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May 15, 2007 (NBC11.com / San Jose, CA) -- An essay fictionalizing murder has a San Jose State University professor no longer conducting his writing class. English professor Mitch Berman said Tuesday that in light of the tragedy at Virginia Tech, he did not feel safe teaching the course, NBC11's Daniel Garza reported. In the essay, an English student convinces a vampire-lover to kill the student's "unethical, wicked" professor. Berman, who declined to talk on camera, said the professor in the story was based on him. "The incident at Virginia Tech has underscored the need to err on the side of caution, and I believe the university well understands that incidents such as the one that happened in this class, now need to be taken more seriously," Berman said in an e-mail to NBC11. Berman said he was so frightened, he asked to teach the course online or have a substitute brought in. University officials spoke to the student, who Berman said was angry about criticism he made in class. "Between the Provost's office, university police department and the campus counseling services, the details were investigated. The student was interviewed. The professor was interviewed as well, and it was determined by UPD that no law had been broken and the student was not a danger to himself or a danger to others," said SJSU spokesman Pat Lopes-Harris. Santa Clara University psychology professor Thomas Plante said Berman's fears are understandable, especially in light of Virginia Tech and Columbine. "I think people are nervous," Plante said. "When they see a student who might be writing about something violent, particularly if it's directed toward the instructor as it was in this particular case, I think any thoughtful, reasonable instructor would say, 'I feel anxious about this. Let's see what we can do here,' to make sure that, not only he is safe, but everybody else in the class is safe." The student apologized for writing the paper. A substitute was brought in to teach the remainder of the course. Berman said he's comfortable with the decision he made, pointing out that a few students in the class were also concerned about their safety.
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Follow up: SJSU Student Took Freedom Too Far With Vampire Essay,
POSTED: 6:11 pm PDT May 16, 2007
SAN JOSE, Calif. (NBC11.COM) -- A South Bay English professor who stopped teaching a writing class after a student turned in an essay fictionalizing murder speaks out Wednesday about the incident and why he doesn't regret his decision.
In the 17-page essay, an English student whose identity is anonymous convinces a vampire-lover to kill the student's "unethical, wicked" professor, NBC11's Daniel Garza reported.
San Jose State University English professor Mitch Berman said that in light of the tragedy at Virginia Tech, he did not feel safe teaching the course. He said the professor in the story was based on him.
"In this case, two characters were created in the student's story that were intentionally designed to, and were recognized by the other students, as resembling me," Berman said. "These two characters were murdered; and I'd never seen a story handed in where I was a character and I came to any kind of harm."
Berman said Wednesday he does not regret refusing to teach the remainder of the fiction writing class.
Berman said that for now, he his withholding judgment about whether the university took the right action.
He said he likes to tell his students that fiction is freedom, but he said one student took it too far.
"I do believe the student crossed the line and I think the student is aware of that to," Berman said.
The student wrote the story before the massacre at Virginia Tech last month, but Berman didn't read it until after the tragedy.
"What was very clear was that a conflicted, intensely conflict atmosphere had been created by this story and that was not conducive a good learning environment," Berman said.
Berman said he suspects the student was angry over criticisms he made in class.
"I'm an opinionated professor, and I may have said things that might have annoyed the student and that might have annoyed a lot of other students, but no one's ever created a character and killed him off based on that annoyance," Berman said.
Mitch Berman said he suspects the student was angry over criticisms he made in class.
After reading the essay, Berman canceled the next class and asked the university if he could teach the rest of the course online. Instead, the students asked for and got a substitute.
University officials said they determined the student was not a threat to himself or others and he remained enrolled in the course.
"Between the Provost's office, university police department and the campus counseling services, the details were investigated. The student was interviewed. The professor was interviewed as well, and it was determined by UPD that no law had been broken and the student was not a danger to himself or a danger to others," said SJSU spokesman Pat Lopes-Harris.
The student apologized to the class. Berman would not comment on the apology.
"Based on all that information, when it is finally made available to me, I'll be able to make a better judgment about whether the university did due diligence in talking to this student," Berman said.
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