trim.8BAD9555-12D4-4DC1-A648-043F1542EE29.MOVThe Whitney Hall Drug Bust was an undercover police operation that occured in Whitney Hall in 1996.

Prior to the Fall semester 1996, the university authorized a team of university police from several campuses to conduct an undercover sting operation for drugs in the CSUC Residence Halls. An undercover officer under the alias Joe Lake was placed on the Fifth Floor at the begining of the semester to collect information on drug using students.

On an early morning in November, a team of police entered Whitney Hall carrying firearms. They went into the fifth floor of Whitney all and dragged 10 students out of their rooms. The media had previously been alerted by the police, so the 10 were paraded before the cameras in their pajamas.

The incident sparked massive protests organized by the Chico Cannabis Coalition over the course of the next week, culminating in a student takeover of University President Manuel Esteban's office.

In the end, all charges were dropped. However, The Chico 10 still faced disciplinary charges from the university's Judicial Affairs Office. Several of the ten left Chico for good. Others were suspended for a semester. At least one civil judgement was obtained against the university for at least a 5 digit figure.

Michael Clausen, one of the ten came back to CSU Chico, and pursued a course of study with a Pre-Law focus. He was later appointed to the AS Judiciary by AS President Richard Elsom, and was later elected from among the justices to Chief Justice.

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