California State University, Stanislaus, is commited to finding the truth behind allegations of misconduct, president Marvalene Hughes said Thursday in a press release.

The allegations were made by students saying that a class survey that was used by a judge in the Scott Peterson murder trial contained faulty information.

The statement was released to remind the community the university is still proceeding with the investigation, even as the murder trial is being moved from Stanislaus county to San Mateo County. The investigation will seek to determine what fault, if any, lies on criminal justice professor Stephen Schoenthaler and his students for an allegedly falsified survey that was presented to Judge Al Girolami who was determining whether or not to relocate the Peterson trial.

The survey was supposed to have asked random residents of multiple California counties about their opinions on the Peterson trial.

Some students later came forward to the press and admitted to falsifying the survey results, in some cases citing lack of time or money for the student-funded project worth 20 percent of the semester grade.

“Two strands of investigation are underway,” Hughes said in the statement. “One examines issues involving the faculty member, and the second examines issues involving the students. Each investigation requires that we respect all parties' rights to due process. If the University determines the faculty member is in non-compliance with policy, actions could include reprimand, demotion, suspension without pay, or dismissal. If a preponderance of evidence establishes a violation of the student code of conduct, the Judicial Affairs staff at the University meets with the student to establish an appropriate sanction that may include probation, suspension, or expulsion.”

She added that, in order to do a thorough job, the investigation may take some time and asked for people to understand that fair justice is a necessity worth waiting for.

“Due process is a legal concept that undergirds our democracy,” she said. “More often than not, it requires patience. A rush to judgment is a disservice to parties involved and to the community. We ask for the community's patience as we conduct our investigations.”