State Assembly Member Charles Lavine (D-District 13) said the Board of Law Examiners needs to establish and implement emergency response policies after a student taking the bar exam on Hofstra University’s campus went into cardiac arrest late last month, and the exam was allegedly not stopped by the proctor.
In the letter to the board, dated Aug. 7, Lavine said “the situation appeared disorganized, delayed, and lacking in clear protocol.”
“While we all recognize the logistical challenges inherent in administering the bar exam across multiple sites and jurisdictions, this incident underscores the urgent need for the board to establish and implement a uniform emergency response policy across all testing locations,” he wrote.
Lavine, the chair of the Assembly Judiciary Committee, said exam protocols should include designated responsibilities for proctors and staff and immediate access to medical personnel or emergency services.
He also said people spend years preparing to take the bar and deserve to be in a safe environment during the exam.
Lavine’s comments come just a week after a Fordham graduate taking the New York State Bar exam on Wednesday, July 30, went into cardiac arrest and, according to witnesses who posted online, the proctor in the room did not stop the exam.
Hofstra Public Safety responded to the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex, providing life-saving care to the woman, including CPR and using a defibrillator, according to a university spokesperson.
The spokesperson said the person was transported by ambulance to Nassau University Medical Center for treatment.
The spokesperson said Hofstra rented the center for testing, and the school had no control over what occurred in the room. Hofstra was the only testing location for the bar exam on Long Island.
It is unclear under what conditions proctors are permitted to stop the exam, but one person posted to Reddit that EMTs were telling test takers to clear the area while the proctor was telling them to sit down.
Others posted on the social media platform said they received an update after the lunch break that the woman was being cared for
The New York State Board of Law Examiners was unavailable for immediate comment at the time of the incident as their direct phone number was down from Monday, July 28, through Friday, Aug. 1, due to the exam being administered.
The bar exam won’t be administered again until February.
