GWU Suit Prompts Questions of Liability

[MountainLaurel]

Color me surprised that GW would be more concerned about their financial liability than whether ill students are able to seek treatment. NOT!

About 2 a.m. one sleepless night, sophomore Jordan Nott checked himself into George Washington University Hospital.

He was depressed, he said, and thinking about suicide.

Within a day and a half of arriving there, he got a letter from a GWU administrator saying his "endangering behavior" violated the code of student conduct. He faced possible suspension and expulsion from school, the letter said, unless he withdrew and deferred the charges while he got treatment.

In the meantime, he was barred from campus.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/09/AR2006030902550.html

[BanzaiBonnie]

1. This action is disgusting

They would rather have someone be dishonest? And not reveal depression? Not seek help?


Seeking help is healthy. If people are punished for seeking help it will cause them to not seek help and assist in pushing them over the edge.

[MountainLaurel]

2. You're absolutely right, but the punishment happens all the time

Try getting a life insurancy policy after seeking treatment for depression: You either have to lie about it (and since that information isn't really private, the insurance company will find out one way or another), risk automatically disqualifying yourself, or document every pill, every dose, every therapy session you've ever used as treatment.

[sutz12]

3. Compassionate conservative

Suck it up and go back to class. If you can't hack it, get out. :sarcasm:

[Peanutcat]

4. You know . . . . . .

This is the fault of the Bush administration; now anytime anyone thinks of "suicide" they automatically think "SUICIDE BIMBER!!!!!!!!!!" Dont those fucking idiots at the University know that most suicidal people are only a danger to themselves?

[primavera]

5. GW is intensely risk averse

GW president Trachtenberg is a Reagan Repuke whose sole concern is the bottom line and making sure that there's plenty of cash for him to embezzle to pad his lifestyle of the rich and shameless. The university arguably assumes the role of in loco parentis for students; they're arguably liable if anything bad happens to a student in their care. Trachtenberg isn't about to run the risk of being sued, so anything giving off even the faintest whiff of being in a position to sue gets immediately dumped by the side of the road. That's compassionate conservativism for you.