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Student Banned From Minnesota Campus Over Facebook Comments
Be careful just how you vent online is the lesson from this story pointed out by reader kungfugleek, from which he excerpts: "A University of Minnesota student has been banned from the Twin Cities campus after three of her instructors felt threatened by some of her Facebook postings. Amanda Tatro was patted down and questioned by campus police when she got to class Monday. The 29-year-old mortuary science student had posted comments on her Facebook page after breaking up with her boyfriend. She told her Facebook friends she wanted to stab a 'certain someone in the throat' with an embalming instrument. Tatro said she was 'looking forward to Monday's embalming therapy.' When the instructors learned of the postings, they contacted police." The Star-Tribune's account offers more detail.
This shit really gets under my skin. The school had every "right" to do what they did, but the actions they chose were the most destructive ones they had available to them.
Before you let shit get under your skin, you should really read the article:
Police are not filing charges and consider the matter closed, U spokesman Daniel Wolter said by e-mail. Privacy law prevents the U from commenting on the specifics of Tatro's case, but Wolter said that "in a case such as this, the case is typically referred to our Office for Student Conduct and Academic Integrity, which will interview the student, review evidence and make some kind of finding."
Emphasis mine. Sounds kind of like they're doing what you suggested. She's banned until they're more comfortable with her presence (reasonable) and she was patted down because they couldn't exactly prevent her from showing up for class. The problem was that this isn't like high school, they can't immediately get her into a room with a counselor first thing. So it sounds like they banned her until she undergoes counseling. I suppose she has the option to comply or remain banned.
How is that destructive? If you think that's the "most destructive" you are dead wrong. They could have pressed charges, voided her transcript, not offered to counsel her, etc. In fact they won't even give official word on the counseling to protect her privacy. It really sounds like they have her's and the teacher's best interests and safety in mind.
My work here is dung.
Exactly. The instructor should take her aside while in class and say something like "I heard someone mention your facebook status, if you need anyone to talk to let me know and I can help or find someone that can help. Facebook is a public place, though, and in this day and age anything can be interpreted in many different ways so be careful what you post."
Oh, and she was learning to become a mortician? Of course she uses dark humor!