Um...a slight overreaction???

Okay, so everyone in the world knows about the tragedy at Virginia Tech. The wave of copycat bomb threats and lockdowns that has followed those events are considered to be normal and expected. I think it's wonderful that schools are paying more attention to student safety but there comes a point where the actions to protect students in general violates the rights of a single student.

Yesterday there was an incident on the University of Iowa campus. A student walked into lecture wearing a hooded sweatshirt/jacket. It was rainy and cold yesterday and this student had the hood pulled up. After entering the lecture hall, the student pulled down the hood revealing a black ski mask. Again, let me repeat. IT WAS COLD AND RAINY. Anyhow, the student sat down and prepared to listen to lecture, but did not remove the ski mask. A fellow student left, unnerved by the ski mask and called the city police to report a "suspicious" person in the lecture hall. Now, I admit that it's rather odd that the student continued to wear the ski mask but whatever...people are weird. There were no apparent threats either verbally or physically, just a kid attending class. After class, the "suspicious" student was walking back to the parking lot when police officers grabbed him, patted him down, and then, after finding him unarmed, told him why they stopped him.

So let's review:
-- ski mask, nonthreatening behavior, unarmed, police detainment

Okay, continuing...late Thursday afternoon the University sent an email to all University faculty, staff and students to inform them about this incident. In the email, the student's name and home address was given to all and sundry....a student who was not charged, was unarmed, and did not make threatening overtures. The University also banned the student from returning to campus for a five-month period.

Why? For wearing a ski mask to lecture? Yes, it's weird, but that doesn't make him another Cho Seung-Hui. If his wearing the ski mask during lecture was bothering others, then why wasn't he asked to remove it? The instructor obviously didn't have a problem with it. The police found no evidence of threats or weapons. Can we say overreaction?? Releasing that information was a mistake. If any individual makes an aggressive or retaliatory act against this kid because of the "incident", the University could be held legally responsible.

Just my two cents.