fbpx

Chancellor Says No Conspiracy in Flying Out Saudi Students

Blackketter says no students involved committed a crime

By MATT VOLZ, Associated Press

HELENA — Montana Tech’s chancellor says he did not conspire with Saudi diplomats to fly students involved in a grade-changing scandal out of the United States.

Saudi Embassy memos recently published by WikiLeaks revealed that Chancellor Donald Blackketter suggested that Saudi officials fly the students home in 2012 to avoid deportation or arrest.

Blackketter says in a statement to The Associated Press Tuesday that he met with Saudi government officials who were sponsoring the students to inform them of impending academic sanctions.

He says he told the officials that when the sanctions were imposed, the students’ status would be terminated and they would be required to return to their home country almost immediately.

Blackketter says no students involved committed a crime, and the school treated the Saudi students as any other student would be treated.