But seeking help for bulimia? Depression? How is this more disruptive and dangerous than binge drinking? Hazing? Staying up all night for three days running, subsisting on coffee and chocolate bars? (That was my college “experience!”)

Universities have a responsibility to act on things which have happened and turn threats over to the proper authorities. But to try to guess who is going to snap? There shouldn’t be a liability issue here unless the student clearly threatens someone and the university fails to do anything.

Certainly, Universities have an obligation to keep all students safe. If a student is regarded to be a threat to other students or themselves, then by all means they should be removed from campus (hopefully to a setting that they can receive mental health).

However, by removing students at the first sign of mental illness, or threatening them with dismissal, they are putting themselves on shaky legal ground. Also, they should be concerned about the issue of patient confidentiality between University counselors and students. They may be walking a fine line there.

Of course, since the Universities are in a darned-if-you-do, darned-if-you-don’t position, they may have just decided to err on the side of doing. Given the sited legal cases, I can’t really blame them.

Although, as Susan said, they don’t get as worked up about the binge drinking that is so prevalent on campuses. If they’re that worried about minimizing liability, you would think that would be more of an issue.

The psychology of University asministrators is a case study in itself. More caffeine is needed before broaching that topic.

I told you, Dana, low expectations.

IMO this contributes to the unbalanced atmosphere at institutions of higher learning- these are legal adults being treated as if they are minor children. Colleges and universities should have policies in place to deal with destructive and illegal behaviors, and these policies should be swiftly enforced. But they can’t seem to differentiate between someone having a few difficulties, and those who are truly troubled. It’s more zero tolerance nonsense, where all problems are treated the same, regardless of the circumstances.

Anecdote: Although I was considered a ‘good kid’, I had a bad temper as a child- in high school I stomped out of class and threw my books off a balcony after a disagreement with a teacher. I was not disciplined, as I went straight to the principal and said “Uncle Jerry, I just did a bad thing”. I apologized to the teacher I nearly killed (my algebra book missed Mr. Reed by inches) and life went on. My past history of good grades and decent behavior was taken into consideration, although I believe they should have punished me. I wonder what would happen to me in today’s school environment!

How noble of these school administrators. Even as they ignore the classmates who are pulled into the binge drinking, et al consequences of the embedded campus life. But there are those campus town businesses that sell intoxicants to underage kids with a conveniently turned head from many.

But Pomerleau said her grades were good and she had been commended by the college for performing community service. Her suicide attempt in September followed a change in medication, which, according to her doctor, has since been corrected.

And the doctor’s punishment?! One has to wonder if she was given off-label drugs that caused her suicidal tendencies. Incredible that her trust in the doctor’s prescription wisdom changed her life around physically and in real location and plans.

Wish this was uncommon in what happens to these kids, but it’s not. What Amy said in the first comment is true. It’s not about the kids, that’s for certain.

I had a young man like that in my class…except without any behavior issues or other diagnoses. His IQ was 70. There was nothing anyone could do…state mandates required me to teach him to grade level. No services, no realistic assessment regarding what he was capable of and needed to achieve.

So he wasted his time copying letters, repeating their sounds only to forget them the second he was finished. He will be completely lost because he doesn’t qualify for anything, yet cannot keep up with a normal classroom environment.