Student writes essay, arrested by police

lumbingmi

lumbingmi

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By Jeff Long and Carolyn Starks
Tribune staff reporters
Published April 26, 2007
High school senior Allen Lee sat down with his creative writing class on Monday and penned an essay that so disturbed his teacher, school administrators and police that he was charged with disorderly conduct.

"I understand what happened recently at Virginia Tech," said the teen's father, Albert Lee, referring to last week's massacre of 32 students by gunman Seung-Hui Cho. "I understand the situation."

But he added: "I don't see how somebody can get charged by writing in their homework. The teacher asked them to express themselves, and he followed instructions."

Allen Lee, an 18-year-old straight-A student at Cary-Grove High School, was arrested Tuesday near his home and charged with disorderly conduct for an essay police described as violently disturbing but not directed toward any specific person or location.

The youth's father said his son was not suspended or expelled but was forced to attend classes elsewhere for now.

Today, Cary-Grove students rallied behind the arrested teen by organizing a petition drive to let him back in their school. They posted on walls quotes from the English teacher in which she had encouraged students to express their emotions through writing.

"I'm not going to lie. I signed the petition," said senior James Gitzinger. "But I can understand where the administration is coming from. I think I would react the same way if I was a teacher."

Cary Police Chief Ron Delelio said the charge was appropriate even though the essay was not published or posted for public viewing.

Disorderly conduct, which carries a penalty of 30 days in jail and a $1,500 fine, is filed for pranks such as pulling a fire alarm or dialing 911. But it can also apply when someone's writings can disturb an individual, Delelio said.

"The teacher was alarmed and disturbed by the content," he said.

But a civil rights advocate said the teacher's reaction to an essay shouldn't make it a crime.

"One of the elements is that some sort of disorder or disruption is created," said Ed Yohnka, a spokesman for the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois. "When something is done in private—when a paper is handed in to a teacher—there isn't a disruption."
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Wow! Are we going to bring back book burning too? Maybe the techer should be more careful about the assignments she asks her students to complete.
 
The teacher is got to be very careful about what the students will be instructed to write an essay about...

I'm sorry for Allen Lee. :(
 
This reminds me of a paper I did in college years ago. I'm sure that if that paper was done today, I'd be suspended and possibly arrested!
VamPyroX said:
This something I certainly agree about.

We can't predict what people are like just because of what they wrote or said when it was intended for literary purposes.

I remember years ago when I was asked to write a short story for my English class in college. The professor assigned us to write a short story of ourselves or someone else committing a crime... as long as it didn't involve killing a politician or someone of high importance.

So, I typed up a short story involving... burglary, deception, drug possession, forgery, fraud, homicide, identity theft, inchoate offense, kidnapping, larceny, looting, motor vehicle theft, robbery, stalking, theft, and trespassing.

I got an 'A' for that short story. I never showed my mom until a few years later. She almost had a heart attack when she read it. Heh!

If only I could find that story, I'd post it up here.
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wimpy teach

Unless the students were warned of such offenses and punishments the charge is bogus. And where do you draw the line? You leave it up to the teacher to decide what is offensive? Bogus....one could be hip and one could be a snooty religious prude pushing his/her beliefs onto others.
Keep religion out of schools...I suspect that is what is underlying this case.
:bowdown: :whip: 'take that oh snooty teach'
 
"Disorderly conduct, which carries a penalty of 30 days in jail and a $1,500 fine, is filed for pranks such as pulling a fire alarm or dialing 911. But it can also apply when someone's writings can disturb an individual, Delelio said."


Stephen King, look out.
 
Berry said:
"Disorderly conduct, which carries a penalty of 30 days in jail and a $1,500 fine, is filed for pranks such as pulling a fire alarm or dialing 911. But it can also apply when someone's writings can disturb an individual, Delelio said."


Stephen King, look out.
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Hahaha... he's pretty much exempt from those. ;)
KINGOFNOOBS said:
http://www.alldeaf.com/topic-debates/40916-stephen-kings-thoughts-violence.html
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I was gonna say the same thing, but you beat me to it. ;)
 
im tell you about students dont write about essays on VA shootings and also PLUS books to writes but this students would getting in big troubles for sures!

i never been writes books about shootings in my lifes but i would like to getting away from troubles im adult and im grown-up
 
I'm just waiting pantiently, silently for the world to disrupt into utter chaos. I'll sit on a rooftop and laugh... that's until a stray bullet hits me in the butt and I fall off the roof breaking my neck.
 
That MAKE me in stomach sick! It was digusting, and tormented to me!

I don't understand why a cop arrested for writing an essay involving had
a trouble with the law in their life. It's unneccessary and unconstitutional, because they have to right to protect their speech, express, and religion.
I believe in the First Amandment says so...
So now, I hate to see cops arrested for a wrong/dumb reason , I hope cops will be shit hole in the ground. :mad:
 
oh jeez.. thats not good... teacher should have not said write anything.. duh at her.. :ugh3:
 
VamPyroX said:
This reminds me of a paper I did in college years ago. I'm sure that if that paper was done today, I'd be suspended and possibly arrested!
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Me too. I wrote a story about a girl who poisoned the whole school when I was a senior in high school. I just bet people will wonder about me. :D
 
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