The Syracuse Post-Standard is reporting today on Carl Paladino’s three years at the Syracuse University College of Law, which were apparently uneventful save one experience the candidate remembers quite vividly, but others insist could never have occurred.

Paladino claims to have negotiated for the local chief of police to take the place of then-SU Chanceller John Corbally, whom the Buffalo businessman says was taken hostage by angry students who were protesting the May 1970 Kent State University shootings.

Here’s how Paladino tells the story:

“When the riots came, I was the one who negotiated for Chief Sardino to take the place of the chancellor, who the students had locked down in the administration building ..Sardino had the idea that he would come up and they would let the chancellor leave and take him as their hostage, if you wanted to call it.”

“…So when Sardino came up with this idea I negotiated with these guys, who agreed to let the chancellor go and take Sardino in his place…Sardino asked me if I would do it, and I said sure. So I went out and found them and I said, you know, ‘Take the police commissioner and let the chancellor go home. The guy’s got to take a shower, I mean for God sakes’…So they said, ‘Yeah, OK’.”

Paladino’s story was rejected by SU History Prof. David Bennett, who visited the administration building that day. Apparently, SU students barricaded the campus and forced the school to shut down classes, but never took anyone hostage – at least not as Bennett recalls the incident.

His recollection was backed up by others who were present at the time and news accounts, according to the Post-Standard.

“That’s completely wrong,” Bennett said of Paladino’s story. “He’s either living in Cloud Cuckooland or, shall we say, his historical memory is clouded by whatever it is.”

Paladino stuck by his story (through a spokeswoman) in spite of Bennett’s comments.

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