Hostile environment at a college?

[Anonymous]

What exactly would contribute to a hostile environment? Below is my university's language:

"Creating or contributing to an intimidating or hostile environment for any member of the community"


If a student threatened to sue the professor, could that be considered a hostile environment? I'm wanting to write my student up for this. Others said I should report it to campus police, but I don't think the police will care.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
What exactly would contribute to a hostile environment? Below is my university's language:

"Creating or contributing to an intimidating or hostile environment for any member of the community"


If a student threatened to sue the professor, could that be considered a hostile environment? I'm wanting to write my student up for this. Others said I should report it to campus police, but I don't think the police will care.

I saw your other post. Can you ask your Dean?

I honestly think you are in zero danger of being sued. The student would even have less chance of winning than you being sued. Enjoy the rest of your weekend, OP.

[Anonymous]

? everybody has a perfectly legal right to sue. And remember a "hostile environment" claim could go the other way -- are you the one who reported a student for cheating? You'd better be very sure of your facts and have the proof before reporting someone for cheating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
What exactly would contribute to a hostile environment? Below is my university's language:

"Creating or contributing to an intimidating or hostile environment for any member of the community"


If a student threatened to sue the professor, could that be considered a hostile environment? I'm wanting to write my student up for this. Others said I should report it to campus police, but I don't think the police will care.

I saw your other post. Can you ask your Dean?

I honestly think you are in zero danger of being sued. The student would even have less chance of winning than you being sued. Enjoy the rest of your weekend, OP.

Thank you. My Dean never got back to me about it last week but my student emailed me again reiterating her intent to sue. I'm sure this threat is normal to some, but this is a first for me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
What exactly would contribute to a hostile environment? Below is my university's language:

"Creating or contributing to an intimidating or hostile environment for any member of the community"


If a student threatened to sue the professor, could that be considered a hostile environment? I'm wanting to write my student up for this. Others said I should report it to campus police, but I don't think the police will care.

I saw your other post. Can you ask your Dean?

I honestly think you are in zero danger of being sued. The student would even have less chance of winning than you being sued. Enjoy the rest of your weekend, OP.

Thank you. My Dean never got back to me about it last week but my student emailed me again reiterating her intent to sue. I'm sure this threat is normal to some, but this is a first for me.

I don't think you have to answer such an email? Are you required (somehow) to answer all emails? Even threatening emails? I would think it is better to not answer them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:? everybody has a perfectly legal right to sue. And remember a "hostile environment" claim could go the other way -- are you the one who reported a student for cheating? You'd better be very sure of your facts and have the proof before reporting someone for cheating.

PP here. Sounds like an overzealous parents who has been defending Johnny the Nightmare's antics for at least the last 18 years. How is that working for you?

OP, these parents call universities every day. For most universities, you only have to answer to the student (over 18), if that. Talk to your Dean first thing in the morning. Tell him/her that you are receiving repeated threats via email. Escalate this. This is harassment. If you have viable proof that this is the right student, don't worry about a damn thing.

[Anonymous]

telling a teacher you intend to sue them is not harassment. And we don't know who is in the right on this. I only reiterate OP that you had better be able to prove this student cheated.

[Anonymous]

No, it means harasses or shaming other students,especially those in marginalized groups.

[Anonymous]

Does the university have in-house counsel? Google your university's name and general counsel.

[Anonymous]

Sorry you’re going through this, OP.
If the student sends you hundreds of emails about this, it might be harassment or hostile, but a handful of emails is nothing.

[Anonymous]

It seems like you need to involve your Dean (phone call or meeting if still no response), University legal counsel, and possibly HR). You should definitely not engage with the student directly in any way at this point…no email direct response to the threat, no office meeting without your Dean/counsel, etc. You need formal advice from your institution before interacting with the student further.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:telling a teacher you intend to sue them is not harassment. And we don't know who is in the right on this. I only reiterate OP that you had better be able to prove this student cheated.

Not OP, but please read OP's other thread, since you've come back twice to say the OP had better have proof. The student took a screen shot of a test and the image captures the student's face reflected on the screen and OP says she's identifiable in that image. Let's move on with OP's real question, then.

OP, I know you're worried but I would contact the dean again first thing tomorrow (is it possible the dean is away ?) and forward to the dean that e-mail from the student with the threat of a lawsuit. Do NOT respond to the student! Why have you not contacted the university's general counsel as some suggested on your other thread? Any particular reason? Maybe you need to go via the dean first? I agree with others that the mere threat of a suit doesn't mean much right now. And be sure you have copies of that image of the student's face with the test answers. I would be sure to have a printed, physical copy of it, not only a digital one. But again-- do not engage with the student herself or anyone she sends your way (like a parent or even a laywer). Your university's lawyers should be the ones doing any communicating.

[Anonymous]

OP, I had a similar incident with a student before I was tenured. I had proof and the student threatened to sue. As others have noted, you should contact general counsel and make sure you CYA, which means document everything and stop engaging with the student. I was advised to CC legal counsel and my chair for any future correspondence. The student and parents tried to escalate but I had department/ university support. She did hire a lawyer and threatened to file against me and the university but it didn’t go anywhere. I wasn’t worried because I had evidence.

I also had another student try to sue me because she thought she should have received an A instead of a B and also went to the dean and later president of the university. She argued that I was ruining her chances of getting into a T1 law school. She was a development student and made it very clear that her family name was on one of the campus buildings. I didn’t change her grade even when the dean suggested otherwise. Surprisingly, I didn’t experience any issues with the dean afterwards but not sure if the student’s family stopped donating to the university.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:telling a teacher you intend to sue them is not harassment. And we don't know who is in the right on this. I only reiterate OP that you had better be able to prove this student cheated.

Not OP, but please read OP's other thread, since you've come back twice to say the OP had better have proof. The student took a screen shot of a test and the image captures the student's face reflected on the screen and OP says she's identifiable in that image. Let's move on with OP's real question, then.

OP, I know you're worried but I would contact the dean again first thing tomorrow (is it possible the dean is away ?) and forward to the dean that e-mail from the student with the threat of a lawsuit. Do NOT respond to the student! Why have you not contacted the university's general counsel as some suggested on your other thread? Any particular reason? Maybe you need to go via the dean first? I agree with others that the mere threat of a suit doesn't mean much right now. And be sure you have copies of that image of the student's face with the test answers. I would be sure to have a printed, physical copy of it, not only a digital one. But again-- do not engage with the student herself or anyone she sends your way (like a parent or even a laywer). Your university's lawyers should be the ones doing any communicating.

Ha ha. So in the first paragraph you say she has the proof, let's move on -- then in the second paragraph you reiterate, in even more detailed fashion, what I said: she better have proof. And be sure you have copies of that image of the student's face with the test answers. I would be sure to have a printed, physical copy of it, not only a digital one. Sounds like we're in complete agreement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does the university have in-house counsel? Google your university's name and general counsel.

All universities, to my knowledge, have in house counsel.