Governor Kaine Releases Revisions to Virginia Tech Review Panel Report

Governor Kaine Releases Revisions to Virginia Tech Review Panel Report
- Addendum includes revised timeline of events, additions and corrections to chapters; makes no changes to original conclusions or recommendations of 2007 independent review panel -

RICHMOND - Governor Timothy M. Kaine today released an Addendum to the Report of the Virginia Tech Review Panel that incorporates corrections, clarifications, and additions proposed by victims, their families, and Virginia Tech. The Addendum - produced by Arlington, VA-based TriData - takes into account information that has come into the public domain since the submission of the original panel report in August 2007, including the Cook Counseling Center records of Seung Hui Cho discovered earlier this year. While the Addendum corrects or clarifies the facts of the panel report, the review and revision process led to no changes in the conclusions or recommendations of the panel.

"What happened at Virginia Tech is by its very nature inexplicable, and we may never fully understand the tragic events that transpired that terrible day. However, the Commonwealth has remained committed to providing as accurate a factual narrative as possible," said Governor Kaine. "By incorporating the suggestions of victims, their families, and the university, the Addendum is intended to more accurately describe the events that transpired and the responses they produced."

The intent of the original report by the Virginia Tech Review Panel was to provide recommendations on ways to prevent future tragedies on university campuses. The revisions to the report were compiled, analyzed, and incorporated into the document as appropriate by TriData, the firm that provided research and staff support for the independent review panel convened in the aftermath of the Virginia Tech tragedy. The majority of the incorporated revisions are presented as an "Additions and Corrections" subsection for each chapter. Some chapters contain a combination of additions, corrections, and clarifications, while other chapters remain unchanged. No line changes have been made to the text of the original report.

The third chapter of the report is the single notable exception to the overall format of the Addendum. "Chapter III- Revised Timeline of Events" has been rewritten to include more detailed information and more precise times of events leading up to, during, and after the shootings on April 16, 2007. There is no distinction in the timeline between information included in the original document and information that has been added or revised.

The Addendum makes no changes to the conclusions and recommendations set forth by the panel in their original report. Many of the recommendations made by the 2007 report were enacted during the 2008 session of the General Assembly, including the clarification of information sharing procedures and involuntary commitment criteria, mandatory creation of emergency plans for colleges and universities, restrictions on firearm access for those adjudicated mentally ill, and the investment of $41 million dollars in the state's mental health operations.

Governor Kaine appointed the Virginia Tech Review Panel on April 19, 2007 to perform an independent, thorough, and objective assessment of the events of April 16. The Governor charged the Panel with focusing on what went right, what went wrong, what practices should be considered best practices, and what practices were in need of improvement. The group delivered their report to the Governor on August 30, 2007 in time for implementation before students returned to campus in the fall.

The Addendum to the Report of the Virginia Tech Review Panel can be found on the Governor's website in .pdf form at: http://www.governor.virginia.gov/TempContent/techPanelReport-addendum.cfm