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
Prosecutor: Concerns over teacher’s letter, not his books
http://www.myeasternshoremd.com/news/dorchester_county/article_362de709-7dfd-5666-acf5-9823586d269f.html?mode=jqm
Excerpt:
The prosecutor explained the sequence of events that led to the Aug. 19 meeting:
Officials received a harassment complaint Aug. 15 from a teacher in the Delmar school district; two days later, an administrator informed the Delmar police chief of a possible inappropriate relationship between McLaw and a minor, who was not McLaw’s student, Maciarello said. Both complaints remain under investigation; in the latter case, police are trying to determine if the minor was 15 or 16 years old when the relationship began (the age of consent is 16).
A subsequent report that McLaw was building models of Wicomico County school buildings also was received, the prosecutor said, and McLaw sent a letter to a Dorchester County school administrator that raised concerns. As a result, Maciarello brought the law enforcement and health officials together to share information and discuss the case.
Health officials were brought in because of concerns that it was more a “mental health matter,” Maciarello said.
“…but these are the same authorities who last week told the press that McLaw was removed from his job because he wrote novels about a school shooting under a pseudonym…. I’ve been trying to get the sheriff of Dorchester County on the phone, to no avail.” — Anon (9-2-14) — Many Sheriffs are elected. It’s not at all uncommon for them to grandstand, particularly during an election season. As well, being political animals, many of them are more clever than bright. I’d lay odds on that being true here.
Those who can: do.
Those who cant: teach.
Those who cant teach: teach teachers.
Those who teach teachers are called Principals.
A Principal is not a Pal.
Went in Dumb
Come out dumb too.
Hustlin round Atlanta in their alligator shoes.
Now the guy needs to write a book about the recent events. It does not need to be classed as fiction.
Just read an LA Times article where they are claiming he wrote a letter to the school system that prompted his commitment and not the books. sounds a little too convenient to me.
As it turns out, he had mental health issues.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/la-et-jc-teacher-was-not-placed-on-leave-over-books-authorities-say-20140902,0,1577239.story
When is the book-signing promotion?
Leslie L. Goudy (@happypappies)
Public school has OVERREACHED its mandate.
Promote general welfare. General means all. All people need school as children. Basic education, including reading, writing and math, should be provided. Generally effective education peaks after elementary school if there were accelerated, condensed and more efficient curricula. General or ALL children stop assimilating basic education around the end of elementary school. Statistics describe the advanced education pursued by individuals. Advanced education which is NOT required by ALL and cannot be considered general welfare must be privatized and funded by individuals.
Public school should be PROMOTED as general welfare and PAID FOR by individuals as is water, electricity, telecom, natural gas, mail, internet, etc. All other general welfare or infrastructure required by “all” is paid for through USER fees and direct billing.
Why do all taxpayers pay for the utility of public school? Utility bills are paid for by the user. Why is public school paid for by the general taxpayer?
This obfuscation, corruption, manipulation and conspiracy to effect a “Ponzi Scheme” is by elected officials allied with greedy, unscrupulous and unethical teachers unions.
The government should promote general public basic education and, as other utilities, public school should be paid for by individuals.
Public school is not effective for all children after a certain point. Children that are forced to attend public school are not assimilating basic knowledge, they are wasting public money. The point at which general or all children are not assimilating knowledge must be the point at which public school education ends and private school paid for by the individual begins.
Public education has drifted off into realms of digression that only benefit greedy, striking teachers unions. The latest OVERREACH by striking greedy teacher unions, bizarrely, is solar panel purchase and installation, at great expense to the taxpayer. Electricity generation is the business of state regulated utilities. Now the public school system is executing the mission of electric utilities – generating electricity. Which, by the way, is undermining the utilities and cheating the other customers of the utility monopoly.
Collectivist, greedy, striking teachers unions are a juggernaut of OVERREACH through mission creep, not to mention arrogance generated by their overdeveloped sense of ALOOFNESS, SUPERIORITY and ENTITLEMENT.
The inmates have taken over the asylum.
Richard, Elaine:
I agree it could also be a mental health detainment. I don’t know about his state by WA police and mental health officials can issue a 72 hour mental heath evaluation/custody based upon cause that the person represents a likelihood of the person harming themselves or others on account of mental condition.
Yet, the search of his house, unless by consent, cannot be based upon mental health condition alone, that is in regard to a search warrant being issued.
Darren,
I also think there is more to this story. I checked out the publisher of “The Insurrectionist.” Northern Imperial Publishing was launched in the UK in 2011–the same year McLaw published his first book. I couldn’t find a website for the publisher–just a Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Northern-Imperial-Publishing/298734283509154?sk=info&ref=page_internal
*****
Mental health issues, not books, led to teacher’s suspension
http://www.latimes.com/books/jacketcopy/la-et-jc-teacher-was-not-placed-on-leave-over-books-authorities-say-20140902-story.html
Excerpt:
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 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.”
I am with “anon”, “greg”, “Annie”, et al, here.
Why the reflex assumption that the school district officials are really as stupid as portrayed in the OP as written? There appears to be a great deal of comfirmation bias at work in the OP and comments here.
The extreme reaction of the school district ought to suggest— to the fair-minded, at least— that something is being left out of this story. Not surprisingly, as noted in the LA Times story referenced above, this turns out to be the case.
The good professor is too quick on the trigger. Again.
Opinion-makers shape opinion, and opinions have consequences.
“everything matters. Everything we do [or say] matters.”
“We must all be alike. Not everyone born free and equal, as the constitution says, but everyone made equal. A book is a loaded gun in the house next door. Burn it. Take the shot from the weapon. Breach man’s mind.”
– Captain Beatty
http://biggsrbr.weebly.com/english-ii-honors-blog/fahrenheit-451-blog
@John since I have been on the internet I hear this about the public schools and yet, when I went, it was the most exciting time of my life intellectually and creatively speaking and I am from the midwest from a little town called Riverview Garderns right next to Ferguson which used to be the premier school district in north county St. Louis.
So. I don’t get it. It sounds like propaganda to me.
Darren, I would think “the police know where he is and he is unable to travel”, is more likely a reference to a mental health detention.
“Patrick McLaw, Skepticism, And Law Enfocement’s Obliging Stenographers”
by Ken White · September 2, 2014
http://www.popehat.com/2014/09/02/patrick-mclaw-skepticism-and-law-enfocements-obliging-stenographers/
“Too often journalists run with law enforcement “leaks” without considering how the leaks impact the rights of the suspects, or asking why the government is leaking in the first place. Too often journalists allow themselves to be manipulated by law enforcement, not recognizing the manipulation as the important part of the story. To often journalists accept the headline-grabbing take rather than the less scandalous but more correct take. Too often journalists buy access with the coin of deference. Too often journalists report the law enforcement spin as fact.”
And he’s absolutely correct.
My gut feeling is that the police have some evidence that could be pretty significant beyond just this man writing these books. I don’t have any more information than anyone else here but I don’t see a judge issuing a search warrant for a person’s home based solely upon being a fiction writer. That fact alone would be indicative of absence of probable cause.
The statement that this man is “unable to travel” and the police know where he is sounds like an investigatory detention but I could be wrong.
I think we have to wait and see when the official investigation is released, or if any charges are filed, before we know what is really going on here.
I’m really confused about this whole thing since the book was published in 2011. It seems like somebody must have something against him.
Updated article:
“In Maryland, a Soviet-Style Punishment for a Novelist”
http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2014/09/in-cambridge-md-a-soviet-style-punishment-for-a-novelist/379431/
UPDATE (September 2, 2:51 p.m.): According to The Los Angeles Times, a law enforcement official is saying that McLaw drew the attention of authorities not because of his books, but because of a “a four-page letter to officials in Dorchester County.” The report goes on to say, “Those concerns brought together authorities from multiple jurisdictions, including health authorities.”
The story goes on to state, “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.”
I’m glad local authorities are releasing more information about McLaw, but these are the same authorities who last week told the press that McLaw was removed from his job because he wrote novels about a school shooting under a pseudonym (see, for instance, this CBS story: “Police: Md. Teacher Placed on Leave for Authoring Fictional Book of the ‘Largest School Massacre”). I’ve been trying to get the sheriff of Dorchester County on the phone, to no avail. It would be useful at this point for the authorities to get their story straight.
Public school may be considered “General Welfare” in that some degree of education is as necessary for all (i.e. general) as is water, mail, Internet, currency, natural gas, telecom and electricity.
Public school shall be limited to elementary school* which provides citizens with basic reading, writing and mathematic skills.
Further education, degrees and advanced degrees shall be obtained and funded privately by individuals
Public school shall not indoctrinate students in religion or ideology.
Public school shall not feed students as feeding in a parental activity.
Public school shall not conduct day care or babysitting operations as these are parental activities, duties and obligations.
Public school authorities shall not enter contracts with any employee group, understanding that the public military enters no contracts with employees.
Public school employees shall be immediately terminated and removed for unauthorized absences and participation in “strike” actions.
Activities in public schools have far exceeded “general welfare” considerations.
* Statistical studies describe the level at which assimilation of basic skills knowledge peaks for the general public. Most students stop assimilating basic skill knowledge before the 10th grade level. Focused, accelerated and more efficient curricula bring that educational grade level peak down to 6th.
Educational attainment in the United States, Age 25 and Over (2013)
High school graduate 88.15%
Bachelor’s degree 31.66%
Master’s and/or Doctorate and/or professional degree 11.57%
Doctorate 1.68%
Los Angeles Times
“In Los Angeles Unified, the nation’s second-largest school system, the overall graduation rate was 67.9% — an increase of 1.3 percentage points from 2012. For Latinos, the improvement was 1.2 percentage points to 67.2%. For African Americans, it was higher — 2.8 percentage points to 63.7%.”
Appears to be another story based on false info in which some are already outraged over a faux 1st Amendment issue, nanny state, teacher’s unions, etc. anon, I’m curious too about what that letter to law enforcement contained. They knew about the book since 2012, it doesn’t make sense to act on in now, two years later if was related to the book.
Decent is the best education you get in the public sector. You can get superb education in the private sector.
Upper middle class white kids get decent educations