Losing sleep over ethical dilemma about drugs, HELP!

Factual Questions
1

A couple of weeks ago, I started having problems with the technical engineer at my (film) school. Now, an awful lot of people have problems with this guy. He isn’t pleasant. He isn’t professional. He screws up and then blames students. A petition trying to get him fired circulated last year (started by a student), and as a result he isn’t teaching any classes anymore. (Before that, he used to tell female students that they were getting a C- in his tech class “because you’re a girl.”) Basically, he tried to blame me because the G5’s were having problems. He was thrown in as a sys admin last year, not knowing anything about Mac admin work, and has been learning on the job. Fine. But what ISN’T fine is that whenever something goes wrong with the systems, he immediately tries to find someone to blame. I’m far from the first student it’s happened to, but I AM the first who did some research and then told him that both a senior sys admin in Nashville who’s done some of the largest multi-user systems in the South AND the techs at Mac Authority both said the same thing: OS X is set up specifically so that a user CAN’T screw up the system the way he claims I did. Not by mistake, and not if they try. Well, he backpedaled, etc., etc. Basically, he’s an idiot who I have to admit I don’t think of very kindly. It really hurt my feelings that he lied about me and what I’d supposedly done to other teachers (who I also explained the situation to.) But then, the situation got a whole lot worse.

I learned that he sells drugs to students. At school. On campus. In the state of Tennessee, selling even 1/2 oz. of pot to anyone within 1,000 feet of any school is a felony. Punishable by up to 12 years in jail. I’ve been in torment ever since finding that out.

I don’t want him prosecuted. I don’t want him sent to jail. I REALLY don’t want to become personally involved. I just want him OUT!!! He shouldn’t BE a staff member at school; he’s an incompetent drug addict who sells drugs to students!!!
Anyway. I’m trying to decide what to do. All advice appreciated.

2

Why don’t you want him prosecuted? I would. If I were you, I’d give the police and/or the school administration an anonymous tip and take it from there.

3

There is no factual answer to your question, so this thread does not belong in GQ.

My advice: Since you are in a creative field, you should get used to the fact that there are lots of people in the world that are going to try and take credit for your good work and blame you for their own mistakes. There are going to be people that you won’t be able to get along with, people who stereotype you because you’re a girl, etc. You won’t be able to fink on all of them to make them go away, so you should get some experience in dealing with them professionally. Take the high road. You’ve already explained yourself to the people that matter. If this guy is as bad as you indicate, he’ll get his comeuppance eventually.

My answer would be different, depending on the age group involved, if this was someone selling drugs to children.

4

even if you report him, some other guy is gonna come along and do exactly the same thing. why not try and have a chat with him, or has it gone beyone that?

5

I’m also curious why you don’t want someone who is committing a felony crime to go to jail.

6

I’m curious: how is not reporting a felony “taking the high road”? Besides, it would seem that from many students’ perspectives, this is exactly the eventual comeuppance he’s been heading toward.

7

If he is committing a felony, then reporting him is taking the high road. Why refuse to report criminal activity–you don’t actually agree with what he’s doing, do you?

8

Wouldn’t the easiest answer to your question be: collect some evidence, then tell him you’ll report him to the authorities if he doesn’t turn in his resignation pronto?

9

as to the guy’s professional performance or lack thereof, document EVERYTHING, even if it means keeping a day-by-day diary. keep track of what he says to you and other people in your presence (be sure to note the witnesses), what he does, who he blames, and who you have talked to about the issues and what they said. you don’t want this guy to be able to blindside you by telling higher-ups his side of the story (that you are a bad student) without having tools to defend yourself. from what you say, the last thing you want to do is confront him directly.

as to the guy’s felony crimes, you think maybe the fact that he’s a drug dealer might have some impact on his work performance? you think that it might have an impact on you and everybody else that has to deal with this guy? many police departments have an anonymous “tip line.” why not call them and let the cops investigate (call from a pay phone that can’t be connected to you, if you’re worried about it). it’s at least possible that you are mistaken. if not, then let the judicial system do its job.

10

Well, that’s why this should be a GD and not a GQ. There are many possible reasons, none of which has a factual basis.

Anise, my recommendation would be to report him only if you believe that the crime ethically merits that consequence; reporting it for the sole purpose of getting him away from you would not only be something you’d regret later, but would be morally reprehensible. Regarding how bad the crime really is, I won’t try to say.

11

Bad idea. It leaves you open to retaliation.

12

Huh. I think that everyone’s answer has really fallen into two camps, depending on whether or not y’all think that The Jerk SHOULD go to jail for this crime (which is, in the eyes of the law in TN, a felony.) I don’t know what I think. I don’t do any drugs at all, but I also don’t drink, smoke, or consume caffeine or sugar in any form. Those are my beliefs… but I don’t know if I could live with myself, sending someone to jail for what he’s done. On the other hand, there is NO doubt about the fact that his addictions affect his job performance, none at all! Not only that, but I seriously think that at some point, somebody is going to turn him in anyway. There are too many people who know, and too many people who don’t like him. If this happens, though, people at the school might get dragged down with him. I GUARANTEE that he’s the kind of person who would rat out those he’s sold to.

13

Ethical dilemma aside there is a difference between knowing he sells drugs and having evidence he sells drugs. Did he try to sell to you or did you just hear it from a FOAF? If you should change your mind be sure what you have before you go to the authorities.

I do agree it should be in GD and I notified the mods that they may consider moving it.

14

Anise:

Personally I’d give the police anonymous tips about him selling drugs to students (telling the police where he keeps the drugs, etc). I’d do that not because I think all drug dealers should be prosecuted, but because it would be a surer way of getting rid of your problem guy from your school.

15

It could possibly help him - and be a wake up call. Or at least be a surer way of getting rid of this problem guy.

That might take months or years to happen - in the meantime, people at the school would be suffering.

Being a drug buyer would be a much lesser charge. Anyway, if he was willing to rat out people to the police, the police would be much more interested in who his suppliers are - they mightn’t let him have a reduced sentence if he ratted out some buyers. People that bought stuff from him might get caught for possessing drugs later in their life anyway.

16

Let me first state that I worked with drug addicts - many of them convicted felons, I might add - for four years. What you describe, Anise, is very typical of many users (although each user is unique in his or her own ways). They’re not nice people. As you’ve noted.

Hon, don’t assume more responsibility than you actually have. YOU have no power to send anyone to jail - that is done by the courts, judges, and juries. Unless you are planning to be a lawyer, the only time you could possibly “send someone to jail” is if you sat on a jury - and given your involvement here, there’s not a chance you’d be sitting in on this guy’s jury.

MY take on the situation is this:

  1. Document all interactions you have with this person, as someone else suggested. Every conversation, what happened, what didn’t happen, who was there. This is for your protection.

  2. If there is an anonymous tip line for crime in your area use it. If you can be specific about times, places, etc. so much the better, you’ll be taken more seriously.

  3. DO NOT tell anyone you are doing any of the above. This is also for your protection. If no one knows there is much less chance of Mr. Drug Addict or his buddies attempting to retaliate against you. Stay anonymous

  4. Let the police do the work of bringing this guy in, finding evidence, etc. Don’t play hero (other than that phone call). For all you know, he might already be under investigation.

As I said, you may not be the first. So what? Add your voice to the others.

Anise, you are only responsible for the consequences of YOUR actions - no one else’s. If someone does drugs, or buys or sells them, that is THEIR problem, not yours and THEY are responsible for any trouble they get into by their actions.

Of course Mr Drug Addict will rat out his customers - that’s what druggie dealers do. Well, are you one of his customers? No. Did you, personally, ever force anyone to buy or do drugs? No. You are not responsible for the actions of others, only your own

So, you have two choices. You can do nothing - and likely no lasting harm will acrue to you from this experience. You can do something - which carries a little risk but may also tip the balance toward getting rid of this jerk.

YOUR choice now. Please choose wisely.

P.S. Welcome to adulthood - you gets lots more of these dilemnas as time goes by.

17

There no ethical dilemma here. You already know what the right thing to do is.

You’re loosing sleep because you’re looking for a rationalization to not do the right thing.

The right thing is at times very challenging and scary. But if you want to sleep at night, you’ve got to do it.

Turn him in.

Peace.

18

He sounds like a jackass, but not the kind of guy who deserves to go to jail for 12 years. I wouldn’t turn him in.

19

I don’t think it’s quite right to turn a guy into the police for a crime because you don’t like him, even if he’s a reprehensible fellow. I’m personally opposed to our draconian laws regarding pot, and I would never think it’s right to help the system incarcerate someone for it. But the dilemma’s yours, and if you think someone deserves jail for selling drugs, do it.

OTOH, if this is just a way to get an asshole out of your life, well, I personally would look for another method.

However, if his drug use is compromising his work - if, for example, he’s selling on the job, then send his ass up the river. He deserves it in that case.

20

On the drug dealer part - who cares? People sell and buy pot from the wee ages of 10 all the way until they die - it doesnt bother me. They buy it, get high , and eat a little more cheetos than normal while watching tv. Our country wastes so much money on prosecuting and imprisioning people who just wanna get high/make some money on the side by selling their pot.