student charged for writing violent essay

[rainbabies]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18353425/&GT1=9246

Student charged for writing violent essay
High school senior says he was just following the assignment

CARY, Ill. - Authorities have filed a second disorderly conduct charge against a high school senior arrested for writing an essay officials described as disturbing and inappropriate.

Allen Lee, 18, of Cary was arrested earlier this week after penning the essay at his northern Illinois high school. Lee contends he was just following the creative writing assignment he was given in class at Cary-Grove High School.

Lee initially faced just one charge, but an amended complaint filed Thursday cited a second passage.

According to the complaint, the essay reads, in part, "Blood, sex and booze. Drugs, drugs, drugs are fun. Stab, stab, stab, stab, stab, s...t...a...b...puke. 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."

Another passage said, "as a teacher, don't be surprised on inspiring the first CG shooting," the complaint said.

The creative writing assignment in Lee's English class on Monday instructed students to "write whatever comes to your mind. Do not judge or censor what you are writing," according to a copy of the assignment.

"In creative writing, you're told to exaggerate," Lee said. "It was supposed to be just junk. ... There definitely is violent content, but they're taking it out of context and making it something it isn't."

Lee has been removed from school, and District 155 spokesman Jeff Puma said the district is evaluating Lee's punishment while he attends an offsite learning program in the school district.

"It wasn't just violent or foul language," Puma said. "It went beyond that."

Lee's attorney, Dane Loizzo, said his client was within the parameters of the assignment.

"A stream of consciousness seems to be the goal of the assignment," Loizzo said. He said Lee has never been disciplined in school and signed Marine enlistment papers last week.

His father, Albert Lee, has defended his son as a straight-A student who was just following instructions and contends the school overreacted. However, Albert Lee has said he understands the situation because of what happened last week at Virginia Tech when student Seung-Hui Cho killed 32 students and faculty members before committing suicide.

The charges against Lee could result in a possible $1,500 fine and up to 30 days in jail if he is convicted.

Cary is about 40 miles west of Chicago.

[Ravenclaw]

If that is this kid's stream of consciousness, he needs help.

[alison]

"Write whatever comes to your mind" as an essay prompt is asking for it. It's these teachers who are "educating" our kids and sending them to college with NO semblance of critical writing skills! Why not have the kids learn the basic structure of an essay. Thesis, body, conclusion. They sure don't have these skills when they come to my class and write crap!

[poky]

"Write whatever comes to your mind" as an essay prompt is asking for it.

That's kinda what I was thinking. On top of that, though, the kid's got to be pretty stupid to think he could get away with that kind of garbage, even with a wide open assignment like that. Of course, teenagers as a rule don't always think things through before they do them...

[Rapunzel]

"Write whatever comes to your mind" as an essay prompt is asking for it. It's these teachers who are "educating" our kids and sending them to college with NO semblance of critical writing skills! Why not have the kids learn the basic structure of an essay. Thesis, body, conclusion. They sure don't have these skills when they come to my class and write crap!

I agree.

That crap shouldn't even count as an essay. It looks more like dialogue on one of the combat video games I see my husband, his friends, and all of my bil's playing. Not that any of them write such grotesque things - but I can imagine some weirdo teenager writing things like that in his comments. Disgusting little idiot.

I'd say this kid is either messed up emotionally OR he's confused "writing skills" for the video game commentary he probably uses all the time while shooting it up over the net with his pimply-faced, perverted friends.

[pstone]

There are 90 guns for every 100 americans.
The USA exports over 500 million dollars in guns each year.

9-11 killed some 2819 (might not be exact) americans, since that time over 75 thousand americans have been killed by OTHER americans.

What do we expect from kids, they grow up watching us.

[Meenah]

I'd say this kid is either messed up emotionally OR he's confused "writing skills" for the video game commentary he probably uses all the time while shooting it up over the net with his pimply-faced, perverted friends.

[Deebs]

What is wrong with his father? I hope if I was the parent of the child, my reaction would be more of, "wow, my kid really needs help, and I'm going to make sure he gets it." I'm not sure this belongs in a court situation, but with the way mental health is treated, it is probably the best chance this kid will get for help.

[Flynn]

What is wrong with his father? I hope if I was the parent of the child, my reaction would be more of, "wow, my kid really needs help, and I'm going to make sure he gets it." I'm not sure this belongs in a court situation, but with the way mental health is treated, it is probably the best chance this kid will get for help.

The kid screwed up. Chances are he was trying to get a rise out of the teacher or administration and due to VT it went way too far.

The parent is more than likely freaking out because if the kid IS a straight A student he might have just flushed his future down the toilet. The parent probably thinks the kid made ONE really poor decision and now it might wreck everything.


What the kid did was completely stupid. He should get in big trouble AND be evaluated if possible.

I read a TON of these in my teaching past. For every year I taught I probably read ten of these kinds of essays. For the record I did have RULES for the assignment and the students in question just ignored them!!! I was a stickler for form and structure. None of these kids blew anyone away that I know of.

The world is changing before our eyes...
These essays are nothing new.

[rainbabies]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18353425/?GT1=9246

Marines drop student charged for violent essay
Senior with straight A's says he was just following the assignment

CARY, Ill. - Allen Lee was on the verge of realizing a dream to become a Marine after signing enlistment papers this month. But one violent, profanity-laced English essay later, the 18-year-old’s future with the Marine Corps appears to be over.

Because of pending criminal charges stemming from his essay, Lee’s recruiter told him Friday that the Marine Corps has discharged him from his contract, said Sgt. Luis R. Agostini, spokesman for the Marine Corps Recruiting Station Chicago.

“Basically, he is no longer an applicant to become a Marine,” Agostini said.

The senior at suburban Cary-Grove High School was charged this week with two misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct after the principal turned his creative writing essay over to police.

Prosecutors cite Va. Tech
Lee initially faced just one charge, but an amended complaint filed Thursday cited a second passage.

“In light of recent events (at Virginia Tech), that is part of the context of what happened that makes the reaction all the more reasonable,” said Tom Carroll, first assistant state’s attorney in McHenry County.

Lee, who has a 4.2 grade-point average and never has been in trouble before, is being tutored at administrative offices while school officials decide his future, said his lawyer, Thomas Loizzo.

The charges are a product of paranoia, born of the massacre of 32 students at Virginia Tech by a social outcast who then killed himself, Loizzo said.

“Once the dust settles, once they look at this through clearer glasses, we think that the state will do the right thing and dismiss the charges,” Loizzo said.

The essay, written Monday, reads in part, “Blood, sex and booze. Drugs, drugs, drugs are fun. Stab, stab, stab, stab, stab, s...t...a...b...puke. 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.”

Assignment: ‘Be creative’
The teacher told students: “‘Be creative; there will be no judgment and no censorship,”’ Thomas Loizzo said. “There was never any warning from the teacher that if she determined the paper to be offensive, she would then pass it along to the authorities.”

School district spokesman Jeff Puma declined to discuss the specifics of the essay or Lee’s future, citing privacy concerns.

“The essay was inappropriate in that it caused a question about safety,” Puma said.

The charges could result in a $1,500 fine and as many as 30 days in jail if Lee is convicted.


Lee hopes to re-enlist if the charges are cleared and he’s allowed to return to school, said his other attorney, Dane Loizzo.

Lee wrote in a statement provided by his attorney that he has completed military entrance exams, including a psychiatric evaluation.

“If I’m qualified to defend the country, I believe I’m qualified to attend school,” he wrote.

[PrincessFiona]

There are 90 guns for every 100 americans.
The USA exports over 500 million dollars in guns each year.

9-11 killed some 2819 (might not be exact) americans, since that time over 75 thousand americans have been killed by OTHER americans.

What do we expect from kids, they grow up watching us.

I luv ya Pete.

Maybe it is time to start seeing these essays/shootings as a reflection of our f'd up society and make some changes.

nah..it'll never happen.

[Stella]

What is wrong with his father? I hope if I was the parent of the child, my reaction would be more of, "wow, my kid really needs help, and I'm going to make sure he gets it." I'm not sure this belongs in a court situation, but with the way mental health is treated, it is probably the best chance this kid will get for help.

The kid screwed up. Chances are he was trying to get a rise out of the teacher or administration and due to VT it went way too far.

The parent is more than likely freaking out because if the kid IS a straight A student he might have just flushed his future down the toilet. The parent probably thinks the kid made ONE really poor decision and now it might wreck everything.


What the kid did was completely stupid. He should get in big trouble AND be evaluated if possible.

I read a TON of these in my teaching past. For every year I taught I probably read ten of these kinds of essays. For the record I did have RULES for the assignment and the students in question just ignored them!!! I was a stickler for form and structure. None of these kids blew anyone away that I know of.

The world is changing before our eyes...
These essays are nothing new.