Creepy student hot for teacher seeks readmission

[Panacea]

Read this in the Chronicle for Higher Education today.

Apparently, a 57 year old creative writing student wrote a "Hot for Teacher" essay with strong sexual themes. He claims he used a Van Halen song as inspiration, but the essay is full of descriptions of his sexual meanderings and thoughts for his teacher in a sexual way. The teacher became very uncomfortable and demanded school administration do something, and they did: they suspended him for 3 semesters and required sensitivity training before he could come back.

He's suing for 2 million for "emotional anguish."

He made his own writings publicly available on the website of the organization that is defending him. If you look at the actual journal writings themselves, they are very creepy and I understand fully the teacher's reactions. Journal.

The journal is handwritten and a little hard to read. Jezebel did an article on it and transcribed the appropriate sections.

The student is claiming First Amendment. Teacher is claiming sexual harassment. I'm inclined to agree with teacher.

[Andara Bledin]

I strongly suspect that his First Amendment right to air such an essay isn't going to protect him from the consequences of so doing. And I hope that whoever is in charge of this sees it the same way.

[Gravekeeper]

Thatz Not Okay(tm)

Aside from being creepy as fuck, he kept on doing it after she told him to stop.

[Andara Bledin]

I find the whole "gun nut" thing a distraction and one of the many unfortunate reactions encouraged by the way the press and public tend to vilify anyone interested in firearms and the application of their rights as citizens.

Also, the note in his journal about her telling him to stop was apparently made up by him to put in his journal and never actually happened. Whether she actually requested that he refrain is unstated and I suspect that it never happened.

The teacher's issue with him, more than the creepy nature of the journal, was the typical "OMG, GUNZ!" noise that is so common today.

Absent his legal right to carry (which typically requires that the individual be found safe to do so), she wouldn't have said anything. Which is stupid, and could very well turn the case around on her, since if she was really bothered by his writing, she would have reported him or told him to stop prior to learning of his interest in firearms.

[Panacea]

It's legal in his state for a student to have a CCW in the classroom (not in the dorms), so the university can't ban him for supporting gun rights (and shouldn't). I don't think this guy is a gun "nut."

However, this guy has all the hall marks of a stalker, and stalkers aren't the kind of people we want armed. So I understand where the teacher is coming from on this.

[Gravekeeper]

However, this guy has all the hall marks of a stalker, and stalkers aren't the kind of people we want armed. So I understand where the teacher is coming from on this.

Yes, more that really. The gun thing doesn't seem to be a huge part of the story ( Jezebel aside ). However, having a creepy dude with a gun 20 feet from you that insists on giving you erotica he wrote about you....yeah. Definitely a bit worrisome.

[protege]

However, this guy has all the hall marks of a stalker, and stalkers aren't the kind of people we want armed. So I understand where the teacher is coming from on this.

When I was in college, one of the girls I dated...had a bit of a stalker problem. Before I went out with her, she was dating an asshole. This prick had apparently hit her, so she dumped his ass. Didn't stop him from following her to and from class, waiting outside the education department building (and screaming at said building if she was late ), and attempting to harass her friends. So much of a problem, that he got banned from campus. If he showed up, he would be arrested.

But, he was a smart stalker. He'd simply quit following her as soon as she crossed Franklin St. He was also smart enough that after she took out the restraining order (a piece of crap which wasn't worth the paper it was printed on), he'd start calling her from phones that were *not* at his apartment. He'd call from his mother's, campus phones (yep, he got past security at least twice), various businesses, pay phones, etc.

This guy, like many stalkers, are people who will do things in escalating severity. They want the attention...and in fact (sorry for the crudeness here, folks!) get off on it. Could you imagine if the guy I mentioned would have been armed? Luckily he didn't have access to firearms--the two of us could have easily been shot and killed.

[Greenday]

The stuff he wrote doesn't look like an essay. It looks more like a love/stalker letter.

[Panacea]

When I was in college, one of the girls I dated...had a bit of a stalker problem.

I came very close to being date raped by a friends boyfriend when I was in college. I managed to get away from him, and get around other people, but I was so embarrassed that I couldn't tell my friends what was going on. They could see I was very shaken and all of them but the friend who was dating the guy got very negative towards him.

He started stalking me, and it got very creepy. This was the mid 80's: stalking really wasn't understood as a problem yet. Fortunately, it never escalated past the creepy stage . . . he found another girl who responded to his advances.

But it had a profound effect on me for a long time, amplified by long standing trust issues when it came to other people. It took a long time for me to get past it.

[crashhelmet]

It's legal in his state for a student to have a CCW in the classroom (not in the dorms), so the university can't ban him for supporting gun rights (and shouldn't). I don't think this guy is a gun "nut."

It's against Federal Law to have a gun, concealed permit or not, on a school campus. Therefore the school can ban him for that as well.

But back to the point at hand, the whole thing does send off creepy vibes. It's one thing to make a comment about how hot he thinks she or the other teachers are, it's another thing to write it out like it's a letter to Penthouse.

Honestly, I'd be curious to find out if he's ever been accused of stalking or assault in the past.

[Panacea]

It's against Federal Law to have a gun, concealed permit or not, on a school campus. Therefore the school can ban him for that as well.

But back to the point at hand, the whole thing does send off creepy vibes. It's one thing to make a comment about how hot he thinks she or the other teachers are, it's another thing to write it out like it's a letter to Penthouse.

Honestly, I'd be curious to find out if he's ever been accused of stalking or assault in the past.

Public schools. Colleges and Universities are exempt, and that issue is dealt with on a state to state basis.

Right now it's illegal to have a gun on campus in North Carolina. There is a bill in the General Assembly to allow CCW's if the owner has a permit. The Presidents of the community college system are strongly opposed to this and for good reason: we've had gang issues on my campus (most of our students are low socioeconomic status, at higher risk for drug use, and the dealers like to pretend to be students to deal on campus--I've seen it in action).

[crashhelmet]

Public schools. Colleges and Universities are exempt, and that issue is dealt with on a state to state basis.

Right now it's illegal to have a gun on campus in North Carolina. There is a bill in the General Assembly to allow CCW's if the owner has a permit. The Presidents of the community college system are strongly opposed to this and for good reason: we've had gang issues on my campus (most of our students are low socioeconomic status, at higher risk for drug use, and the dealers like to pretend to be students to deal on campus--I've seen it in action).

The Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1995 bans guns within 1000 yards of a school. The only exceptions to this are if they're Law Enforcement and doing their jobs at that moment (In other words, off duty cops can't carry on school either), employed by the school or district and the firearm is needed for their job (campus security), or in a private residence within that 1000 yard radius. A firearm can be kept in your car as long as it is unloaded and locked away in a case or a rack. Keeping it in your glove compartment doesn't qualify.

Article VI of the U.S. Constitution established Federal Supremacy in this matter.

This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding.

This, like the States that have legalized marijuana in some form, is another breach of Federal Law. Your State may say it's OK to do it, but that just means you won't face State charges. You will still risk facing Federal charges though.

[Greenday]

Colleges and universities are not gun-free school zones. K-12 schools are, but schools beyond those years are not considered gun-free school zones.

[crashhelmet]

The text of the law doesn't specify which schools are covered and which aren't. It simply says "schools" and "school zone"

[Sarah Valentine]

The stuff he wrote doesn't look like an essay. It looks more like a love/stalker letter.

Exactly. The guy comes off as a totally creepy pervo, and I think the reason he brought up the gun thing is so he can say "they're trying to ban me for this!" Instead of the real reason.