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Professor accused of assault
Lawyer says she ran him down as he cycled; she calls it an accident
09:08 PM CDT on Monday, May 3, 2004
By MICHAEL GRABELL / The Dallas Morning News
This is the story of a lawyer on her way to a bike ride who hit a lawyer
riding his bike.
Tommy Thomas, a Dallas business lawyer, came away with scrapes and bruises
but is perplexed about what would drive a prominent law professor at
Southern Methodist University to run him down in what police say was a road
rage incident.
Police arrested Jane Dolkart on Sunday and charged her with aggravated
assault. According to police reports, Mr. Thomas was cycling with a friend
about 10 a.m. on West Lawther Road when a woman in a Volkswagen Passat came
up behind them and started honking and screaming.
Police say Ms. Dolkart, an expert in labor law related to sexuality and
gender, followed the cyclists around a U-turn and then rammed her car into
Mr. Thomas' bike. Ms. Dolkart, 56, referred questions to her attorney, who
characterized the incident as an accident.
Ed Ishmael, a friend and local real estate title attorney, said he was
surprised by the allegations.
"It doesn't sound anything like the Jane Dolkart I know," he said. "She's
not a hothead."
But Mr. Thomas said he was dragged underneath the car and suffered road rash
and bruising on his arms and shoulders.
"It is the most unbelievable, amazing thing that happened to me," said Mr.
Thomas, 28. "I still can't believe it happened to me."
Ms. Dolkart's attorney, James Vasilas, said his client was on her way to go
biking at White Rock Lake when she came across two cyclists moving slowly in
the middle of the road just south of Mockingbird Lane.
"She tapped on her horn one time - she was not honking and screaming - just
to let them know, 'Hey, if you move over a little, I could get by.' "
He said that when Ms. Dolkart made a U-turn to go into the parking lot, Mr.
Thomas slammed on his brakes and was hit.
"This was obviously blown way out of proportion," Mr. Vasilas said. "This is
not a criminal offense."
Ms. Dolkart was taken to the Dallas County jail and posted a bond for the
$2,500 bail on Sunday night. The Dallas Police Department is investigating
and will refer the case to a grand jury to determine whether she will be
indicted on assault charges.
Aggravated assault with a deadly weapon is a second-degree felony punishable
by two to 20 years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine.
The witness "could hear her screaming through the closed window at him. ...
That's how loud she was screaming," said Detective L.C. Hall of the assault
unit. "If it was stress or if she was late, I have no idea why this incident
occurred."
Mr. Thomas said he and a friend had been waiting for another friend for
their usual ride to Lake Ray Hubbard and back.
"It sucked the tire underneath the car, and the next thing you know, I'm
underneath the car," he said. "The bike is absolutely shredded."
Ms. Dolkart has been an associate law professor at SMU for 14 years. Before
that she was an assistant general counsel at the Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission and taught at Catholic University Law School in
Washington, D.C.
Specializing in civil rights and labor law related to sexuality and gender,
she has worked extensively on benefits for same-sex partners, sexual
harassment in the workplace and gender discrimination.
SMU officials released a written statement Monday saying the university
takes all allegations of misconduct involving a member of the school's
community seriously, but they did not comment further because the matter is
under investigation.
Mr. Thomas said her position is all the more reason she should be held
accountable.
"You'd think that people who are training our future attorneys would have
better judgment," he said.
Mr. Vasilas said he is confident his client would be cleared.
"This case isn't going anywhere," he said. "This is not going to stick."
Lawyer says she ran him down as he cycled; she calls it an accident
09:08 PM CDT on Monday, May 3, 2004
By MICHAEL GRABELL / The Dallas Morning News
This is the story of a lawyer on her way to a bike ride who hit a lawyer
riding his bike.
Tommy Thomas, a Dallas business lawyer, came away with scrapes and bruises
but is perplexed about what would drive a prominent law professor at
Southern Methodist University to run him down in what police say was a road
rage incident.
Police arrested Jane Dolkart on Sunday and charged her with aggravated
assault. According to police reports, Mr. Thomas was cycling with a friend
about 10 a.m. on West Lawther Road when a woman in a Volkswagen Passat came
up behind them and started honking and screaming.
Police say Ms. Dolkart, an expert in labor law related to sexuality and
gender, followed the cyclists around a U-turn and then rammed her car into
Mr. Thomas' bike. Ms. Dolkart, 56, referred questions to her attorney, who
characterized the incident as an accident.
Ed Ishmael, a friend and local real estate title attorney, said he was
surprised by the allegations.
"It doesn't sound anything like the Jane Dolkart I know," he said. "She's
not a hothead."
But Mr. Thomas said he was dragged underneath the car and suffered road rash
and bruising on his arms and shoulders.
"It is the most unbelievable, amazing thing that happened to me," said Mr.
Thomas, 28. "I still can't believe it happened to me."
Ms. Dolkart's attorney, James Vasilas, said his client was on her way to go
biking at White Rock Lake when she came across two cyclists moving slowly in
the middle of the road just south of Mockingbird Lane.
"She tapped on her horn one time - she was not honking and screaming - just
to let them know, 'Hey, if you move over a little, I could get by.' "
He said that when Ms. Dolkart made a U-turn to go into the parking lot, Mr.
Thomas slammed on his brakes and was hit.
"This was obviously blown way out of proportion," Mr. Vasilas said. "This is
not a criminal offense."
Ms. Dolkart was taken to the Dallas County jail and posted a bond for the
$2,500 bail on Sunday night. The Dallas Police Department is investigating
and will refer the case to a grand jury to determine whether she will be
indicted on assault charges.
Aggravated assault with a deadly weapon is a second-degree felony punishable
by two to 20 years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine.
The witness "could hear her screaming through the closed window at him. ...
That's how loud she was screaming," said Detective L.C. Hall of the assault
unit. "If it was stress or if she was late, I have no idea why this incident
occurred."
Mr. Thomas said he and a friend had been waiting for another friend for
their usual ride to Lake Ray Hubbard and back.
"It sucked the tire underneath the car, and the next thing you know, I'm
underneath the car," he said. "The bike is absolutely shredded."
Ms. Dolkart has been an associate law professor at SMU for 14 years. Before
that she was an assistant general counsel at the Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission and taught at Catholic University Law School in
Washington, D.C.
Specializing in civil rights and labor law related to sexuality and gender,
she has worked extensively on benefits for same-sex partners, sexual
harassment in the workplace and gender discrimination.
SMU officials released a written statement Monday saying the university
takes all allegations of misconduct involving a member of the school's
community seriously, but they did not comment further because the matter is
under investigation.
Mr. Thomas said her position is all the more reason she should be held
accountable.
"You'd think that people who are training our future attorneys would have
better judgment," he said.
Mr. Vasilas said he is confident his client would be cleared.
"This case isn't going anywhere," he said. "This is not going to stick."
olice say Ms. Dolkart, an expert in labor law related to sexuality and