Thursday, September 11, 1997 Handling of suspension called VMI at its best Female rat's exodus has silver lining Angelica Garza may have slugged a sergeant, but the institute thinks the situation could end by building morale. By MATT CHITTUM THE ROANOKE TIMES    LEXINGTON -- Angelica Garza made an early departure from Virginia Military Institute's first coed class for slugging the sergeant of the barracks guard, but in the end she may serve as a sacrificial lamb for the better morale of the cadet corps.     While the incident was unfortunate, Superintendent Josiah Bunting said, the way Garza's case was handled is "a kind of vindication that the system still works."     "I think [Tuesday] was great," Bunting said of the day Garza left the post and the phone calls from the media began. "Yesterday, we saw VMI working at its very best."     Garza, a freshman "rat" from Fort Belvoir in Northern Virginia, was suspended for two semesters for striking an upperclassman. The cadet Executive Committee reviewed the case and recommended the suspension, which is said to be typical for the offense.     Garza's father, Army Chief Warrant Officer Pete Garza, said VMI acted appropriately in handling the case. He supports the school's claim that the incident occurred during normal ratline procedures.     Morale in the corps of cadets has not been great this year, Bunting acknowledged. And there has been no shortage of alumni critical of the way the institute has handled having its first women in the corps of cadets.     "There's been some feeling that the institute has bent too far backward to assimilate women," Bunting said. Garza's suspension should show people that gender is not an issue at VMI, he said.     One of VMI's appointed media relations cadets agreed.     "Basically, a rat hit somebody, and there's always an uproar there," said Tom Warburton of Pulaski. But, he added, "people are gratified and happy that this was handled in a regular manner."     No official account of what happened has been given, but sources at VMI confirmed that    Garza was being harangued by a second-classman, or junior. Cadets call this practice -- yelling at freshman rats and ordering them to do push-ups -- "flaming."     Eric Smith, a cadet from Waynesboro, said the junior who was giving Garza a hard time has a reputation for being particularly effective at irritating rats. He's a "good guy" but a "bad flame," Smith said, the kind of guy rats learn to avoid.     Sources say Garza then acted disrespectfully to the upperclassman, who decided to escort her to the guard room to report her. Before they got inside, Garza took a swing at the cadet, who ducked, leaving the sergeant of the guard to take the pop in the head.     The punch put Senior Class President Kevin Trujillo, who was Garza's "dyke," or mentor, in a tough spot. When members of the guard reported the incident to him, he had to initiate an investigation of a rat he was charged with teaching how to survive in the VMI system. He said the incident is the same one he told a reporter about more than a week ago, in which Garza complained she was being picked on and "popped off a little attitude."     Trujillo also heads the committee that ultimately would choose Garza's punishment. He had no choice but to recuse himself from the committee and accompany Garza to the committee meeting as her adviser.     "It was difficult because she was my dyke [rat]," Trujillo said, "but I had confidence that the system would work." He confirmed that Garza was told she was not a bad cadet, but that she had to be taught that such behavior is not tolerated at VMI.     He said Garza told him she wants to return to VMI when her suspension is over, though she will have to start the freshman training regimen all over again.     "We have to own up to what we've done here," Trujillo said, "and she did that graciously. She's a wonderful person."