Judgment Day

If it wasn’t obvious, I decided to help Henry. The decision making process was long and arduous, so I’ll spare you the details. Just rest assured that a lot of thought went into it.

Soon after I decided to help Henry, I recognized that a very daunting task loomed over the horizon. I would have to tell the Taiwan Embassy about what Henry did. While the scholarship application never asked for an applicant’s legal history, it was clearly my ethical responsibility to provide this information. At stake were the reputations of the Taiwan Embassy officials, my school, me, the safety of other candidates, the safety of people in Taiwan, and the chances of future applicants from my school. While I am willing to put myself on the line for Henry, I can’t put other students on the line for him. He made a choice. It will affect him. I will allow it to affect me. I cannot allow it to affect others.

However, I also faced the dilemma of when exactly to tell the Taiwan Embassy. After all, Henry’s trial had not even occurred yet. Until it had, any information I had was completely alleged. As uncomfortable as I would be not sharing the information at all, I would be equally uncomfortable sharing only speculative information. What if I spilled the beans but Henry wound up being acquitted? I decided I had to wait until the trial had concluded before I told the Taiwan Embassy. In this respect, the longer than expected wait for the final results is a blessing. I did not relish the thought of withholding this information until after the results were announced.

Henry’s trial occurred this week. He, and two other defendants, both students at my school, entered into a plea bargain. They pled guilty to assault and battery as well as drunk and disorderly conduct. Their sentence is 44 days in prison. He began serving it today.

I made the call on Thursday. It was unquestionably one of the most difficult phone calls I’ve ever had to make. It’s my job to give opportunities to students. Yet there I was, about to take an opportunity away. The call lasted no longer than three minutes. The embassy official thanked me for sharing the information. I told him that I still supported Henry. I don’t think it will matter.