Jim, Best wishes on a successful conclusion.
Linda has already provided a great deal of wisdom (you might want to add her to your legal team), but let me add one thing I've learned from workshops on psychologist and litigation: DOCUMENT EVERYTHING. Document all incidents with the student, all steps your wife has taken wife the student, etc etc etc. The sooner the better. Jim Guinee Univ of Ctrl Ark > Subject: Re: Help requested with an ugly legal issue > From: Linda Woolf <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Dear Jim, > > Some steps to consider checking out and hopefully others will jump in > with additional helpful suggestions or thoughts. > > 1. Do you have some sort of faculty handbook that includes the steps > outlined for a student grievance as well as a faculty grievance against > a student? Check it out and see what avenues are available according to > university policy. Chances are no one will inform you of what your > wife's rights are, and thus you will need to find this information out > for yourself. Someone within your faculty senate/council/etc. should > have this information. Barring this, check with AAUP. Do you have a > union? They can also be helpful. > > 2. Check to see what kinds of malpractice insurance policies are in > place for faculty through the university. I know at my university, we > are each provided with two policies but they never advertise that fact. > This may include help with legal assistance. > > 3. Know that part of the reason that they are advocating so vigorously > for the student is because they are afraid of a lawsuit. Also know that > they are just as afraid of a lawsuit from an employee. Learn your > rights and the resources available to you and use them or take legal > action against the university if necessary (obviously a last step). This > is particularly important if their actions are putting you and your > family at risk. > > 4. File a restraining order if the student is threatening. The courts > will not grant a restraining order for "retaliation." This legitimizes > your claim of harassment and also serves to provide a bit of protection > for you and your family. > > 5. Make sure that your legal case regarding the student includes the > potential for reimbursement of legal fees from the student if the claim > is found to be spurious. Make sure the student is aware that this is a > possibility. Reimbursement of legal fees can occur either as part of > any legal case the student may institute against you or later as a civil > action. > > 6. Because of the dual relationship that has now been established > between your wife and the student (a. litigants in a dispute and b. > thesis advisor/student), your wife should "resign" as the student's > thesis advisor. Look to her professional organizations code of ethics > (if one exists as it does for psychology) for an appropriate citation to > include with the letter to the student and the university. This removes > your wife from the situation by making it a professionally mandated action. > > 7. Reassure your wife (which I am sure you have) that while it is > understandable that she is upset, she has no reason to feel embarrassed. > Unfortunately, too many of us tend to feel embarrassed or even ashamed > when we are being victimized and this only further saps our ability to > evaluate and handle situations effectively. > --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
