campus drug chain by using arrestees as informants. This process also led to the identification and arrest of a New York City drug supplier.

Students told The Miscellany News that before the raid regular, nearly open, cocaine use was common in several prominent campus locations like the Mug, the Library and College Center. They added that the college administration was commonly perceived to have an attitude of, “As long as it stays in our confines, it’s okay.” “This place is a very protective campus, or at least it used to be,” said one student. “You sort of feel you’re exempt from rules.”

Vice President for Student Affairs Natalie Marshall ’51 told a reporter “we have absolutely no control over the law enforcement agencies,” adding, “let’s face it: I’m not going to protect anyone who’s dealing.” Marshall enunciated this position in an all-campus letter on April 19, which, she said, “could be taken as a warning but it doesn’t represent a change in policy.”

After the arrests, the three students withdrew from the college. The Miscellany News