I need some help dealing with harassment

[DemGirl7]

Ok, It's been a few weeks since my little adventure in Washington D.C., and I'm starting to get harassed during class because of it. The past couple of times that I have had class with the Department chair, some asshole in the hallway outside of class keeps on yelling "Scalia is going to get you", and its really getting annoying. Its bad enough, the chair is still mad at me for the "incident" and I think this crap is getting her even more mad because its disrupting class. I'm afraid to have her sign some paper that I need her to sign, because of the disruption, and I find it embarrassing. Does anyone have any suggestions of what I should do??

[JVS]

1. Hey, that's the price of taking a stand. Be proud!

[elehhhhna]

2. look up your schools policy on reporting harassment and DO IT.

[Vinnie From Indy]

3. Tell her that the asshole in the hall is talking to her and not you.

eom

[EFerrari]

4. When you need to meet with her for admin stuff, take

a supportive buddy. I did that when there was a problem with a guy on my committee. It helped even if all my friend did was stand quietly next to me.

[Divernan]

41. Not so much for the support as for a WITNESS.

It will put the professor on the spot to behave, because if he/she acts unprofessionally, there is a witness, and the prof. can't rely on a he said/she said standoff, with the prof. holding the powerful position.

[EFerrari]

49. Well, yes, there's that aspect, too.

:)

[Kerrytravelers]

5. To every little quip, I'd say something like:

Free speech seems to be getting to you.

How insecure of you.

Nice to see the First Amendment alive and well at (name of college.)

I'd write a LTTE to the school newspaper. Be very clear. You don't care if they continue yelling in the hallways. You find their insecurities and need to belittle your right to speak freely and question those in authority quite amusing. They must still be thinking about what you said if they can't stop talking about it.


PM me if you want me to proofread or help you put a LTTE together. I'd be very happy to oblige.

[rpgamerd00d]

6. I got a cousin named "Guido" if you need him, just lemme know.

:D

[Democrat 4 Ever]

10. I'd say I would inform the academic adviser, the Dean of your

College and the University President that you are being harassed and you expect them to handle the situation pronto. You have the right to attend school without having to deal with any type of harassment due to your opinions or exercising freedom of speech. Putting the monkey on their back they will either handle it or open themselves up to a law suit because you weren't protected.

This shit needs to stop and it needs to stop right now.

[The Doctor.]

28. Best course of action.

Put it in their hands and then spank the living shit out of them if they don't deal with it.

Demgirl 7, these are incredibly small-minded and ignorant people as I'm certain you know. Were I in your position I would do exactly what Democrat 4 Ever suggested. I would also propose a debate on the subject to show them their own ignorance. This is an issue you are absolutely correct on and you would absolutely spank anyone who took you on... and you'd have all the help of DU debators - including myself.

[glitch]

32. Do this today, or tomorrow if you can't do it today. nt

[Fridays Child]

7. I missed the background on this.

Do you have a link to an earlier thread about what happened to you in DC?

[DemGirl7]

19. I'll give you a quick little explanation of what happened

I went to D.C. on April 5th to the 8th on a trip with my University's Political Science Club, and on the 7th we had a private Q & A session with Justice Scalia. Well, I asked him "What is your definition of "conflict of interest" because I have a hard time telling that you have one" and I backed it up with the examples of The Cheney Energy Task Force Case, Hamdan v. Rumsfeld ( Where he said that he made up his mind about the case just before it was heard before the Supreme Court in a speech he made at some Swiss Law school), and Bush v.Gore (Because two of his sons were working for the Bush legal team). Well he got all mad at me and flipped out, and in the process of which, he called me "extremely ignorant" to my face. And now half of the political science department at my university are very mad at me for what I did, and the department chair,who I happen to have this semester for a chair is extremely mad at me, and I heard through the grapevine that she wrote a letter to Scalia, apologizing for what happened.

[Maraya1969]

39. The Political Science Department is mad at you? How hypocritical

of what they teach!!!

You are very good at stopping people in their tracks with a pointed question and you've got some great ideas here. I'd have them ready to respond to these terribly ignorant people.

[Fridays Child]

54. His response was to attack you and, now, the chair is mad at you???

The session was represented as a Q & A, right? Or did you get invited to a bootlicking? As long as you were courteous, then your question was within the bounds of reason.

Scalia hands down opinions which affect all Americans, and, if anything, appointed officials should be held to a standard even higher than the standard to which we hold elected officials. When elected officials act in ways with which we disagree, we can vote them out of office--at least, in theory. Members of the federal judiciary, on the other hand, are appointed for life.

Obviously, Scalia had no meaningful defense for his official actions. If he had, he wouldn't have felt compelled to attack you. The department chair should be apologizing to you, not to Scalia. If it were me, I would confront her about her opinion of me and what I had done. And I would do it in the presence of a witness who either advocates my position or is, at least, impartial in the matter. The chair may have some influence over your life but you've already spoken truth to a far greater power. She is "small potatoes," by comparison.

Just as an aside, your story confirms my belief that, like so many other officials populating the capital these days, Scalia is arrogant and thin-skinned. It is my fondest hope that the hubris of the neocons and dominionists is what will be their undoing.

[wake.up.america]

8. Give as little visible response as possible.

[leveymg]

9. If you haven't already, schedule a meeting during her office hours.

Don't apologize for the content of what you said but express sympathy for your teacher's discomfort and possible anger.

Try to get her to open up. Hope that she blows the steam out of her system. Maintain your sense of dignity and persective, and the two of you might end up closer than before. Give it a try.

Good luck.

[Mr.Green93]

11. Call the police and the Newspapers

Bring it to a head.

[ReadTomPaine]

25. And get some local activist Dems involved, as well.

Don't back down. Note who the person harassing you is, and get a group of Dems to do the same to him in full court slapdown fashion. Someone yell at you in class? Get in their face. Shout them down. Have a progressive lawyer, supportive libs and others start hitting the phones and contacting the campus people involved insistently until your teacher and the rest back off.

They are trying to make you sorry and ashamed for what you did. The answer is to brandish it brazenly in their face, and show them it's the tip of the iceberg they are seeing from the deck of their Titanic.

Don't lose your anger or conviction. Be a bulldog. Go for the throat. The more you do this, the better you'll feel and the weaker you'll make them.

[BooScout]

29. Don't be silly....

A guy is teasing her in school. I hardly think the situation of a moron bugging her merits the police, unless he actually threatens her himself.

[seabeyond]

12. have you tried asking this person to please stop saying these things

that you think it is effecting your class and that it may be causing problems with this teacher for you. and that you would appreciate if the person reframes from these comments. you sure would appreciate it.

you know talk

handle it like adults, wink

might work. i find not all people are assholes. there are actually nice and reasonable people around us.

[Divernan]

38. "Nice and reasonable" people would never behave like this jerk!

A reasonable approach would be to get the guy's picture and tell him, in front of a witness you can trust to back you up, that if he doesn't cease and desist, you're taking the picture to the school paper, the campus police, the ACLU, the student government and so on. Then if he does persist, DO what you threatened and report him to all these groups.

[seabeyond]

52. "Scalia is going to get you", ... this is all the info op gives

maybe he thinks it is all funny and is saying in jest. maybe he is just a moran that doesnt know it is causing problems. maybe it isnt much of a deal, just really an irritant to poster. maybe he has a crush on her and is his way of flirting. we dont have a lot of info do we. or maybe he is an asshole and is serious and causing problem. but if that is the case i dont imagine a "scalia is gonna getcha" is much of a deal. would think he would be more harsh, and say something more biting like being unamerican or some such rot

or maybe people just are merely in this for battle and it isnt about resolving an issue

[Shrek]

13. Maybe Scalia really is after you

Could this person be attempting to warn you?

:tinfoilhat:

[rpgamerd00d]

14. Scalia might be sending his cat after DemGirl7 (pic inside!)

:rofl:

[DemGirl7]

21. If so, I'll get my dog after that cat

:rofl:

[shain from kane]

24. Is this enough proof to get a restraining order against Scalia?

Maybe that other person does have inside information and the RICO statute can be used against Scalia's conspiracy. Just like they brought down the Mafia.
Scalia. That sounds like some kind of Mafia name. Where's Bobby Kennedy when you need him?

[titoresque]

15. Dammit!

Why should you or any of us be afraid, embarrassed, harassed or scrutinized because we used our 1st amendment right of free speech?
Is this fucking America or is it not?!
Dammit this makes me so mad, I'm seeing and hearing and feeling this too often these days.
You hold your head high!!! And tell those motherfuckers you did what they should be protecting........FREE SPEECH!
GRRRRR!
:patriot:

[Sugar Smack]

18. WELL PUT!!!!

This is making me furious. :grr: :nuke:

[titoresque]

20. The interview with Neil Young

for some reason really slapped me in the face. It was like
I woke up again. That idiot reporter asking him if he was afraid of any backlash from his album and the lyrics. He sort of looked at her perplexed like she had just stepped out of a cave, and said something like "Actually no, no I'm not.....I live in America" DUH!
And then there was the report the other day about the CNN producer being escorted out of a photo op because he asked HU a ***DRUM ROLL***....
Question.......a god damn question! And this made news, and people whispered and speculated. It's amazing, simply amazing how we are slowly...and often rapidly declining into this nation of silence and fear.

[pacalo]

16. First of all, I'm wondering why the teacher doesn't put a stop to the

disruptor in the hallway. If your sense is that she is putting all the blame on you, I'd suggest having a heart to heart talk with her. Now.

Above all, don't feel that you did the wrong thing by asking a SC justice questions that deserve explanations. This is a free, democratic country with a Constitution & Bill of Rights.

[smoogatz]

45. Bingo.

If some idiot was disrupting one of my classes from the hallway, what kind of teacher would I be if I just let them do it? Talk about losing control of your classroom, fer chrissakes. It's his/her job to say "excuse me a second" to her class, go out in the hall and deal with the disruptive kid--right NOW. Also, he/she might try closing the freaking door.

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

17. I wonder if someone from the school...

...paper would be willing to bring the harasser some unwanted exposure---corner the person and ask for an explanation/justification for this behavior. People who do this kind of thing, almost without exception, share the common thread of cowardice. My bet is a little exposure would fix the problem.

Good luck, and I salute your courage. We need more people like you.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

23. This is the best idea. Local OFF campus media would be even better.

Get the guy's name first.

[Catrina]

22. Maybe you should ask the jerk in the hall if he is a spokesperson for

Justice Scalia. Your lawyer wants to know, before he takes any action against a SC justice for issueing threats against a citizen who asked him some questions.

[BooScout]

26. Well you stood up tio Scalia...

So some punk in college should be a snap. Answer him back......tell him Scalia is afraid of people who see right thru him and won't come near you. Then ask the jerk if he gets off on making a fool of himself in crowds or ask him if he has a crush on you since he likes to get your attention everytime you come near. Make sure whatever you say to him is heard loud and clear by all that surround him. I love embarassing idiots in front of their friends.

As to the chair, go up to her and ask her to sign the paper. Business as usual. You are there for an education. Your tuition helps to pay their salaries. You have not done anything against the law or illegal. You have no reason to be embarrassed. Hold your head up, take a deep breath and get on with it.

[jumpoffdaplanet]

27. Any friends with video cameras?

Have one nearby, filming the disrupter.

Show it to the chair when you stop by for the paper to be signed.

If the chair can't be bothered to let you handle it "the right way", mention you have no choice but to send it to the police, since you can now identify the harrasser.

[Radio_Guy]

30. Pepper spray

The next time you are harrassed, spray him with papper spray. You should defend yourself against attacks.

[BooScout]

31. Oh good one....

A fellow law student teases her in the hallway and she sprays him with pepper spray. Who the hell do you think will be arrested for assault once that happens?

[Divernan]

33. What is the connection between Scalia & your school or dept.chair?

Someone had to have a very high level link with Scalia to set up a private meeting with Scalia. Are your school president or the Dept. Chair personal friends of Scalia? Dept. Chairs are very political animals within the University and they have very high opinions of themselves. They don't take crap from anyone disrupting their classes from the hallway. She can very simply have a campus policeman grab the disruptor and quiet things down. I think you have a very valid complaint to the university administration that none of the students in your class paid tuition to have classes disrupted by the jerk in the hall. Next class, take a camera with you and walk out and get a picture of the jerk. Are any of your fellow classmates giving you any support?

[MostlyLurks]

34. There are two seperate issues here.

DemGirl,

First off, I remember reading that thread and thinking "That woman's got some heuvos", so kudos to you on speaking your mind.

There are really two problems here:

1. The person yelling at you during class should be dealt with by the prof or instructor of the class because it is disruptive to all of his/her students. While it may be directed at (and, in some weird way, caused by) you, it is not within your control, nor is it affecting only you. A decent, reasonable, professional professor would recognize this and deal with it. Since s/he hasn't, you'll have to use your ample heuvos to get him/her in line.

So my suggestion is that, sometime after class, you meet with the prof and give him/her the non-apology apology: I'm sorry if what I did embarassed you. Note that this does not apologize for the action (which you shouldn't have to do), but it does give some measure of satisfaction to the other party (and it concedes that what you did might have exteneded to affect others). Now once you've done that and made nice, ask the professor if s/he would take care of the people who are yelling at you in the hall. That is his/her responsibility, and there's absolutely no question about it. You need to be prepared to stand up for that point because it's likely this prof is not going to like what you're saying even though you're right.

2. The fact that your professor(s) are now pissed at you is inconsequential. Again, the non-apology apology is your friend: I'm sorry if what I did embarassed you or shone poorly on you. Professors have an obligation to treat their students with some measure of fairness based on academic ability, etc and not on political beliefs and statements (not that I'd ever say that to one, as I think they'd be mightily pissed by the accusation that they're not dealing with you fairly). If you sense that the concession you're making - the non-apology - hasn't set them right, and that they're still not dealing with you fairly and reasonably, you need to take it up with the ombudsman, department chair or university president.

Good luck!

Mostly

[blm]

35. What does it say about Scalia that his supporters believe he WOULD attack

a private citizen for dissent?

Do they believe in America and the right of dissent or do they believe in Scalia and revenging dissent?

[Us vs Them]

36. Um. Is it possible this person is just joking?

Emberassing or not, it's pretty funny. If one of my friends had a scuffle with Scalia, I'd probably joke about the same thing. Don't be miffed, you're a celebrity over this!

[usregimechange]

37. Be assertive ask them to stop. If that doesn't work yell Stevens

is going to get you back? :shrug:

[Maraya1969]

40. I nominate the department chair for "Worst Person in the world" eom

[Plaid Adder]

42. First thing is you realize that YOU are not the problem.

Even if your chair is pissed off at you for embarrassing her in front of Scalia, she ought to realize that the source of this problem is the disruptor in the hallway. What's stopping her from poking her head out the door and collaring the guy? She's the one in charge of maintaining discipline.

I read the story of your trip and it doesn't sound to me like you were rude to him; you asked him questions that he didn't want to answer, which was perhaps embarrassing for him but not beyond the bounds of polite behavior. YOu don't have anything to be ashamed of. The harrasser is the one who is now breaking the rules and ought to take the consequences for it.

C ya,

The Plaid Adder

[rucky]

43. If you're pissing people off, you're doing something right. n/t

[mdmc]

44. hang in there

you are a very dangerous person, and all of these people know it. Your instructor will most likely sign anything that you hand her, due to fear of your voice.

"It is bad enough that you harassed a Supreme Court Justice, just think of what you might have the courage to do to a sore legal professor." <-the thinking of the masses.

Peace and low stress!
I think that you will have an easy job finding a good lawyer to work for. I think that Michael Sussman would be very proud to hire you.

Peace,
and keep it up!

[Sammy Pepys]

46. Ignore it. n/t

....

[npincus]

47. the school is responsible for providing a 'safe' environment

condusive to learning, meaning one that is unfettered from harrassment or outside distraction. Who would be the best person in a position of authority to complain about hecklers in the hallway when you are in that particular class? If it is a matter of the school stationing someone outside of the room to catch the disruptors in the act and warn or punish them accordingly, that is their responsibility, not yours. I am surprised the Department Chair has not taken action.

I presume you are paying lots of money for your education- the school has to deal with the matter. You were exercising your right fo free speech w/Scalia.

My 2 cents. Good luck.

[happydreams]

48. Get a friend, preferably a physically

imposing one, to wear a rented cop suit and accompany you for a day or two as you go about your routine.

It's a little inconvenient, but it will let everyone know you mean business.

[Catherine Vincent]

50. Contact Michele Malkin so she can put the "a**hole's"

telephone number and address on her blog. :evilgrin:

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

Figure out who it is...

and then file a report with the police.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

51. Figure out who it is...

and then file a report with the police.

[novalib]

53. Please Get Yourself An Attorney

PLEASE get yourself an attorney right away!

You might want to try the Legal Aid Society or some firm and ask for someone pro bono.

Please do it!