Stiff punishment should be swift and sure for OSU rioters

For some students, going to The Ohio State University was a dream come true, and for those who were caught up in the weekend's booze-fueled, off-campus rioting, the dream should come to an end.
Letters of suspension have already been sent to the first batch of students identified through police reports. The next batch of students who should be getting their suspension letters are those who can be identified from video that was broadcast in Columbus and from newspaper photos. Police and the university have even asked for and received amateur video that will be examined in an effort to identify students who crossed the line between celebrating and rioting.
Police in riot gear had to escort firefighters past rowdies who threw bottles and rocks. An estimated 100 fires were set, including one in the laundry room of a building. About 20 cars were damaged by fire or overturning, and at one time a chain of nine cars was burning, police said, creating a fire so intense that the street buckled.
University President Karen Holbrook, who has only had the job four months, was obviously embarrassed and angered by the ugly result of what began as a celebration of OSU's victory over arch-rival Michigan Saturday.
Action planned
She apologized Sunday to the city and the school's surrounding neighborhood and said that students arrested during the disturbance will be suspended and could be expelled if convicted.
Frankly, suspension or expulsion should not be linked to what happens in the courts. Under our system of criminal justice, an exceedingly high standard -- proof beyond a reasonable doubt -- is required to deprive a citizen of his or her right to freedom. And that is as it should be.
But attending OSU is not a right, it is a privilege, and all the university should have to do is make a strong case of a student's involvement in the violence Sunday to justify suspension or expulsion. Caught in a photograph standing around laughing while other students are overturning a car? Suspension. Have a hand on the car? Expulsion.
Every student who woke up the next day not remembering what he or she did should spend the next few weeks nervously checking the mail. The more who are identified and thrown out, the better.
If that sounds harsh, so be it. The university had conducted an aggressive campaign encouraging students to act responsibly during and after Saturday's game. Students who chose to ignore those pleas deserve whatever they get.
Perhaps in coming years, students and parents alike will keep in mind that there are consequences when students abandon self control.