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[untitled]

Sorry this is so long, but I am in need of words of wisdom and heart felt support, please.

Yesterday I had a returning student get irrationally and aggressively hostile in class over an extremely benign point. When I realized he had lost control, I asked him to leave.  When he refused, I told him either he leave, or I would call the campus police to escort him out. He left, demanding (screaming) I accompany him to my dean's office. I told him I could not leave other students in the middle of class, and he stormed out.

Afterward, one student said, "'Roid rage!" Another student looked at me and said, He's an A**hole." Still another student said she felt afraid.  As I tried to calm things down for everyone else, I realized I was shaking with fear. The first student said, "If he comes back I'll protect you, don't worry." 

The reason the student got mad was due to my having written "Please use Times New Roman 12 point" on an assignment I'd just returned on which he scored a perfect grade. He confronted me with the note that I later remembered I had written when he first turned it in, telling him as I was writing it that the note was a reminder for his essays to use TNR as a general use font for academic papers. He knew that the only thing being graded on the assignment was depth of thought and thoroughness, which is why he received a perfect score, not to mention he is a superior writer. Nonetheless, he became irrational, shouting at me in a threatening manner, becoming hostilely uncooperative as I tried to assuage him.  This is when I asked him to leave.

Later I was told that he did indeed go to the dean's office, and, when told the dean was not there, shouted that he had "a right to see the dean NOW!"  After this, as related to me, he became aggressively irrational. I assumed this was somewhere beyond the behavior I had been witness to. He stormed away saying he was going to the Vice-President's office.

Between classes I called the division office where everyone knew of the situation but did not discuss it, instead putting me through to the dean who seemed genuinely concerned, asking me to see him before leaving campus. During my next class, a group of students asked what was wrong.  I described the situtaion as anonymously as possible.  All of a sudden, one young man in the group said, "Does he look like _______?" He described the man, who is about 5'9" of overworked and overbound muscles.  I asked the young man how he knew and he said he had the guy in a class last year, and that he acted really oddly then, too. I started wondering what other unacceptable and unsharable behavior had transpired before his appearing in my class.

After I finished teaching for the day, I met with the dean and explained that I felt threatened as well as afraid of having this man in my class ever again. I explained the above in the best detail I could remember, coming to the conclusion that this man has bullied me all semester and I have been trying to placate him.

At this point the dean said he understood my fear. I suggested that, if he meets with the student, he should have campus police on standby.

Late last night upon my return from visiting my dying mother, I listened to a message on my answering machine from the dean in which he said he understands why I feel the way I do because the student is "very intense" and that he himself has had similar types of students.  With the next breath, he said the student will return to my class on Monday, promising to be quiet and not dominate the class.

Now I am panicked because there is certainly no guarantee that someone whose out of control behavior warrants a visit to rehab/the psychiatric ward is able to control himself at all. Secondly, I can't be angry with the dean because it is clear to me that the student manipulated him as he has manipulated me all along:  somehow this guy seems rationale. He says what you want to hear to your face, then, in my particular instance, sits in group with other students nit-picking my every move. This is in between diatribes on whatever topic we are looking at for rhetorical analysis. No matter how many times I repeat that we are looking at how the argument is made, not what it says, he can't help arguing his point of view of the topic as loudly and forcefully as he can, cutting me off to do so. I just realized that he only has one person left in the class who will still be in his group.  Everyone else has moved away.

I feel  like over the past 6 weeks I have been involved in a sick, abusive relationship--this man manipulating me while I try every method I know of to placate him. My part in it is that I did not recognize the symptoms of his disorder and did not believe my intuition that he was on drugs.  I have exposed me and my students to a dangerous situation.

Because I am an adjunct, I feel afraid to set my boundary clearly by telling the dean that I can agree to work online with this man but I refuse to meet with him face to face. (Even this is going beyond my desire to get a restraining order.) 

At this point, I don't care about being the bigger person and looking at things from the lofty level of intellectual inquiry I too readily pursue when the world gets crazier than usual. I want the right to refuse service. 

[magistra]

Oh, God.  I'm so sorry.  And no, there's no excuse for your dean.

Document, document, document.  And document some more.  With backups.

Call the police yourself.  I'd call local as well as campus.

Call a lawyer if you can afford it.  Even if you can't. 

Point out to the dean that this is a lawsuit waiting to happen -- that students have said they're afraid; that they're paying for their education, and can't learn in that environment; that in this day and age, if anything happened....and you certainly have reason to believe it will.  Go up the chain with this if you have to; at the very least, your chair should know.

Read the faculty handbook, campus police website, etc.  See what the official policies are.

Insist on a police escort while on campus.

I'm sorry I don't have better advice, but if your admin is wussy, there's not much you can do.  There have been other threads on this topic, but no real solutions.

[obprof]

Oh crap.

1- Can you talk to the campus police? There's a chance that they have a file on this guy. Maybe they would be willing to have someone sit in.

2-Do you have any emailed threats or something similar? Maybe you can go to the local police instead.

No matter who you talk to, I would mention that your students are afraid of him. At my school, I have a feeling that this would trump faculty concerns.

And don't blame yourself for a minute: this student is the way he is and there's nothing you can do to change him.

[oldfullprof]

I had an animal house fraternity most of the members of which decided to take my deviance class one semester.  The pledge master was a real New York City type who'd get up and walk out of class across the front of the room multiple times an hour.  He was huge, and had a truly atavistic appearance.  I think he was snorting coke in the restroom.  I asked him not to do this or not come to class.  He came anyway, and kept doing it.  The animal house guys chattered away, and the majority of the class was these guys.  (They'd been referred by a fraternity brother who'd loved my class during a previous semester.  Great.)  I went for a long walk one day and figured out a fix.  I started having the class meet in a circle and did process issues before and after.  This got them more or less settled down.  I'm pretty big, and I can usually sort of dominate a class, but it wasn't working here.  So the "group therapy" sort of worked.

With this guy, he sounds like he needs rapid intervention by mental health.  I'd avoid direct conflict, and document, document, document...Keep everything objective.  Don't be alone with him.  Insist above all that the college intervene.

[magistra]

Here are a couple threads you might find relevant.  

http://chronicle.com/forums/index.php/topic,45398.0.html

http://chronicle.com/forums/index.php/topic,36787.0.html

http://chronicle.com/forums/index.php/topic,28775.0.html

[mystictechgal]

In addition to what magistra and obprof have suggested, program the campus police number as a speed dial on your cell phone and keep it ready to go.  If he shows any sign of losing control in the class--call.  And, I'd definitely suggest talking to them ahead of time.  If they can't have someone sit in they may be able to make sure someone is at least on alert that you might be calling and nearby.

I also think that the fact your students have said they are afraid is a major point.  If they are willing to complain it could help quite a bit.

Good luck.  Sorry you're having to deal with this.

Oh, one other thought.  Google this guy and see if he turns up in any news stories involving police or if he's venting his rage online.  If so, that's more ammunition for you to take up the chain.

[tenured_feminist]

I'm sorry this is happening to you.

Basically, you need to draw a very firm, clear boundary and have backup available to enforce it. If he raises his voice or becomes obstreperous, kick his @ss out of the class. The first time, give him one warning: "Jimmy, your tone and affect are inappropriate for our classroom. If you cannot lower your voice, I will have to ask you to leave. You may not participate in this class unless you can do so respectfully." Then, kick him out.

The key here is to tip off the campus cops so that they will come in and remove him if he begins to make a fuss. My guess is that if he has a prior history of bad behavior, he knows how far he can go without getting into big trouble. Once he realizes you will call the cops on him, he should either stop or escalate to the point where it's no longer your problem. Either outcome is good for you.

Call the cops Monday morning and read them in on the plan so they can have an officer standing by to execute.

And most of all, work to depersonalize it. The guy has major problems and it's not about you. Stop trying to placate him or work with him. He misbehaves, he determines his own fate. It's that simple. (Of course it's not, but that's the framework you need to adopt.)

[kshenko]

Check w/ your Chair.  In additon to alerting the campus secutiry, you might be obligated to report him to the proper office.  At my Univ., instructors are compelled to report such students to a student service cmte. because they may pose threat to others in the future.  We were reminded of this policy post Virginia Tech.

[yellowtractor]

No matter who you talk to, I would mention that your students are afraid of him. At my school, I have a feeling that this would trump faculty concerns.

This, if you talk to anyone.  Absolutely.

If it were me, I would also call the campus police and give them a heads-up, dean or no dean, as tenured_feminist and others have suggested.  Even if you don't ask--and/or they don't offer, or refuse--to send someone in for your Monday class, they know what's going on.

And don't blame yourself for a minute...,

And most of all, work to depersonalize it.

Also, this.  As best you can.  Good luck.  Keep us updated.

[larryc]

Christ, what an a**hole. Your dean, I mean. And the student in question as well.

Go and introduce yourself to the campus chief of police on Monday morning and explain the situation. Ask if an officer couldn't be present for the next meeting of your class. Get their number on speed dial. Have them walk you to your car. Document everything.

And do keep checking in--we will be thinking of you.

[caravaggiojr82]

You're probably right that the student has manipulated the dean. Adjunct or not, you don't have to put up with this. One of your students said she felt threatened and afraid--and I wish that were enough for dismissal, but it's often not. If you can get your chair on your side (and if you had tenure), I'd consider giving this idiot dean of yours an ultimatum: get this abusive student out of my class or I walk. Now that might not be realistic in your position, but for sure I'd make sure the dean understands that students in the class are afraid of this guy.

And have the campus cops stationed near the classroom; that's what they're for.

[prytania3]

This sounds terrible.

I have never had a crackpot, but I've been teaching a long time. I fear the law of large numbers is bound to catch up with me.

[mountainguy]

Good grief. The guy sounds like a psychopath.

To echo what Lizzy said, is there a dean of students or student conduct office that you could contact??? It's possible they may be more prepared to deal with this type of situation than your academic dean. In addition to contacting the campus police, I would also ask a few of the other male students in your class if they would be willing to wait around after class to walk out with you, so that there's zero chance of you being alone with the bully. I would also talk to other faculty to see if they had any ideas for how to proceed. Most departments have at least one or two senior people who know how to play hardball when the going gets tough.

And finally, while I'm highly hesitant to even suggest this idea, have you given any thought to abandoning the class??? I realize that's a drastic solution that could likely result in negative repercussions for you, but if you're truly desperate, it's something consider.  

[systeme_d_]

I am sorry you are going through this.

I echo the recommendation of Lizzy and MG -- contact the student conduct / ethics office.  I'd call there first before I called the Dean of Students, because the professionals in that office can really give you the lay of the land at your university.  They can tell you what *buzzwords* need to be used in order to bring a charge against the student, and what *buzzwords* will attract the Dean of Students' attention.

From where I sit, your Dean is not addressing safety and comfort issues for you, and as an adjunct, you're one of the most vulnerable among us.  Not cool.

[llanfair]

So sorry you're having to deal with this.  Call in all the protection you can, document everything, and have someone escort you whenever possible. 

Your dean's non-assistance is appalling, and should perhaps be reported up the line as well.