The Challenges of a Post-Columbine World

One of the many challenges that schools and the police face in a post-Columbine, post-Virginia Tech world played out in late spring in Chicago amidst much public criticism. The situation was one that is becoming quite common for school officials today: a student handing in an essay riddled with obscenities and violent, disturbing images.

The challenge is always what to do with such inappropriate writing. What do school officials do to assess if there really is any threat potential? And most importantly, what actions are necessary to ensure the safety of all students?

The story this spring was of a senior at Cary-Grove High School. The essay had been turned into a first year English teacher who was so disturbed she then sought out the English Department Chairperson, who then in turn called the school principal at home.

There is little doubt as to the inappropriateness of what the student, Allen Lee, wrote. He began his 342-word essay with the phrase, “Blood, Sex and Booze,” supposedly a reference to a song by the band Green Day. He then wrote: “Drugs Drugs Drugs are fun. Stab, Stab, Stab, S. . .t. . .a. . .b. . . , poke. So I had this dream last night where I went into a building, pulled out two P90s and started shooting everyone . . ., then had sex with the dead bodies. Well, not really, but it would be funny if I did.”

The student then went on to ridicule his English teacher as well as the creative writing class that she was teaching. Lee made particular fun of the fact that his teacher had baked brownies and “rice crispies” treats for all of her students.

“Way to try and justify yourself as a good teacher while underhandidly looking for complements on your cooking,” wrote Lee.

He also wrote:

“My current English teacher is a control freak intent on setting a gap between herself and her students.” He ended with: “No quarrel on you qualifications as a writer, but as a teacher, don’t be surprised on inspiring the first cg [Cary-Grove] shooting.”

After the recent Virginia Tech massacre, the last statement clearly had to have concerned school officials. Upon being called at home, the principal of the school then contacted the police regarding the matter.

The A-student was arrested the following morning while walking to school. Police would charge Lee with two counts of disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor that carries up to 30 days in jail and a $1,500 fine.

Though charges were filed, Lee was neither suspended nor expelled by the school. Instead, he was being taught off-campus while school officials assessed safety concerns. However, one immediate direct consequence to Lee was a discharge from the Marine Corps enlistment program due to the disorderly conduct charges that had been filed.

Later, after school officials deemed that the safety of others was not an issue, Lee was informed he could return to school. The honors student with a 4.2 grade point average was also returned to full standing and allowed to graduate with his class.

However, in spite of his reinstatement, the student’s attorney, Dane Loizzo, could not resist a few jabs. He contended that the charges brought against his client for writing the violent essay were a product of paranoia, a response to the recent massacre of 32 students at Virginia Tech. In addition, his consistently aggressive and contentious media push made the situation all the more difficult for school and law enforcement officials who sought to ensure the safety of students at the school.

The only thing certain about this incident is that it will happen again and soon. It will be in another classroom in another state but it will happen.

And when it does, school officials and law enforcement personnel will again have the enormous challenge of balancing the rights of an individual with the safety concerns for others. That has always been a difficult task, but it has been made all the more difficult by the horrors of Columbine and Virginia Tech.