UPDATED
JAMESTOWN, N.D. -- A simple assault charge against the dean of students at the University of Jamestown was dropped Friday in Jamestown Municipal Court.
Gary Van Zinderen, 44, Jamestown, had been charged with the misdemeanor after an altercation with his wife on Feb. 22. He had pleaded not guilty to the charge on March 3.
An assistant of Fargo attorney Mark Friese, who represented Van Zinderen in this matter, confirmed the charge was dropped.
Van Zinderen reported back to work at the university on March 10, according to a statement from Tena Lawrence, vice president of marketing and communications for the university. Van Zinderen had taken a leave of absence to handle this matter.
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“We are happy to have Gary back on campus and wish him well as he puts this personal incident behind him,” Lawrence said.
Original story
JAMESTOWN - The dean of students at the University of Jamestown has been placed on leave from the institution after being charged with simple assault Monday.
Gary Van Zinderen, 44, is free on a personal recognizance bond and a new court date has not been set, according to Jamestown Municipal Court records. Jamestown Police Chief Scott Edinger said Van Zinderen was arrested Saturday afternoon after police were called Friday evening to a residence owned by the dean and his wife, who said she had been assaulted by Van Zinderen.
“There was an alleged altercation and some bruising to the victim’s leg,” he said.
According to a police report, Van Zinderen arrived at the house late Friday afternoon to pick up his children for the weekend. His wife had a suitcase for the children sitting by the front door. Van Zinderen opened the front door to grab the suitcase after his wife asked him not to step into the house, the report said. In the process of pulling the suitcase out the door, the suitcase allegedly struck his wife in the right thigh where bruises appeared.
The report said that Saturday afternoon a police officer went to another residence where Van Zinderen is currently residing to talk to him about the incident. Van Zinderen said he grabbed the suitcase and that it was possible the suitcase hit his wife. Van Zinderen was then arrested University of Jamestown College administrators were aware of the arrest and declined comment.
