By Nate Bertasso and Shane Bevel and Kelly Roy King
MTV star and BYU student Julie Stoffer was suspended for Honor Code violations Friday, July 28.
The suspension begins Fall Semester 2000 and Stoffer, 21, a junior majoring in business from Delafield, Wis., will be eligible to reapply in one year, said Carri Jenkins, assistant to the president, University Communications.
The decision was based on conversations with Stoffer and not on her appearance on MTV’s “The Real World,” Jenkins said.
The BYU directors that made the decision did not watch the show, Jenkins said.
On July 20, the Honor Code office sent certified letters to Julie’s home and MTV, which should have forwarded the letter to her, Jenkins said.
During the process of a disciplinary action, the Honor Code office gives students five days to appeal, Jenkins said.
The letter sent to Stoffer’s Wisconsin home was signed for July 21, Jenkins said.
“The Honor Code office gave Julie an extra day and she didn’t appeal,” Jenkins said.
Jan Stoffer said they expected this decision.
Jenkins said Julie has other plans right now.
“Julie is interested in being a celebrity right now,” Jenkins said. “We wish her well.”
“Our Honor Code works,” Jenkins said, “because our students are committed to it.”
Jenkins said if students are not committed to the honor code, BYU is not the place for them.
Usually the decision is made in person, but Stoffer was busy and not available, Jenkins said.
Director of the Honor Code Office, Steve Baker, was ready to travel to visit with Stoffer in person, but Stoffer declined the offer, Jenkins said.
“This is not a decision based on whether she is a good or bad person,” Jenkins said. “The decision is whether she lived up to her commitments at the university.”
Regarding Julie’s suspension, MTV issued a statement saying, “Julie is a lovely young person who from our perspective carried herself in an upstanding manner throughout the entire ‘Real World’ filming process. We are certain that any school would be thrilled to have Julie as a student and we wish her all the best.”
