I have had three incidences in the last three years with male students who have sat through class imitating a bump on a log (not even warranting real log-bump status) until they received feedback from me during their conferences or had a misunderstanding in class. All three of them suddenly demonstrated that they actually cared about their grades (which was not obvious based on their not having turned stellar work in prior to their violent outbursts) by becoming violently angry with the lowly "girl teacher" (as one called me, to which I responded: "That's DOCTOR girl teacher to you, buddy").
The first one blocked my doorway and refused to let me pass. He had suffered brain damage from a car accident. He simply stated that he wouldn't let me leave my office until I changed his grade to the one he believed he'd earned. I felt kind of bad for him, but it was still a very eerie experience to have him stare me down as I called Campus Police.
The second had a rage episode (complete with punching of whiteboard until his knuckles dripped blood) because he thought he had missed a quiz when he showed up 20 minutes late. I told him there had been no quiz that day and he should have a seat. "You're lying to me," he shouted, and then started to punch the whiteboard. That warranted a call to Campus Police. The other students simply watched him as if nothing bizarre were going on. No one seemed alarmed, shocked, or even disturbed that their classmate was throwing a tantrum of epic proportions. This turned out to be a case of Roid Rage; he was subsequently pulled from the roster of whichever sports team he was on and apparently kicked a door off its hinges on his way out.
The third threatened to put a bomb under my car because I accused him of plagiarism. He had copied the sample essay out of the back of our book and submitted that as his essay. Not only was he a plagiarist, but he was a stupid one. He hasn't followed through yet, but I still think about it every time I start up my car. I've been walking to campus a lot lately.
All three students remained in my classes, although not all three passed the class.
THIRSTY: What have been your experiences with violence on campus (both from students or campus employees)? Does your school have a protocol to follow when such outbursts occur? Did the students remain in your classes? Did this affect how you teach or interact with students in any way?
All three students remained in my classes...
ReplyDeleteWhat?! How? Especially the one who threatened you with a car-bomb? Isn't that completely justifiable grounds for getting someone ejected from you class, if not the college?
How on earth were these students kept around?!
I have been fortunate (how depressing that I express it that why) not to have any personal tales of horror. But a grad student friend of mine was threatened with rape by a dissatisfied "customer".
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a first year grad student I was bullied by fellow first year grad student. He sent anonomous emails of threatening and sexual nature. That really shook my world. Fortunately, I was out of state when the brunt of it occured. I didn't feel like it was a huge threat to my safety under those circumstances. But I've had trouble trusting male colleagues who keep their distance ever since.
My students skew female, and the shortage of testosterone helps to limit the violent activity. But there have been incidents with women--I had to kick a woman out of my class for screaming at me repeatedly. She was not medicating herself properly, but that wasn't my problem.
ReplyDeleteAs for men, I can't say that I've experienced violence personally, but one male student apparently threatened my life (to a colleague). I found that very odd because in person he seemed a very gentle soul, and we'd had many pleasant discussions in my office about his work. I have to assume it was a misunderstanding. He was hospitalized shortly after this for awhile because of mental health issues, and doubtless that was part of it. I never truly felt threatened.
Another one of my students (a male) tried to beat up a male colleague. Just tried to kick the crap out of him. Big mistake because the colleague is a strapping guy and the student was a slip of a thing. He got kicked out and kicked off campus.
I truly think a lot of these incidents (all of the serious ones I know about) can be traced to mental health issues. There's a big attempt to be inclusive, and I support that, but truly, there are people that are mentally ill and dangerous to others and they really need to be kicked off campus. I absolutely refused to allow the threatening female student back in my class, period. The mentally ill have rights. But I have a right not to be subjected to threatening behavior. Being mentally ill is an explanation, not an excuse.
I would not have tolerated the presence of any one of your students in my class after any of the behavior you witnessed. And honestly, if my superiors had insisted I would have gotten a lawyer and threatened a lawsuit. Or absolutely insisted that campus security sit through every fucking class I had with that student.
In the case of Ragey Rick, he has yet to do anything but be yelly, though of course I suspect he is capable of more. At our next conference (if there is one), I am going to explain to him very carefully that his behavior wasn't appropriate, and I don't expect to see that kind of display out of him again. If he gets ragey again, he is going to have to see the dean.
Not kicked out of class. Not expelled from school. How about arrested? Campus is the only place where an adult, customer or not, can get away with shit like that.
ReplyDeleteOur campus has no policy to drop students from classes for disrespectful behavior or for violence. No policy whatsoever. I've asked the academic dean about this. Apparently we faculty have no right to deny students of an education (according to there being no policy).
ReplyDeleteEven in the case of a bullying student all last year (who wasn't violent, but who was verbally abusive to me and to many students), I had no recourse, I was told, but to accept it graciously. It affected the whole school year for me b/c he took a class from me every quarter.
In the case of the brain damaged student, I resorted to having a male colleague sit outside my office during certain student conferences... just in case. He never acted up after that. He said, "I learned I'm not allowed to do that," when the campus police showed up.
ReplyDeleteThe bomb-threat guy stayed in the class but slept through the rest of the quarter.
Roid Rage dude calmed down after going off roids, but it took a few weeks for him to stop kicking furniture.
I'm with J. Harker. If anyone showed that kind of behaviour towards or around me once, I would refuse to allow them back into the class; I would feel entirely unsafe. I'm sure the university would back me up on this, however. There was an incident a few years ago when an unbalanced student was sending repeated death threats - by email and, even more scarily, on paper, slipped under their office doors - to every member of an all-female department that lived in an isolated building a little way away from the main cluster of buildings on campus, and it took the university awhile to grasp that beefed-up security and a restraining order were necessary. But in the case of an actual exhibition of violence, they'd be right there, with the court order if necessary.
ReplyDeleteI think.
@Cynic: That you can't remove these assholes is extremely shitty. We have the option to suspend students for up to two class sessions. We had to fight the Board of Trustees tooth-and-nail to get that added to the Student Conduct Code. Mercifully, I've had to use it on only one student. However, I had to use it 5 times before he got the point.
ReplyDelete@Stella: For all of our sakes (especially yours), be sure to have someone else around for Ragey Rick's next conference. And a 2-Iron.
Wow. I have never experienced anything like that at all.
ReplyDeleteHowever, members of my mother's academic department called me and issued death threats when I was a teenager, because she had voted against a favored candidate. Does that count?
I had a couple of eye-brow raisers where I started a paper trail "just in case", and they pretty much self destructed and withdrew without causing measurable distress for me or other students. But I had one who was so fucked up, I started a paper trail and brought half my department in on it because I was scared shitless.
ReplyDeleteAnd before the disciplinary committee could get to my grievance, they had to get through 15 more from other students and faculty. He was expelled for beating up a freshman during a hazing incident before they ever got to my complaint.
He was back after a single semester off.
I declined my next adjunct assignment there.
He was expelled again the next semester.
And the Dean who'd taken office the year this delightful specimen matriculated, the one who let him back in, was run out of town with his own seemingly endless list of scandalous decisions before they could get to "Why did you let Sir Douchebag re-enroll?"
@Pat, thanks! It is, indeed, shitty! Part of the problem is that the school is not just a SLAC, but also affiliated with a religion. That means we're supposed to smile and pray for our students in cases like this.
ReplyDelete@Frog and Toad: seriously? That's almost WORSE. HER department members threatened YOU? Did she leave the department? Are any of them still alive?
@Wombat, you can pray for them when they are in jail. What you pray will happen to them in jail is none of anybody's business.
ReplyDeleteUgh I am so sorry that this happened to you! I wonder, could you draw up a hostile work environment suit that could get this rule overturned? What if one of them had actually taken a swing at you? Hell, what if one of them HAD ACTUALLY PUT A BOMB UNDER YOUR CAR AS HE THREATENED TO DO? My mind is boggled.
ReplyDelete@madavis4: No one should have to ask a colleague to hang out just in case a student starts to get violent because he's a misogynist or off his meds!
ReplyDeleteI hadn't considered a hostile work environment suit since I always thought of colleagues as the ones creating that, but I wish I HAD thought of it. I don't want to bring suit against the school, but it might be the only way to get a policy passed. I'll ask an HR person. Thanks for the suggestion!
It pays to be on a first-name basis with many of the campus police officers. I've got the so-called brains, but they've got the guns and the authority to fuck people up. So I always greet the police officers and do everything I can to preemptively let them know who I am.
ReplyDeleteMany, many years ago, one of the officers expressed admiration for one of the artifacts I'd acquired on a trip abroad. He had an interesting story to tell about it. A year or so later, when I was moving to a different office and shedding old stuff, I decided to send that artifact to him. It really wasn't a bribe or "protection" gift, but he was always quite good to me after that. He retired a few years later.
@CCynic: Fuck the religion and the SLAC police if they won't back you up. Call the local police. I'm too drunk to say more right now, but you should feel safe at work. Talk to an attorney about it.
@Beaker Ben
ReplyDeleteJail is a drag on the economy; my proposed Siberian labor camp system will rebuild the Russian Far East and menace Red China to boot!
"Strelnikov's Old-Tymey GULAG and Skullbusting Emporium, taking up the Soviet Union's slack since 2011"
***
Seriously, we have too many mentally ill or borderline people running wild in college...yes, I know if they stay on their medications they don't do odd things, but many of them forget and we are back to "Shock Corridor." I know I will be yelled at by commenters here who have struggled with mental illness in the past, but if the parents/guardians of these students (if they are underaged) cannot see that John or Jill needs help, then the State should step in.
@Strel: No yelling from me. Unfortunately, though, too many of the students' parents and guardians are mentally ill themselves. It's sad.
ReplyDeleteдо свидания.
спокойной ночи?
ReplyDelete@Pat: There are classes in session just a few feet away from my office that are helmed by large men. And besides, I could take him. Seriously. Unless he brings a gun or something. Even then he'd have to whip it out and aim, and if he does that I plan to stab him in the eye with my favorite gel pen, and ram the blade of my hand into his throat.
ReplyDeleteAfter which I will kick him in the nuts, really hard, and stab him in the knee with my second-favorite gel pen every time he tries to get up.
I didn't watch Kill Bill 1 + 2 a hundred times fer nuthin'.
F&T: still getting my breath back. Your mother's COLLEAGUES issued death threats to YOU because your mother didn't vote the way they wanted on a hire? I trust she sued the asses off all of them individually, plus the institution for a hostile environment. That's terrible. Should have been unspeakable.
ReplyDeleteGood night Southern Bubba, Ph.D.
ReplyDeleteAs a larger (6'0", 200 lb) penile American, I guess it is not surprising that I have not had a long list violent/near-violent incidents with students.
ReplyDeleteThere was one event though ...
I was teaching a large lecture class at an urban university. The room was about half full and there was a student who always sat, by himself, smack dab in the largely empty middle of the center section of seats. He was quiet and kept to himself, I had no recollection of him ever speaking.
One class, he was eerily quiet and creepily staring as I did my dog-and-pony show on stage.
As Q & A was happening, I asked him for his input, because it was difficult to ignore someone sitting so alone in the middle of the room.
With no warning (I mean his head didn't spin and spew pea soup a la Linda Blair in the Exorcist), he unleashed this 140 decibel manifesto on how what he said didn't matter as I would disagree/dismantle/disrespect all he said anyway.
It went on for a couple of minutes and after it was over, I called for a break and he left without incident (and didn't return that day).
Honestly, I was stunned to the point that I didn't think to call for assistance. I asked a couple of students if they felt I had done anything to inspire that display and they were as shocked as I.
As for everyone else's stories, I am in full agreement that every step should be taken to insure our workplace is as safe as possible. That we are somehow expected to endure disruption and/or outright threats of violence is utterly unacceptable.
@A&S: That's kind of cool that you had Honest_Prof in your class. Small world.
ReplyDeleteCC and MA: thanks for your outrage. My mom did not sue; she herself was sued, along with those others who had voted against the candidate, by the candidate and chair. The death threats were special for us, I'm pretty sure, because she was the only woman in the dept. and a young-ish single mom. We lived in terror of financial ruin from the lawsuit, and changed our number to an unlisted one. After a couple of years the case was eventually thrown out of university courts, the chair fired, and we could breathe again and just wanted it to be gone. My mom stayed in the dept. because she had to pay the rent. The chair and candidate are still alive and in the profession. I'd love to name names but I won't. I wouldn't even be talking about it if my mom were still alive, out of fear. Suffice to say it gave me a picture of just how cruel and crazy academics can be.
ReplyDeleteHang in there everyone. And Beaker Ben, you are an evil genius.
Wow. I'm suddenly seeing the occasional gaggle of 2-3 young women (they usually seem to be female) who gang up and give me straight 0s or 1s on my evaluations because they're unhappy with B/B+ level grades as downright benign (though there is the little detail that evals count for contract renewal, salaries, etc.; still, that's small potatoes by comparison to physical threats). I've had a few odd, probably mildly mentally handicapped/ill students (mostly male), but they seem inclined to imprint on me and overuse office hours rather than rage, even when I give them low-ish grades. I guess I should consider myself lucky. It probably helps that I'm teaching mostly juniors and above; those who really can't cope have been weeded out by then.
ReplyDeleteI have a colleague who adjuncted for a while at the local community college, and who had the experience of receiving email threats, threats of damage to/bombing of car, etc., etc. from a student. I can't remember all the details, but I'm pretty sure that the campus police either took steps to protect her themselves or alerted the local police and that the college accepted that a restraining order was appropriate (and meant that the student couldn't be in class, and perhaps even on campus). The student was eventually convicted of a crime, and received a (fairly brief) jail sentence. But the experience definitely stayed with my colleague, and she's happy to no longer be teaching on that campus.
I would think that a college, for liability reasons if for no other, would think twice about letting a student who had shown violent tendencies back in the classroom, and I don't see any reason that religious affiliation would or should change that decision. When a man who was clearly disturbed wandered into services at my church years ago, the pastor called 911 -- because the situation was potentially dangerous to both the man and the rest of the congregation, and because the police and EMTs who arrived were far better equipped than the pastor to deal with the situation. Yes, our pastors will counsel with nonviolent but clearly mentally ill people who show up at other times, and will try to point them toward appropriate help -- and I suppose it's appropriate for teachers at religious institutions to do some of the same -- but there's no sin in self-protection, or in passing someone on to someone better-qualified to help, and, in a group situation, there's a duty to protect innocent bystanders.
(continued; I think blogger objected to the length of my comment, but it didn't say so, just didn't post it. So I'm trying dividing it)
ReplyDeleteI, too, was thinking that hostile environment has got to apply somewhere here (and that, as Cynic's original post and F&T's particularly egregious example, as well as several other comments, suggest, that there's definitely a gender element here, probably made worse by the fact that students these days increasingly seem to expect that anybody who resembles mommy will respond to whatever they do if not with clapping and cheering, then at least with placation and capitulation to their desires).
And really, should the responsibility of calming or preventing such situations be foisted on our large male colleagues (grateful as I would be for such help should the need arise)? It seems to me that if a college insists on allowing students who have shown clear violent tendencies (one incident that involves blood and/or visible property damage would do it for me), then they can darn well pay for the time of a security guard who sits in class (and escorts the professor to and from class and the parking lot, and sits in on office hours).
It also strikes me that all of the above will be complicated, but not substantively changed, by the fact that at least some of the violent students who show up in our classrooms in coming years (and some who are there now) will be veterans with brain injury and/or PTSD. If my experience with non-violent veterans is any measure, at least they have some experiencing with accepting limits and reprimands, and with working within a system to get better (as long as that system is available, which it isn't always).
F&T, that is insane. The death threats - your mother had to keep on working in a department whose insane and hostile inmates had phoned in DEATH THREATS? To her DAUGHTER? And when it was all over, the chair was gone, good, but what about his supporters? She still had to work with them.
ReplyDeleteThat is obscene.
The chair, thank god, was escorted off the campus by security and told never to return after his case was thrown out of court. I don't think he had any supporters in the end, but if he did they left the department as fast as they could. The department was destroyed, and my mom left the profession the minute her youngest kid started college. However, the careers of the two men were not destroyed, which has always struck me as, yes, obscene.
ReplyDeleteThis was, I would like to think, in a different time. But some of these stories make me wonder.
So all our flakes are not as harmless as I sometimes want to believe they are! I did ask my HR person about the hostile work environment thing. I have not heard back. But I might dress up as Uma Thurman in Kill Bill from
ReplyDeletetime to time.
I agree that some men expect me to act as mommy does and enable the rage away.
Last year I had the PTSD vet in class and the autistic guy I was supposed to make explosive loud noises in front of to gain his attention. Nope, no tension in that room!!!
You don't have to, and shouldn't, put up with this. Get a lawyer who knows something about a "hostile work environment," and repeat this phrase to your so-called leaders, the campus police, and your university's lawyer until something substantial gets done. It isn't your job to risk your life: you're not a cop.
ReplyDeleteThe only physical assault I ever had were some drunk fraternity boys driving by me when I was riding my bicycle, who threw cups of ice at my head. If I could have identified them, I'd have them thrown out of college, and certainly any classes of mine they might have been in; but alas, it was dark, and I couldn't even get their license plate number. Good thing I don't carry a gun, because I'd have used it.
But I might dress up as Uma Thurman in Kill Bill from time to time.
ReplyDeleteI can loan you a yellow jumpsuit, but you'll have to get your own sword. There's this sushi chef in Okinawa...
I've had three scary situations in the last five years. My school talks a good game, on paper, but does a lot if hand wringing when called to back it up. It's not too hard to figure out, IMO. Some disgruntled flake threatens sexual assault over an F, his ass is gone. I should not have to go to a psychiatrist to prove that I was frightened--indeed, I'm so not the one in this situation who needed a shrink. And I shouldn't have to threaten to lawyer up to get taken seriously.
ReplyDeleteSo I visited my local sporting goods store and purchased a canister of bear spray. Should some idiot flake in the future think threatening violence is a good idea, I will deal with it myself.
Dear CC, take good care and be safe.