Families of some of the victims of the Virginia Tech shootings have released a statement expressing their anger and disappointment about the gubernatorial panel investigating the incident and the university’s handling of the Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund.

The statement, which was sent to members of the media and is expected to be read to the panel at their meeting  today, states, “ We are angry about being ostracized from a government-chartered panel investigating a government-sponsored university (Virginia Tech) and about how the university has used the names and images of our loved ones to raise millions of dollars without consultation. We have many unanswered questions. We don’t speak for everyone, but in addressing these issues we are speaking to issues and outcomes that affect families across this nation.”

Gov. Tim Kaine launched the eight-member Virginia Tech Incident Review Panel to explore all aspects of the April 16 shootings on campus that left 33 people dead, including a gunman who took his own life.

The panel is chaired by retired Virginia State Police Superintendent Gerald Massengill and also includes former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge, as well as experts in academia, law enforcement, mental health and medicine.

The panel is holding the third of its four scheduled public meetings today at George Mason University in Fairfax County.

The governor has said he expects the panel to produce recommendations before Virginia colleges begin their fall semesters.

The university-established Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund is administered by the Virginia Tech Foundation with guidance from Tech.

University administrators have said that liaisons have been assigned to each victims’ family and are working with them to help with their needs and expenses.

As of Wednesday, the Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund had received approximately $7 million in donations. The foundation announced last week it was transferring $3.2 million of that into 32 separate memorial funds, each created and named in honor of a victim.