Is writing dangerous? Teacher suspended for writing novels

Ton Lew Lepsnaci · Sep 2, 2014

Mods please move if this is not the right thread to post it. I thought I'd share it on AW as this could affect all writers who broach a sensitive topic in their books.

A teacher has been suspended following the discovery that he self published novels involving the topic of school shootings. The situation beggars belief. House searches yielded nothing, and yet he is suspended and under observation it seems solely for having written these works.

Information on it can be found in these links:

http://reason.com/blog/2014/08/29/teachers-fiction-novel-produces-most-ins

and

http://reason.com/blog/2014/08/29/update-officials-still-silent-about-mand

and

http://www.theatlantic.com/national...oviet-style-punishment-for-a-novelist/379431/

And a petition is available here:

https://www.change.org/p/dr-henry-w...logy-to-patrick-mclaw-and-reinstate-him#share

Buffysquirrel · Sep 2, 2014

No, self-righteous bigots are dangerous.

Ton Lew Lepsnaci · Sep 2, 2014

He's not able to speak for himself it seems and writers could show they have his back by signing the petition. Unless something new transpires, his human rights have been blatantly violated.

RikWriter · Sep 2, 2014

He's going to be rich, provided he's smart enough to get a good lawyer for the lawsuit.

Ton Lew Lepsnaci · Sep 2, 2014

He may well be. But in the mean time he's going through hell.

Kylabelle · Sep 2, 2014

Thanks for posting this.

There are also a couple of threads about it in P&CE, here and here.

I'm glad this situation is getting a lot of attention. I've not read more than an initial article, and some are raising questions about whether we're getting the whole story, etc. However, given the general atmosphere of encroachments on civil liberties in the US (in my opinion) this kind of thing is important to pay attention to.

Personally I strongly suspect there is a great overreaction going on and the teacher/author is unfairly detained. I hope the petition gets him some help. People can and do get lost in that system, sometimes.

Also, there's a chance here of stopping a trend before it starts. I sure hope we can do that.

Ton Lew Lepsnaci · Sep 2, 2014

Thanks for sharing this Kylabelle. It is indeed not clear whether the whole story is out. Until then, he should get the benefit of the doubt as should the authorities, but it does not hurt to raise our concern. It may help a man in a desperate situation, or it may alert the authorities that the lack of further information is sending the wrong signals, smacking of a history no one wants to repeat.

In the first case, it would indeed be good to stop such a trend before it spreads.

I wasn't aware of the other threads. (I see the topic as broader than a general political discussion as it affects writing directly, but mods will move matters around accordingly of course.) ETA: sorry didn't spot you were a mod

robjvargas · Sep 2, 2014

Kylabelle said:
Also, there's a chance here of stopping a trend before it starts. I sure hope we can do that.

Is it such a chance? Students have been going through suspensions for years, for writing the "wrong" kind of fiction. See Finkle v Syosset School Board.

An 11-year-old boy was suspended for 35 days for "intimidation and threats to bring a weapon to school" after he wrote in his daily journal a scary, violent story patterned after the horror movie "Halloween." The story included names of classmates as victims, who all knew he was writing a story and had given him permission to use their names. Officials removed the student from class and subjected him to several hours of psychological testing without notifying his parents, and did not count the resulting two days of lost classes as included within the period of suspension.

As far as I'm concerned, it's the same trend, and therefore well underway.

JustSarah · Sep 2, 2014

I just noticed this.

Writing the wrong kind of science fiction? That by definition makes it a close cousin to fantasy.

Ton Lew Lepsnaci · Sep 2, 2014

It seems pretty hypocritical for any society to punish school related fiction with violent content while churning out violent movies and games. Schools should take the chance to discuss fiction and encourage critical thought. Fear took the helm. It seems to stem from a wish to be seen to do the "right" thing all while hacking at the wrong root, again, if this story is true as it has been portrayed up to now...

Kylabelle · Sep 2, 2014

Rob, if it's well underway all the more reason to stop it. The longer such things go on the more they seem "business as usual" and this may not yet be so firmly entrenched.

Maybe I'm wrong about that. Still, the more attention brought to bear on such situations, the better chance there is for change.

Ton Lew Lepsnaci · Sep 2, 2014

I hope that AW-ers would consider signing the petition. You can supply the reason why you chose to sign. I outlined that, based on the info currently available, I was concerned that this writer's rights were affected, which would impact all writers.

veinglory · Sep 2, 2014

I only sign petitions where I really feel secure in my understanding. Right now my best guess is that the novels were not the only evidence used to investigate the man, who has not at this point been charged with anything. I may be wrong, but either way I would just be guessing.

robjvargas · Sep 2, 2014

Kylabelle said:
Rob, if it's well underway all the more reason to stop it. The longer such things go on the more they seem "business as usual" and this may not yet be so firmly entrenched.

Maybe I'm wrong about that. Still, the more attention brought to bear on such situations, the better chance there is for change.

Sorry, Kylabelle. My response was to amp up the urgency, for exactly the reason that I stated.

That's actually agreeing with you on the need to act. But I realize now that it didn't come across that way.

Ton Lew Lepsnaci · Sep 2, 2014

Hi vainglory,

I read about the letter he wrote to the school (if that is what you're referring to?). Time may tell what the contents are. I also tend to avoid petitions until I get all the facts straight. This one is different for me, though I fully respect others making a different call on it.

I've come across a few cases of boards handling suspensions in various educational institutes, and though there usually is grief on both sides, the final decisions tended to be quite heavy handed. So, I hedged my bets on this one and signed, adding a minor disclaimer.

I'm concerned about the snowballing of cross-institutional actions that can accompany such cases. Everyone needs to make up their own mind of course. I read up on the other threads where posters mentioned supporting causes that did not merit it. Such an ugly experience.

On this occasion I decided to risk being burned over ignoring what could be a further erosion of human rights. I'd be happy to discover that the authorities did a top job and prevented a serious risk. Perhaps they have their reasons not to divulge information. I could be wrong being concerned that this guy may be pining away somewhere, cut off from help. I have trouble believing this could happen in the US, even given some of the changes that have occurred in legislation. So it's not clear cut. Few things are of course.

Cyia · Sep 2, 2014

robjvargas said:
Is it such a chance? Students have been going through suspensions for years, for writing the "wrong" kind of fiction. See Finkle v Syosset School Board.

As far as I'm concerned, it's the same trend, and therefore well underway.

Not even close to the same thing.

A kid writing in a journal for school is supposed to follow specific guidelines that don't violate the school's codes of conduct. He wasn't writing on his own time for purposes of creating fiction; he was completing a journal for class. Granted no one should have removed him from class or interrogated him without his parents being there, but he broke the rules, and was subject to the consequences. Likewise, he was a minor, and so were the kids who gave him "permission" to use them in his gore-fest. A teacher has every right to react strongly to a violent piece written with his or her own students as the victims.

A grown man writing a piece of fiction, on his own time, not involving students he's teaching - or even his own time period - is completely different.

That would be like someone arresting Stephen King for animal cruelty because he wrote Cujo and Pet Semetery.

Filigree · Sep 2, 2014

I'm also waiting to see what, if any, additional information the authorities had about this guy.

But the immediate moral I take from it is a sad and practical one: don't be a US teacher or work with kids, if you are any kind of controversial writer or artist. Years ago, I used to help out an art teacher at a local school. Now that I'm a published and outspoken erotic romance author, I won't even bother with it. Not worth the low pay and potential hassle.

robjvargas · Sep 2, 2014

Cyia said:
Not even close to the same thing.

A kid writing in a journal for school is supposed to follow specific guidelines that don't violate the school's codes of conduct. He wasn't writing on his own time for purposes of creating fiction; he was completing a journal for class. Granted no one should have removed him from class or interrogated him without his parents being there, but he broke the rules, and was subject to the consequences. Likewise, he was a minor, and so were the kids who gave him "permission" to use them in his gore-fest. A teacher has every right to react strongly to a violent piece written with his or her own students as the victims.

A grown man writing a piece of fiction, on his own time, not involving students he's teaching - or even his own time period - is completely different.

That would be like someone arresting Stephen King for animal cruelty because he wrote Cujo and Pet Semetery.

While I agree that taking action against the teacher is exactly as you describe, I still think they represent the same concept. Writing is not doing. It's the logical fallacy that something must be "wrong" with someone in order for them to write such stuff. I don't buy that argument. Not ever.

One of the reasons that I chose that particular case for illustration is that it was inspired by existing work, and it was written with the knowledge of the fellow students that he named in the story. Remember, this student was accused of threatening others. In a fiction story that the "victims" of that alleged threatening knew he was writing?

So no, I don't agree that it's different.

Samsonet · Sep 2, 2014

The people that do end up shooting people don't write stories. They write manifestos.

Lauram6123 · Sep 2, 2014

I think this article helps to answer some questions...
http://www.latimes.com/books/jacket...ver-books-authorities-say-20140902-story.html

Kricket · Sep 2, 2014

Lauram6123 said:
I think this article helps to answer some questions...
http://www.latimes.com/books/jacket...ver-books-authorities-say-20140902-story.html

Ah, well that changes things...

The books he wrote are just icing on an already troubled cake.

Ton Lew Lepsnaci · Sep 2, 2014

If this is the case, the original news reports were so far off the mark they should be retracted. What a mess. It doesn't add up either way.

benbradley · Sep 2, 2014

Ton Lew Lepsnaci said:
If this is the case, the original news reports were so far off the mark they should be retracted. What a mess. It doesn't add up either way.

Can you link to the original news reports you're referring?

In the ones I saw the police were clear on saying the books weren't the only reason they were detaining (er, "treating") him.

Jamesaritchie · Sep 2, 2014

Ton Lew Lepsnaci said:
He may well be. But in the mean time he's going through hell.

Hmm, I thought hell was much worse than that. If that's hell, why worry about it?

Ton Lew Lepsnaci · Sep 2, 2014

http://www.wboc.com/story/26367051/...middle-school-teacher-on-administrative-leave

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