# College Student Suspended for Writing Essay “Hot for Teacher” **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 24, 2013, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-student-suspended-for-writing-essay-hot-for-teacher/664346 "2013-07-24T01:45:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2013, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-student-suspended-for-writing-essay-hot-for-teacher/664346/1 "2013-07-24T01:45:15Z")
" A college student suspended for writing an essay called “Hot for Teacher” has no First Amendment right to express his sexual attraction to his instructor, a judge said Tuesday… Corlett, 57, was suspended in 2012 after writing about his writing instructor, Pamela Mitzelfeld. He compared her to the sexy starlet Ginger from the 1960s TV series, “Gilligan’s Island” and described her as “tall, blonde, stacked,” among other things… Corlett said students in the English 380 class were told to write honestly and that no topic was off limits." [http://www.salon.com/2013/07/23/college\_student\_loses\_lawsuit\_over\_lusty\_writings/singleton/](http://www.salon.com/2013/07/23/college_student_loses_lawsuit_over_lusty_writings/singleton/) ---
**Author:** ![lavenderviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/cdc98d/32.png) [@lavenderviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lavenderviolet)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2013, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-student-suspended-for-writing-essay-hot-for-teacher/664346/2 "2013-07-24T02:04:15Z")
I hope she realizes [that Rate My Professors has also labelled her as hot](http://www.ratemyprofessors.com/ShowRatings.jsp?tid=50592) ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2013, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-student-suspended-for-writing-essay-hot-for-teacher/664346/3 "2013-07-24T02:38:11Z")
What does this have to do with the First Amendment? ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2013, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-student-suspended-for-writing-essay-hot-for-teacher/664346/4 "2013-07-24T03:01:28Z")
Wow!! 267 views and no one else has the immediate reaction: it’s crazy that a college would suspend a student for this (assuming the rest of the essay was similar to the lines quoted and not pornographic). ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2013, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-student-suspended-for-writing-essay-hot-for-teacher/664346/5 "2013-07-24T03:04:53Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > Wow!! 267 views and no one else has the immediate reaction: it’s crazy that a college would suspend a student for this (assuming the rest of the essay was similar to the lines quoted and not pornographic). You didn’t seem to have an opinion so why should we? Mary Ann was hotter, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2013, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-student-suspended-for-writing-essay-hot-for-teacher/664346/6 "2013-07-24T03:05:20Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > What does this have to do with the First Amendment? It’s a public university. ---
**Author:** ![colander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e8c25b/32.png) [@colander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colander)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2013, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-student-suspended-for-writing-essay-hot-for-teacher/664346/7 "2013-07-24T04:03:57Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > It’s a public university. Is there any case on record of a publically-funded school being prohibited from enforcing academic probationary measures on a student whose offense is saying obnoxious stuff? I’m gonna guess not. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2013, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-student-suspended-for-writing-essay-hot-for-teacher/664346/8 "2013-07-24T04:08:35Z")
> [@colander](#): > > Is there any case on record of a publically-funded school being dinged for enforcing academic probationary measures on a student whose offense is saying obnoxious stuff? I’m gonna guess not. Such suspensions happen all the time in primary schools. (Ask me how I know.) Probably somewhere. But I agree the law is favoring the university, which is why the student presumably lost this one. ---
**Author:** ![colander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e8c25b/32.png) [@colander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colander)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2013, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-student-suspended-for-writing-essay-hot-for-teacher/664346/9 "2013-07-24T04:14:47Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > Probably somewhere. But I agree the law is favoring the university, which is why the student presumably lost this one. He didn’t even make it to court. The judge dismissed the case. If elementary schools are allowed to suspend children for wearing gang colors to school, I’m pretty sure this university didn’t break any First Amendment rules. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2013, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-student-suspended-for-writing-essay-hot-for-teacher/664346/10 "2013-07-24T04:20:06Z")
I honestly thought this was gonna be a zombie. We must have had threads about this in 2012, it was all over the news. ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2013, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-student-suspended-for-writing-essay-hot-for-teacher/664346/11 "2013-07-24T05:09:07Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > Wow!! 267 views and no one else has the immediate reaction: it’s crazy that a college would suspend a student for this (assuming the rest of the essay was similar to the lines quoted and not pornographic). The teacher said either he went, or she did. Guess who college authorities thought was the more valuable member of their community? ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2013, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-student-suspended-for-writing-essay-hot-for-teacher/664346/12 "2013-07-24T13:36:32Z")
I don’t know what’s legal but it’s pretty freakin creepy to write about your teacher like that. I think there is a level you can maintain without coming onto your teacher…I would have thought it would be creepy to do the same about another student, too. And in my last creative writing class we had to read parts of our paper out loud. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![phouka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@phouka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phouka)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2013, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-student-suspended-for-writing-essay-hot-for-teacher/664346/13 "2013-07-24T13:43:51Z")
You know, when the dress code says “casual attire is allowed”, it doesn’t mean you can wear your cargo shorts with your dick hanging out. Same thing goes for “all topics are allowed”. ---
**Author:** ![hotflungwok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/edb3f5/32.png) [@hotflungwok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hotflungwok)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2013, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-student-suspended-for-writing-essay-hot-for-teacher/664346/14 "2013-07-24T13:54:38Z")
Yeah, I can see this creeping the teacher out. I had a friend in college go through something like this. He had to write a paper for a creative writing class from someone’s perspective, so he wrote something from the perspective of a serial killer. A few days after he handed it in, a couple of cops showed up at his apartment and took him in for questioning. They kept asking things like ‘Where’s the van’ and ‘Where did you get the tools’. It was half an hour before he realized they were talking about the paper, and another hour before he could convince them that it was just a paper. The teacher wouldn’t let him back into class, she said she ‘was afraid for her life’. He had to drop it mid quarter. ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2013, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-student-suspended-for-writing-essay-hot-for-teacher/664346/15 "2013-07-24T13:56:46Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > Wow!! 267 views and no one else has the immediate reaction: it’s crazy that a college would suspend a student for this (assuming the rest of the essay was similar to the lines quoted and not pornographic). 1. It’s old news. 2. You never give your opinion. 3. You very rarely come back to your own threads, to engage other posters. Posting a link and flying away makes for a dull thread, imo. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2013, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-student-suspended-for-writing-essay-hot-for-teacher/664346/16 "2013-07-24T13:57:38Z")
> [@colander](#): > > If elementary schools are allowed to suspend children for wearing gang colors to school, I’m pretty sure this university didn’t break any First Amendment rules. Yes, I agree. Colleges are just like elementary schools, and wearing gang colors is just like calling a teacher hot. I am quite serious, this appears to be the state of affairs. ---
**Author:** ![lawbuff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/13edae/32.png) [@lawbuff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lawbuff)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2013, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-student-suspended-for-writing-essay-hot-for-teacher/664346/17 "2013-07-24T14:14:40Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > What does this have to do with the First Amendment? His Lawyer’s claim it did: [Complaint](http://thefire.org/public/pdfs/832cf3c2d17847f7625b2228a167bca9.pdf?direct) ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2013, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-student-suspended-for-writing-essay-hot-for-teacher/664346/18 "2013-07-24T14:19:26Z")
> [@PlainJain](#): > > 1. It’s old news. > 2. You never give your opinion. > 3. You very rarely come back to your own threads, to engage other posters. Posting a link and flying away makes for a dull thread, imo. This, **PastTense**. When come back, bring commentary based on your own opinions, if you want the rest of us to give a groat. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2013, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-student-suspended-for-writing-essay-hot-for-teacher/664346/19 "2013-07-24T14:59:04Z")
Would it be appropriate if I said that creepy shit to one of my coworkers? ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2013, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-student-suspended-for-writing-essay-hot-for-teacher/664346/20 "2013-07-24T15:37:52Z")
> [@phouka](#): > > You know, when the dress code says “casual attire is allowed”, it doesn’t mean you can wear your cargo shorts with your dick hanging out. If my dick were long enough to hang out of my cargo shorts I’d be showing that bad-boy off at every opportunity. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/college-student-suspended-for-writing-essay-hot-for-teacher/664346.md?page=2)