Professor Called Police After Student Presentation

[Buckaroo]

http://therecorderonline.net/2009/02/24/professor-called-police-after-student-presentation/?wtf

For CCSU student John Wahlberg, a class presentation on campus violence turned into a confrontation with the campus police due to a complaint by the professor.

On October 3, 2008, Wahlberg and two other classmates prepared to give an oral presentation for a Communication 140 class that was required to discuss a “relevant issue in the media”. Wahlberg and his group chose to discuss school violence due to recent events such as the Virginia Tech shootings that occurred in 2007.

Shortly after his professor, Paula Anderson, filed a complaint with the CCSU Police against her student. During the presentation Wahlberg made the point that if students were permitted to conceal carry guns on campus, the violence could have been stopped earlier in many of these cases. He also touched on the controversial idea of free gun zones on college campuses.

That night at work, Wahlberg received a message stating that the campus police “requested his presence”. Upon entering the police station, the officers began to list off firearms that were registered under his name, and questioned him about where he kept them.

They told Wahlberg that they had received a complaint from his professor that his presentation was making students feel “scared and uncomfortable”.

“I was a bit nervous when I walked into the police station,” Wahlberg said, “but I felt a general sense of disbelief once the officer actually began to list the firearms registered in my name. I was never worried however, because as a law-abiding gun owner, I have a thorough understanding of state gun laws as well as unwavering safety practices.”

Professor Anderson refused to comment directly on the situation and deferred further comment.

“It is also my responsibility as a teacher to protect the well being of our students, and the campus community at all times,” she wrote in a statement submitted to The Recorder. “As such, when deemed necessary because of any perceived risks, I seek guidance and consultation from the Chair of my Department, the Dean and any relevant University officials.”

Wahlberg believes that her complaint was filed without good reason.

“I don’t think that Professor Anderson was justified in calling the CCSU police over a clearly nonthreatening matter. Although the topic of discussion may have made a few individuals uncomfortable, there was no need to label me as a threat,” Wahlberg said in response. “The actions of Professor Anderson made me so uncomfortable, that I didn’t attend several classes. The only appropriate action taken by the Professor was to excuse my absences.”

The university police were unavailable for comment.

“If you can’t talk about the Second Amendment, what happened to the First Amendment?” asked Sara Adler, president of the Riflery and Marksmanship club on campus. “After all, a university campus is a place for the free and open exchange of ideas.”

-Shauna Simeone, Asst. Opinion Editor

Do CT residents have to register their arms? This is so wildly stupid!

Buckaroo

[AirmanAtwood]

I’m kind of curious as to what was the spoken word in the presentation. They might have said something that could have caused worry * although I doubt it*.

[FromMyColdDeadHand]

There never seems to be a written complaint when this stuff happens.

I would like to know what exactly he said, or was it just the word ‘gun’.

Unfortunately, the only ‘preventative policing’ going on is the police trying to prevent from being second guessed.

So what grade does the kid get?

Is CT a registration state? What’s the threshold for accessing those records?

I guess he’s lucky, he could have had a SWAT team cap his ass that night with a no-knock warrant.

[mmike87]

Kudos to the student for tackling a controversial matter in a public forum on unfriendly ground. We need more people to do that.

[Gutshot_John]

I’d find a smart lawyer and sue that school professor silly.

Filing false police reports, intimidation? Harassment?

He did an assigned piece of work and violated no school policies in his performance.

[subzero]

@FromMyColdDeadHand

Is CT a registration state? What’s the threshold for accessing those records?

From what I can tell, the answer is no with a but.

No registration for long guns or handguns. You need a purchase permit to buy a handgun.

If there’s no registration, how did a campus cop have a list of guns this guy had? The easiest answer would be he had to notify campus police he was a gun owner and check his stuff in somewhere since guns (probably) aren’t allowed on campus.

[anon68409835]

I imagine the knowledge that most all posters on this site have would terrify a lot of University professors.

[John_Wayne777]

@Gutshot_John

I’d find a smart lawyer and sue that school professor silly.

There’s nothing to sue for. The school took no official action, and the police didn’t take any action against the guy. He showed up voluntarily at the police station…a bad move. Call first and ask what they want. Don’t just walk into the station.

Filing false police reports,

If the professor “felt” threatened (regardless of how silly that feeling may have been) she’s not going to be prosecuted for filing a false police report.

intimidation? Harassment?

What’s presented here wouldn’t qualify as either. It’s hardly encouraging, but not something that is likely to be actionable especially in (and if he does try legal action you can bet your sweet bippy he will hear this phrase a lot) a post VT world.

He did an assigned piece of work and violated no school policies in his performance.

The best course of action here is to complain to the dean of the department. Even at that, it is unlikely anyone in the college administration will care.

[John_Wayne777]

@subzero

From what I can tell, the answer is no with a but.

No registration for long guns or handguns. You need a purchase permit to buy a handgun.

If there’s no registration, how did a campus cop have a list of guns this guy had? The easiest answer would be he had to notify campus police he was a gun owner and check his stuff in somewhere since guns (probably) aren’t allowed on campus.

…or they called up the BATFE and asked for their records on him.

[Palmguy]

@John_Wayne777

…or they called up the BATFE and asked for their records on him.

I thought the Feds weren’t supposed to have that kind of information?

[John_Wayne777]

@Palmguy

I thought the Feds weren’t supposed to have that kind of information?

The BATFE can inspect 4473’s anytime they wish. If the guy bought his guns from a local store it would be a piece of cake for the BATFE to go to the store and grab the forms and find out what he’s got.

…and they have a bad habit of doing stuff a hell of a lot more disconcerting than that.

[Gutshot_John]

@John_Wayne777

If the professor “felt” threatened (regardless of how silly that feeling may have been) she’s not going to be prosecuted for filing a false police report.

If the professor “felt” threatened absent any kind of intimidating language or similar statement, and was indeed only “felt” this way because she disagreed with a class assignment…and then filed a report absent any reasonable belief that the student intended harm?

I’d say that’s grounds for a pretty fat settlement on the university’s part.

[kaiservontexas]

I would litigate just to scare the university. Professor pushes student around, student should push back. Universities loath lawyers showing up on behalf a student.

[John_Wayne777]

@Gutshot_John

If the professor “felt” threatened absent any kind of intimidating language or similar statement, and was indeed only “felt” this way because she disagreed with a class assignment…and then filed a report absent any reasonable belief that the student intended harm?

I’d say that’s grounds for a pretty fat settlement on the university’s part.

Nope…especially since no harm has come from it. Heed again my “post VT world” statement. The argument to any court will be that awarding damages in this case would have a chilling effect on the willingness of university professors to report the next Cho.

…and if that don’t work, the university lawyers will have about 400 other arguments, all of which reference VT.

[John_Wayne777]

@kaiservontexas

I would litigate just to scare the university. Professor pushes student around, student should push back. Universities loath lawyers showing up on behalf a student.

Universities employ lawyers of their own, and they stay fairly busy. A lowly little student with no case isn’t going to scare the university. Even if they have a case in a matter like this the university will parade the VT victims in front of the court and more than likely the court will say that an abundance of caution on the part of university officials is warranted in the “post VT world.”

[FromMyColdDeadHand]

@Gutshot_John

If the professor “felt” threatened absent any kind of intimidating language or similar statement, and was indeed only “felt” this way because she disagreed with a class assignment…and then filed a report absent any reasonable belief that the student intended harm?

I’d say that’s grounds for a pretty fat settlement on the university’s part.

Just my guess, but the proff at some point “scooter libby’d” and said something that wasn’t true.

I wish there was a recording of the students presentation, or even his slides. If guns are banned on campus and he said something like ‘I’d carry anyway since I have a right to defend myself’, the proff might have a point, even if just about everyone here would agree with the kid.

How come it is wrong and a Civil Rights Investigation to be pulled over when driving-while-black, but OK to be summoned to the police headquarters when you are talking-about-black-guns?

Dollars to donuts some other kid took the side of Hamas and the Palestinians, and no one said a word.

[Gutshot_John]

@John_Wayne777

Nope…especially since no harm has come from it. Heed again my “post VT world” statement. The argument to any court will be that awarding damages in this case would have a chilling effect on the willingness of university professors to report the next Cho.

…and if that don’t work, the university lawyers will have about 400 other arguments, all of which reference VT.

I see your point, but the professor shouldn’t have assigned it unless she intended to promote “controversial” dialogue. The harm that may result was in the student’s perception of intimidation in the classroom. A place that most universities consider sacrosanct.

It seems a bit of a stretch to hold a classroom forum on guns in schools then file a complaint when the forum has a dissenting voice. In doing so isn’t she creating something of a threatening atmosphere?

All in all I’m sure lawyers could scurry around it for a long time racking up huge legal fees, but I don’t think one should be subject to police questioning when one didn’t even violate school policy, let alone the law.

No one wants teacher’s afraid to come forward about another Cho, but the complaint this woman filed, without clear evidence, will now call into question the judgment if she later gets an actual threat.

[Gutshot_John]

@FromMyColdDeadHand

Just my guess, but the proff at some point “scooter libby’d” and said something that wasn’t true.

Oh wow…well then…that has ALL KINDS of legal implications.

I just assumed she was stupid, but dishonesty on that scale would be huge grounds for lawsuit.

[John_Wayne777]

@Gutshot_John

I see your point, but the professor shouldn’t have assigned it unless she intended to promote “controversial” dialogue. The harm that may result was in the student’s perception of intimidation in the classroom. A place that most universities consider sacrosanct.

No, universities only consider academic freedom sacrosanct when the ideas expressed in the classroom align with their preferences. Most PHD’s I interact with are professionals who encourage debate and the exploration of ideas even if they disagree with them. My Con Law professor was a flaming lib, and yet he gave me a perfect score on my paper that lavished praise on the Rehnquist court’s belief that the 10th amendment to the Constitution actually mattered.

Other professors are flaming idiots. They can get away with being flaming idiots because the desire to actually exercise discipline in some departments (or in the overall administration) of some universities just isn’t there.

It seems a bit of a stretch to hold a classroom forum on guns in schools then file a complaint when the forum has a dissenting voice. In doing so isn’t she creating something of a threatening atmosphere?

Of course it’s a stretch…but the usual rules of logic are suspended in the university environment.

All in all I’m sure lawyers could scurry around it for a long time racking up huge legal fees, but I don’t think one should be subject to police questioning when one didn’t even violate school policy, let alone the law.

He didn’t have to respond to the police. He could have politely asserted his rights rather than talking to them. As such, he has no real legal recourse available to him.

Should he have gotten the Cho treatment from the police? Absolutely not, but that’s another one of those common sense ideas that won’t have any traction in the university administration or in the courts.

No one wants teacher’s afraid to come forward about another Cho, but the complaint this woman filed, without clear evidence, will now call into question the judgment if she later gets an actual threat.

She’s clearly a hysterical ninny. That’s not going to matter one iota. It’s not the way it should be…it’s just the way it is.

[John_Wayne777]

@FromMyColdDeadHand

Just my guess, but the proff at some point “scooter libby’d” and said something that wasn’t true.

Again, you’d have to prove it and you’d have to overcome the “post VT world” hurdle where university officials are encouraged to narc on anyone who even looks like they might be a problem.