There is a bizarre case out of Maryland where school officials sent teacher and novelist Patrick McLaw, 23, to an emergency medical evaluation for publishing, under a pseudonym, a novel about a school shooting. That’s it. A language-arts eight grade teacher at Lane Middle School writes a book about a school shooting and he is put on leave by the Dorchester County Board of Education, investigated by the Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office, and sent away for evaluation. “The Insurrectionist” happens to be set 900 years in the future but the board couldn’t just wait for the shooting to occur and had to act. What is striking is that all of these steps have been taken and McLaw has been effectively treated as a danger to children but no one has said a thing beyond the novel that is the basis for the actions. Was there something else that raise the danger of a violent act by McLaw? Officials have not been shy about distributing McLaw’s picture, assuring parents that they will protect their children (presumably from McLaw), and generally portraying him as a possible threat to children. Yet, when it comes to the basis for these actions, no one is saying a thing.
Officials have noted that McLaw has used various names. Yet, news reports indicate that he had his original name “Beale” legally changed and he has said common pseudonyms as an author.
McLaw is the author of two books: “The Insurrectionist” and its sequel, “Lillith’s Heir.”
After he was sent for evaluation, the police swept Lane Middle School for bombs and guns. After all, a novelist had been roaming the halls unescorted. His home was also raided by police.
Dorchester County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Henry Wagner (right) assured parents after the novelist was removed that police will be present at the middle school “for as long as we deem it necessary.”
Weirdly, the whereabouts of McLaw is unknown and he is on leave. Dorchester School Superintendent Dr. Henry Wagner said
In response to community inquiries, we are providing the following additional information.
“The concerns regarding Mr. McLaw were originally brought forward by the Wicomico County State’s Attorney last week. They have advised that an investigation is ongoing but the details may not be released, as it may compromise that investigation.
“All appropriate background checks were conducted prior to Mr. McLaw’s employment with DCPS,” Wagner said. “Furthermore, none of the above-mentioned matters took place in conjunction with his employment with DCPS.
“Nevertheless, by way of additional precautions, the Cambridge Police Department (CPD) is providing a presence at MLMS. His photo and the original press release have been issued to all schools. We are working closely with law enforcement (the Dorchester Sheriff’s Department and CPD) to insure that all of our security protocols are followed.”
The 2013-14 school year was McLaw’s first year teaching at Mace’s Lane Middle School but he was one of the nominees for Dorchester County’s First Class Teacher of the Year
this year.
The Insurrectionist includes the following quote:
“On 18 March 2902, a massacre transpired on the campus of Ocean Park High School, claiming the lives of nine hundred forty-seven individuals — the largest school massacre in the nation’s history. And the entire country now begins to ask two daunting questions: How? and Why? After the federal government becomes involved, and after examining the bouquet of black roses that lies in front of the school’s sign, it becomes evident that the hysteria is far from over.”
Unless there is some really chilling evidence that has not been uncovered, McLaw may have an extraordinary lawsuit in the making. Various news sites are reporting that McLaw was put through this nightmare because of his novels. If so, this is a ridiculous and abusive series of actions by both school and police officials. If there is something more, these officials need to be clear that there was some evidence beyond the novels that prompted these actions. No guns or bombs were found in the school or his home. So what is going on? As the novel states, it is “evident that the hysteria is far from over.”
Source: The Atlantic
Kudos: Don Clarke
Anecdotal
I have to take strong exception to Nick’s dismissal of the entire education system and no, unions are not to blame for issues like the one alleged in this article. Union members don’t make the school district rules and the administrators are the ones deciding who gets suspended or disciplined. I received a great education in the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. My kids received even better education experiences in the last 20 years in the public school system in high school and college and post graduate education.
You’re very welcome, rafflaw. I’ll say it again, given what I know: It has a bad smell to it.
Title of LA Times article (refer to prior comment) changed to:
“Mental health issues, not books, led to teacher’s suspension”
This one has a bad smell to it. Someone should leak the letter that he sent to law enforcement.
anon,
thanks for the updated information.
Sorry Karen, I posted on the wrong thread!
Karen,
I just released your comment from the spam filter.
PC, Speech Codes, Teacher’s Unions, professors banning “God Bless You” when someone sneezes, assaulting anti abortion protestors, I could go on. This, good people, is the education industry. They have your kids captive 7 hours a day. You’re paying outrageously high taxes for horseshit. Stephen King would have been drugged and in special education classes, if he weren’t expelled. Education started going in the toilet in the 60’s. It has gotten worse every decade. From K-20, time to clean house and take back public education form these self serving, bad people.
From the Horse’s (a**) mouth:
http://www.dcps.k12.md.us/files/Press%20Release%20-%20NOTICE%20UPDATED.pdf
Today at 10:46
“Teacher was not placed on leave over books, authorities say”
“Books published under the pen name Dr. K.S. Voltaer were not the deciding factor in the author’s suspension, authorities say.”
By Carolyn Kellogg
http://www.latimes.com/books/jacketcopy/la-et-jc-teacher-was-not-placed-on-leave-over-books-authorities-say-20140902-story.html
Excerpt:
Reports circulated this weekend that a middle school teacher in Dorchester County, Md., had been placed on administrative leave over his two futuristic novels about school violence. That is not that case, authorities tell the L.A. Times.
“It didn’t start with the books and it didn’t end with the books,” State’s Attorney for Wicomico County Matt Maciarello told The Times. “It’s not even a factor in what law enforcement is doing now.”
There have been no charges filed against Patrick McLaw, a teacher at Mace’s Lane Middle School in Cambridge who self-published two novels, “The Insurrectionist” (2011) and “Lilith’s Heir” (2013), under the pen name Dr. K.S. Voltaer.
Free speech supporters who believed the author was targeted for the books’ stories of school massacres in 2902 have been purchasing the novels from Amazon. “Bought this in protest of the local authorities arresting and confining this person just for being a teacher and writing a book about a school killing,” reads a typical comment, one of more than 100.
In fact, McLaw has not been arrested. No warrant for his arrest has been issued.
Concerns about McLaw were raised after he sent a four-page letter to officials in Dorchester County. Those concerns brought together authorities from multiple jurisdictions, including health authorities.
McLaw’s attorney, David Moore, tells The Times that his client was taken in for a mental health evaluation. “He is receiving treatment,” Moore said.
Because of HIPPA regulations mandating privacy around healthcare issues, he was unable to say whether McLaw has been released.
McLaw’s letter was of primary concern to healthcare officials, Maciarello says. It, combined with complaints of alleged harassment and an alleged possible crime from various jurisdictions led to his suspension. Maciarello cautions that these allegations are still being investigated; authorities, he says, “proceeded with great restraint.”
What’s more, he told The Times, “everyone knew about the book in 2012.”
McLaw, who is also known as Patrick Beale, was placed on administrative leave on Aug. 22 due to “concerns raised by law enforcement,” according to an official statement by the Dorchester County Public Schools.
I really want to read the affidavit submitted to get the search warrant.
Since when is the writing of a book a crime?
They had a man with a pen evaluated. Will they be asking each and every teacher who owns a fund to be evaluated? Just asking. I know that the pen is allegedly mightier than the sword but what about the gun.
Reblogged this on Whatever Works and commented:
I feel so protected.
Is this a real story? The first mention of it I can find is a blog post on Russia Today from a week ago (8/26/14). This has been hanging out there that long and the press knows nothing about the details? Something smells fishy.
Reblogged this on SiriusCoffee and commented:
In protest against this stupidity, I went ahead and purchased the Kindle edition of his book “The Insurrectionist” on Amazon.
The local new outlet which you quote actually said, ” [McLaw] is currently at a location known to law enforcement and does not currently have the ability to travel anywhere.”
This is *far* more troubling than your wording [in summary] that he is “on leave.”
@anonymouly yours
You asked: “What kinda of gaze in the eyes did the states attorney have?”
How about the gaze in the eyes of the neutral magistrate who signed off on the search warrants???
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
And meanwhile,practicing physicians regularly write novels about stealth murderers in hospitals and practicing attorneys regularly write novels about crooked lawyers and legal conspiracies to commit crimes.
Something must be done!
The anti-gun Leftists have created this hysteria. Once in motion, no one involved has enough sense to say, WTF??? The temperature is approaching 451 degrees farenheit.
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter