student essay treated as real threat

How did Allen Lee, an A-student and an athlete at Cary-Grove High School senior get charged with two counts of disorderly conduct and a misdemeanor that carries up to 30 days in jail and a $1,500 fine?

He wrote a 342 word essay that referred to "Shooting everyone", and having sex with their dead bodies". The most damning part of the essay was the last line:

No quarrel on you qualifications as a writer, but as a teacher, don't be surprised on inspiring the first cg shooting. (Cary-Grove)




Lee plans on joining the Marines but now this incident caused the Marines to discharge him from their enlistment program on Friday.

In the wake of the Virginia Tech massacre this case brings up the issue of how can high schools and college distinguish from a kid that is just mad at his teacher and a real real threat.

I believe that Lee had no intention of hurting anyone and the school district has overreacted by threatening legal charges.

If you read the whole essay you can easily see that Lee was just naming of shocking things of the hell of it because he though it would be funny. This is the kind of thing that you laugh about with you friends after class and not something you write in an assignment that a teacher will read.

Towards the end he just goes off on why he does not like his teacher and ends the essay by stating that she may inspire the first Cary Grove shooting. This is a sign of a child that is frustrated with his teacher and just wants to be done with his class. He clearly should be punished for the last line in the essay but pressing legal charges is going to far.

The killer in the Virginia Tech Massacre had a long history of mental mental problems and low self-esteem. His stayed at a mental hospital for a while, his creative writing teacher showed his violent work to the police and then refused to teach him.

In Traverse City, Michigan a 15-year-old Student threatened massacre at a local high school similar to the one at Virginia Tech. What is the difference between him and Lee? simple their behavior patterns:

The 15-year-old in Michigan confided his intentions to a faculty member Thursday and described himself as suicidal. Lee completed the Military Entry Procession station examinations and the psychiatric evaluation.

In the wake of the Virginia Tech shooting there is a lot of paranoia going around that school administrators need to take every threat seriously. Why that make sense for specific threats and creditable bomb threats.
A student with no history of behavior problems bad mouthing his teacher in a essay is not a serious threat.

What Lee said was stupid but that should not hold him back from graduating or joining the Marines if that's what he chooses to do with his life.