OMAHA (Azat TV) – A student officer of the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s (UNO) D&D Club resigned last year following a complex dispute involving six Little Caesars pizzas, the university’s evolving food sharing policy, and the controversial use of surveillance footage. The incident, which unfolded over several weeks in late 2025, highlighted tensions between student autonomy and institutional policy enforcement, leaving club members with lingering uncertainty about future operations and the implications of university oversight.
The saga began on September 26, 2025, when Javon Jarmon, a club member and dungeon master for the UNO D&D Club, brought six pizzas to a bi-weekly meeting held in the Milo Bail Student Center. Jarmon described this as a ‘tradition’ from previous dungeon masters at on-campus club gatherings. However, this seemingly innocuous act soon triggered an official response from the university.
UNO Food Policy and Surveillance Footage Sparks Controversy
On October 6, 2025, club officers received an email from Cornelius Levering, outreach coordinator for the Office of Student Leadership and Involvement (SLI), alleging that the organization had been “catering outside food.” Levering stated that the club had violated UNO’s Food and Beverage Service Policy, which generally prohibits student groups from bringing outside food to on-campus functions without using Sodexo, the university’s catering service. The email demanded a written acknowledgment from the club officers to adhere to the policy and the signing of a separate Food Policy Acknowledgement Form, threatening the club’s ability to hold official on-campus meetings if they failed to comply.
Adding to the gravity of the notice, the email included a screenshot from surveillance camera footage, showing club members gathered around tables with pizza boxes. Taricka Burton, Executive Director of SLI, later confirmed that security camera footage was used during an internal review “to confirm the circumstances.” While acknowledging it was within university policy to use video for safety and compliance, Burton noted, “This is not a routine practice, and while it is within university policy to use video footage for safety and compliance purposes, we understand the importance of maintaining trust and transparency in how such resources are used.”
The use of surveillance footage immediately drew criticism. Malcolm Hemmer, D&D Vice President, reached out to Ilahi Pearson, Co-President of the Sandwich Club—an organization formed to protest UNO’s food policy. Pearson expressed dismay, calling the use of a surveillance photo “unsettling” and an “invasion of privacy,” arguing that such an event did not warrant this level of policing.
Policy Reversal and Lingering Uncertainty for Student Groups
After Hemmer signed the required forms, communication from SLI initially ceased. However, on October 16, 2025, Levering arranged an in-person meeting where administrators informed the officers that SLI would be “rescinding” its formal violation notice. Burton clarified that the warning had been issued “prematurely, without full context and without providing the appropriate guidance to the student organization beforehand.” She also cited a lack of notification to all relevant stakeholders within SLI before the initial warning was issued. Burton stated that rescinding a policy violation notice is “not a normal occurrence.”
Despite the rescission, a follow-up email warned that future non-adherence to university policies could lead to unspecified “student conduct issues.” This ambiguity, coupled with conflicting interpretations of the food sharing policy—Director of Auxiliary Services Denise Kjeldgaard had previously stated that individual students could share food as snacks—left club officers in a precarious position. Jarmon maintained that as a club member, not an officer, his actions were personal and not representative of the club’s official capacity.
Officer Resigns Amid Fears Over Resident Assistant Job Security
The lack of definitive answers regarding the club’s standing and potential penalties for future violations created significant anxiety among the D&D club leadership. Both Hemmer and fellow club officer Gillian Semrad held Resident Assistant (RA) positions at UNO, roles susceptible to penalties like limitations or prohibition of access to university housing and student employment for conduct violations. In the midst of this confusion, Semrad “quietly resigned from the club as a whole in fear of her resident assistant job being taken away due to the actions of a member,” Hemmer stated. Semrad was unavailable for comment, and Burton said she was unaware of the resignation, noting her last communications indicated the club was “okay to return to normal operations.”
Despite the turmoil and Semrad’s resignation, the D&D club has continued its operations, adapting by shifting meeting dates or holding sessions online. All club meetings for the remainder of the semester were approved. However, the incident has cast a shadow of uncertainty over the club’s future, highlighting the impact of university policies on student organizations and the personal stakes involved for student leaders.
The incident at UNO underscores the delicate balance universities must strike between enforcing institutional policies and fostering a supportive environment for student organizations. The use of surveillance footage for minor policy infractions, even if technically permissible, raises significant questions about privacy, trust, and the proportionality of disciplinary measures, potentially chilling student initiative and participation in campus life.