Comments on: Facebook post gets student banned from campus

By: Bruce

Bruce — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 20:03:33 +0000

If it was a male making gender related violence comments? I don’t think there would be much discussion. He probably would already be in jail. Then could we imagine 1.) an African-American male making the comments…and let’s notch it up…2.) an arabic looking male making the comments.
Hmmmm…catch my drift on “perspective”?

By: Carol Gladstone

Carol Gladstone — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 22:18:33 +0000

The university was right in its call. It’s better safe than sorry. Remember the no-fly list? There should also be a no-admittance list.

By: Len

Len — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 19:07:43 +0000

Does the U of Minnesota routinely read student’s facebook pages? The student’s comments did not sound like a real threat to me. However, the instructors were right to alert the police. The police investigated and said the issue was closed. That should have been enough for the university. Banning the student from campus is a punitive action. Are there Univ regulations and precedent that supports this action? I think they overreacted and should reverse their policy before they ruin this student’s career (and open the university to a lawsuit).

By: Tim Thorp

Tim Thorp — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 17:58:31 +0000

Total overreaction by the university: not that university officials shouldn’t have talked to the woman, but why such drastic sanctions? She didn’t do anything and a “trocar” doesnt sound like a deadly weapon to me. Any of my kitchen knives, my car jack, my camping hatchet, and my folding spade in the car constitute more effective lethal weapons than this little mortuary tool. Let’s keep our senses please and not go into panic mode. I am known to say very bad things about insurance agencies and used car dealers, lol -see the wink, I am just venting righteous anger, lol-, trust me, but that does not make me a public menace.

By: Richard

Richard — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 00:35:32 +0000

Pretty soon we won’t be able to talk anymore.

By: FedUp WithPCPeople

FedUp WithPCPeople — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 21:47:02 +0000

I think she should have opened a can of Whoop-Ass on the dude…

By: Justin

Justin — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 19:47:49 +0000

Total overreaction. Good to be cautious but must also be sensible.

By: Michael

Michael — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 19:37:49 +0000

The police acted appropriately, the campus overreacted….

But if it were a MAN doing the same venting, there’d be a SWAT team waiting outside his home.

By: Lindsey

Lindsey — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 19:06:40 +0000

Like the woman in the story, I’m a female grad student in my late-20s. I see 2 major flaws in her behavior. First, facebook is a public forum which adults should realize is only useful for keeping in touch and looking at old friends’ pictures. Second, and more importantly, grad students who cannot control themselves should not be “friends” with 3 or more instructors! Get real. I love my advisor, but we will not be facebook friends until I leave here with my Ph.D. She doesn’t get to know that I’m playing Word Twist instead of writing my dissertation.

By: Bob

Bob — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 15:32:29 +0000

The campus acted appropriately by contacting police. The police conducted an interview and “considered the matter closed.” I believe the police acted appropriately. Yet, the young lady has been vilified by the campus. Almost 100% of society vents and rarely do those 100% act. It still amazes me how a campus will turn a blind eye to some campus events and/or behavior among faculty, staff, and students and/or demand due process for illegal or unethical practices– I will agree the matter needs additional investigation, and the woman probably needs counseling (an awful lot of dollars go into student counseling centers). However, cutting the woman loose probably turned anger more toward the University than the former boyfriend. I would be a little more worried now than before.

The ban from campus in reality is more symbolic than substantive since campus police will have a difficult time tracking the woman on a large, urban university campus. Simply banning the Virginia Tech shooter would not have necessarily prevented the tragedy. Likewise this ban would be more effective as a method of mitigating liability than prevently a voilent act.

By: Arlen

Arlen — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 14:45:44 +0000

The university over-reacted. The proper approach is for a threat assessment to be made of the student in question to see if she poses a physical threat to anyone. The police, in all likelihood, did their own threat assessment – the results of which are evident by their decision to not pursue the case.

By: Katie

Katie — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 14:14:46 +0000

Officials made the right call; the police did not. The student was communicating extremely violent threats in a public forum. How are school officials supposed to know that she’s “just venting” even now. She can’t be allowed to attend classes until the matter is fully investigated. Remember Virginia Tech!