2 Female Citadel Cadets’ Clothes Reportedly Set Afire

The FBI is investigating a report that two female cadets at The Citadel were sprayed with a flammable liquid and their clothes set afire, possibly as part of a hazing ritual at the military school.

Neither woman was injured, although at least one was the target of other threats as well, according to another cadet who reported the incidents to school officials after the women declined to report them.

The FBI joined the investigation because of possible civil rights violations, said State Law Enforcement Division Chief Robert Stewart.

The alleged incidents happened “weeks ago,” but the school learned of the complaint only late Thursday and promptly requested a state investigation, interim President Clifton Poole said.

The report did not come from the women or cadet commanders but from another cadet, Poole said. Neither Citadel officials nor Stewart would identify the women, and Poole would not discuss details.

The request for the investigation was made Friday morning by William L. Spearman, Poole’s assistant, Stewart said. “The letter does not say freshman females, but that’s my understanding,” the Law Enforcement Division chief said.

Spearman’s letter requested, among other things, an investigation of “allegations of flammable liquid on articles of clothing being ignited,” Stewart said.

The chief said he understood from talking with Spearman that two female cadets were wearing the clothing at the time, “but the letter states there were no injuries as a result.”

Stewart said the letter also asked for an investigation of one student “making threats of harm to another student.” Stewart said he understood the object of those threats was a female cadet.

Nancy Mace of Goose Creek, Kim Messer of Clover, Jeanie Mentavlos of Charlotte, N.C., and Petra Lovetinska, a Czech national who lives in Washington, D.C., were admitted in August, two months after The Citadel dropped its males-only admission policy.

Poole said all four women were still in school on Friday. Messer, Mentavlos and Lovetinska are members of Echo Company. The company’s members have been restricted to campus until authorities can speak with all of them, Poole said.

The college agreed to admit women after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the all-male admissions policy at Virginia Military Institute was unconstitutional.