> IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT > FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF IOWA > CENTRAL DIVISION > > ESTATE OF LEVI ANDELIN BUTLER, > by and through his Personal Representative, JOSHUA BUTLER, > Plaintiff, > v. > MAHARISHI UNIVERSITY OF MANAGEMENT and > MAHARISHI VEDIC EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, > Defendants. ))))))))))))) Case No. 06-cv-00072
*********** This is the heart of the complaint against MUM, and the negligence and indifference to student welfare is shocking: *********** <SNIP> During the approximately six weeks Shuvender Sem was on the Maharishi University of Management campus, his appearance and behavior became increasingly bizarre and his attitude toward other students became more aggressive, threatening, and belligerent. As one example, Sem threatened to kill a fellow student by bashing the student's head into a sink and then stomping on him while he was on the ground. The change in Shuvender Sem's appearance, behavior, and attitude was observed by his fellow students and either was, or should have been, observed by Defendants. E. The Attacks on March 1, 2004 On Monday, March 1, 2004, Shuvender Sem attended an afternoon class at Maharishi University of Management at which several University staff persons were present. These persons included Samuel Boothby, Chris Jones, and Susan Dillbeck. Susan Dillbeck is a member of the University's Board of Trustees. About a dozen other students were also in attendance. The class had just finished meditating and was watching a video of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, when Shuvender Sem became agitated, stood up, and began making strange gestures. Eventually, he left the room for a few minutes. When he returned, he stood behind a student named John Killian. Suddenly and without provocation, Sem began screaming obscenities and stabbed John Killian in the face and throat with a pen. The classroom attack on John Killian occurred at approximately 2:30 p.m. Fortunately, John Killian was able to deflect the pen slightly with his hand, possibly saving his own life. The pen punctured his hand, chin, and throat, and left a red ink scratch across his throat. A fellow student named Akbar Nazary grabbed Shuvender Sem and stopped the attack. John Killian was taken to a restroom by Maharishi University of Management staff, advised that he probably did not need stitches, given a bandage, and encouraged to return to class. His repeated requests to be taken to someone qualified to determine whether he needed stitches were turned down. John Killian was then asked by University staff to meet with Shuvender Sem so that Sem could apologize. Staff members, who included Chris Jones and Samuel Boothby, represented that the reason Sem had attacked Killian was that Sem had been meditating improperly. Shuvender Sem's "apology," which was prompted by Samuel Boothby, was delivered with a flat expression in a monotone voice, and with no indication of genuine remorse. Samuel Boothby then asked John Killian if he was ready to return to class. Killian could not believe Boothby was serious. John Killian returned to the classroom where he had been attacked to retrieve his books. When he re-entered the room, some of the students were still in shock and some were crying. Rather than attending to the needs of the students, Susan Dillbeck and other Maharishi University of Management staff continued to run the videotape and attempted to act as though nothing had happened. Susan Dillbeck insisted that the students focus their attention on the lecture. Ultimately, John Killian drove himself to a hospital, where he received multiple stitches. When he described how he had been injured and reported the excuse given by Maharishi University of Management staff that Shuvender Sem had simply been meditating improperly, the treating doctor responded, "In the real world, we call that assault and battery, and people go to jail for it." Immediately after the attack, student witnesses advised University Staff that Shuvender Sem had acted in a bizarre and aggressive manner on previous occasions and had demonstrated clear signs of schizophrenia, including a claim that he was being followed by a black cat. Meanwhile, Maharishi University of Management officials, including Executive Vice President Craig Pearson and Dean of Men Joel Wysong, were informed of Shuvender Sem's attack on John Killian. Dr. Robert Boyer, a clinical psychologist and member of the University faculty, was contacted. He advised that Shuvender Sem was dangerous, should be kept off campus, and needed to be evaluated by a psychiatrist immediately. University officials decided not to arrange a psychiatric evaluation of Shuvender Sem. Defendants knew or should have known that Shuvender Sem was a menace to the safety of others and that it was foreseeable he might attack someone else without warning or provocation. In direct violation of the University's Campus Safety Bulletin, University officials decided not to inform other students or staff of what had happened, or to notify Campus Security or local law enforcement of the attack. Instead, Defendants decided to handle the matter internally. University officials tried unsuccessfully to find a student living off-campus who would be willing to share lodgings with Shuvender Sem for a probationary period. Failing at this, they decided to take Sem into custody, remove him from campus, and return him to his home in Philadelphia. Shuvender Sem was placed in the custody of Joel Wysong, the Dean of Men. Joel Wysong took Shuvender Sem to Mr. Wysong's apartment on campus. At his residence, Joel Wysong observed Shuvender Sem standing in the kitchen, turning in circles, waving his arms, clapping his hands, and muttering to himself as he looked toward the ceiling. Joel Wysong feared for his personal safety while Shuvender Sem was at his residence. Joel Wysong left Shuvender Sem in the kitchen while Wysong retreated to another room to meditate. He could hear Sem rummaging in drawers in the kitchen. When Joel Wysong finished meditating, he discovered Shuvender Sem was missing. Wysong did not speak to Campus Security or notify local law enforcement. Instead, he decided to try to find Sem himself. Joel Wysong checked several locations before finding Shuvender Sem at the student dining hall on campus. Rather than remove Sem from the dining hall or request assistance from Campus Security or local law enforcement, Wysong decided to allow Sem to mingle with other students. Wysong did nothing to protect the students from Sem. Instead he sat some distance away from Sem. He did not keep Sem under observation. F. Levi Butler's Murder Shuvender Sem moved from a table near where several students were seated to a seat next to Levi Butler. Akbar Nazary, who had subdued Shuvender Sem during the first attack, was alarmed to see Sem in the student dining hall and moved closer so that he could help again in the event of a second attack. Shuvender Sem asked Levi Butler where he was from. As Levi was responding, Sem suddenly jumped to his feet, screaming obscenities. Sem then pulled from his coat a knife he had taken from Joel Wysong's kitchen. Sem began plunging the knife into Levi's chest. It was approximately 7:02 p.m. The force of the attack was so violent the knife blade broke off in Levi's chest. Levi was stabbed multiple times in the heart, lung, and liver. Shuvender Sem was again subdued by Akbar Nazary, for the second time in less than five hours. As students rushed to Levi's aid and began calling 911, Joel Wysong walked slowly to Shuvender Sem and instructed Akbar Nazary to let him go. Wysong moved Sem to the side and spoke with him. The ambulance service did not know the location of the dining hall on the University's campus. Valuable time was lost asking for directions on campus. Once the dining hall was found, more time was lost trying to maneuver a stretcher and medical equipment through a crowd that had gathered. Even more time was lost trying to move students away from Levi. No one from Maharishi University of Management had taken control of the situation. When the paramedics reached Levi's side, he was gasping in what is known as agonal respiration. His pulse was 56 and his skin was pale. He was nonresponsive. The paramedics cut away Levi's shirt and removed a 3-inch knife blade from his chest. (The tip of the blade remained and was recovered during autopsy.) Pressure pads were applied to stop the bleeding. He was placed on a ventilator. CPR was administered. A defibrillator was used to shock Levi's heart in an attempt to restore its normal rhythm. At 7:29 p.m., he was placed in the ambulance. At that time, he was breathing, but his pulse was weak. Levi was still alive when he reached the emergency room. Levi Butler died on the evening of March 1, 2004 at the Jefferson County Hospital. The cause of death was "stab wounds to the chest." Had Defendants followed their own stated policy of reporting all serious crime to local authorities, Shuvender Sem would have been arrested after the attack on John Killian, and Levi Butler would be alive today. ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Join modern day disciples reach the disfigured and poor with hope and healing http://us.click.yahoo.com/lMct6A/Vp3LAA/i1hLAA/UlWolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> To subscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Or go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ and click 'Join This Group!' Yahoo! 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