Medical student expelled after posting Liam Neeson "Taken" quote to facebook

[deleted500612]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...-famous-taken-quote-on-facebook-a6751451.html

Distinguishing between a genuine threat and an obvious meme/movie quote not meant to be taken literally is apparently difficult for a lot of people who are unfamiliar with this thing called the internet. I am starting to feel like even having a social media account is getting to be a risky career move at this point... there is seemingly no post too benign for someone to feign outrage over in our land of hypersensitivity and overzealous political correctness.

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[Microshaft]

that student should call up the faculty, and say the exact same quote LOL

I don't know who you are. I don't know what you want. If you are looking for ransom, I can tell you I don't have money. But what I do have are a very particular set of skills, skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. If you give me back my medical career now, that'll be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you. But if you don't, I will look for you, I will find you, and I will kill you.

 

[CherryRedDracul]

"He later sent a private message to the student saying: 'I don’t want to see you on a night out in Leicester, or in the UK.'"

Yeaaaaaahhhh, probably wasn't a good idea sending a veiled threat within the context of that Taken quote. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

 

[Dave89]

"He later sent a private message to the student saying: 'I don’t want to see you on a night out in Leicester, or in the UK.'"

Yeaaaaaahhhh, probably wasn't a good idea sending a veiled threat within the context of that Taken quote. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

This is the essential point, but, naturally, it didn't come across in the headlines on Facebook.

 

[emergentmd]

Another reason why facebook is a waste of time, space, and energy.

 

[TBV]

What a *****. Everyone knows death threats via carrier pidgeon is the only way to get away with it.

 

[Donald Juan]

"He later sent a private message to the student saying: 'I don’t want to see you on a night out in Leicester, or in the UK.'"

Yeaaaaaahhhh, probably wasn't a good idea sending a veiled threat within the context of that Taken quote. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

I agree. This person wasn't just posting a meme for a joke. He was actually pissed at the person he was talking to. That being said, I still think that expulsion for this is a bit much, assuming this was his first incidence of unprofessionalism/poor judgment.

 

[Psai]

People make stupid decisions, especially when they're being ruled by their emotions. Everyone deserves a second chance, especially when it's something so important. I doubt that anyone's private messages would stand to public scrutiny if you cared to take a look.

 

[CherryRedDracul]

I agree. This person wasn't just posting a meme for a joke. He was actually pissed at the person he was talking to. That being said, I still think that expulsion for this is a bit much, assuming this was his first incidence of unprofessionalism/poor judgment.

I'm with you here; expulsion was a little excessive unless he has a pattern of bad behavior.

 

[mimelim]

People make stupid decisions, especially when they're being ruled by their emotions. Everyone deserves a second chance, especially when it's something so important. I doubt that anyone's private messages would stand to public scrutiny if you cared to take a look.

I agree. People should get second chances.

At the same time, not going to lose sleep over someone sending death threats and getting expelled from a school.

 

[Stagg737]

Idk, If it were just the meme I'd say it was certainly excessive. The PM put the nail in the coffin and made the threat sound legitimate. Makes it seem like he had time to think through what he posted/wrote before he did it.

I'd like to know what happened to the guy that posted the explicit pictures though. It would seem publicizing explicit pictures of a classmate should also be punishable, especially if the pictures were meant to stay private between 2 people.

 

[WingedOx]

Idk, If it were just the meme I'd say it was certainly excessive. The PM put the nail in the coffin and made the threat sound legitimate. Makes it seem like he had time to think through what he posted/wrote before he did it.

I'd like to know what happened to the guy that posted the explicit pictures though. It would seem publicizing explicit pictures of a classmate should also be punishable, especially if the pictures were meant to stay private between 2 people.

Yeah the first part of the story is sleazy enough.

 

[deleted500612]

"He later sent a private message to the student saying: 'I don’t want to see you on a night out in Leicester, or in the UK.'"

Yeaaaaaahhhh, probably wasn't a good idea sending a veiled threat within the context of that Taken quote. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

I agree it was not the brightest idea, but saying "I don't want to see you" is subtly yet distinctively different from saying something like "I better not see you". The former is not really a threat but merely an expression of distaste at the thought of running into the person, while the latter has clear implications of consequences. I don't think he realized how the PM would come across in combination with the Taken quote though, which is certainly an unfortunate oversight on his part. But still, it is in the context of a famous movie quote and to me it's pretty obvious it was not intended as a genuine death threat... watching someone's career go up in flames over this is a bit excessive.

 

[deleted500612]

Also keep in mind that the two people did not originally know each other and are not classmates. If the guy felt genuinely threatened by the message he would have just contacted police. The fact that he creeped the guy's profile to find out who his school/employer was, then sent an email to the school of medicine, despite it not affecting his safety or situation whatsoever (not like he was a classmate who now felt unsafe being in the same cohort as him) is a testament to the vindictive motives here. He just wanted to sit there with a smug self-righteous grin on his face while watching the other guy's life get ruined.

 

[seminoma]

A buddy of mine did something similar back in undergrad.. minus the part where this idiot PMed a legit threat. Cops showed up in his dorm room and handcuffed him. University was going to expel him until a bunch of us (his friends) informed the dean that it was a verbatim song lyric. The university made him do community service, but that was about it.

 

[zero0]

To be fair, if you're in your 20's and still using Facebook you deserve it.

 

[WingedOx]

Also keep in mind that the two people did not originally know each other and are not classmates. If the guy felt genuinely threatened by the message he would have just contacted police. The fact that he creeped the guy's profile to find out who his school/employer was, then sent an email to the school of medicine, despite it not affecting his safety or situation whatsoever (not like he was a classmate who now felt unsafe being in the same cohort as him) is a testament to the vindictive motives here. He just wanted to sit there with a smug self-righteous grin on his face while watching the other guy's life get ruined.

a take so hot my eyebrows are singed...

 

[ridethecliche]

To be fair, if you're in your 20's and still using Facebook you deserve it.

Do you know anyone in their 20's?

 

[Lucrezia]

People make stupid decisions, especially when they're being ruled by their emotions. Everyone deserves a second chance, especially when it's something so important. I doubt that anyone's private messages would stand to public scrutiny if you cared to take a look.

So true. If my private messages over the last few years were made public I'd likely lose 90% of my friends, be kicked out of medical school, and possibly face either police scrutiny / involuntary incarceration in a psychiatric unit.

 

[mimelim]

To be fair, if you're in your 20's and still using Facebook you deserve it.

The vast majority of people I know have facebook accounts. It is the primary method of communication for some of them. You have to remember that for many people in their mid-late 20s, Facebook was THE way of keeping up with people from high school and then college as people scattered after graduation. Our department uses it extensively for coordinating events, my faculty are active on it and virtually every resident at a minimum has a profile. While I appreciate that you think that you are too cool for facebook, a lot of people find utility in it as a communication medium.

Personally, I had a friend from high school message me Saturday that I haven't seen in 9 years. We are getting together over the holidays, which is remarkable considering that we live almost 5,000 miles apart. Connection? Via Facebook. My parents have been overseas for the majority of the past year. While we can skype one another, for them to be able to push news of their travels to our entire family all at once is useful and alleviates the need for all of us to check in with them constantly. We can all passively follow their trip and even see what they are doing.

Are there a lot of better communication systems out there? Absolutely. Is it the greatest thing since sliced bread? No. But, not all of the 1.5 billion users are faffing about with it.

So true. If my private messages over the last few years were made public I'd likely lose 90% of my friends, be kicked out of medical school, and possibly face either police scrutiny / involuntary incarceration in a psychiatric unit.

That kind of self reflection probably means that you should re-evaluate how you socialize.

 

[emergentmd]

To be fair, if you're in your 20's and still using Facebook you deserve it.

Anyone with a job, and uses facebook for more than 15 min a week needs to have a hard look at themselves in the mirror. Do you really need to post what you ate today, that your kids just finished camp, that you just took a poop? Seriously, No one cares

 

[emergentmd]

The vast majority of people I know have facebook accounts. It is the primary method of communication for some of them. You have to remember that for many people in their mid-late 20s, Facebook was THE way of keeping up with people from high school and then college as people scattered after graduation. Our department uses it extensively for coordinating events, my faculty are active on it and virtually every resident at a minimum has a profile. While I appreciate that you think that you are too cool for facebook, a lot of people find utility in it as a communication medium.

Personally, I had a friend from high school message me Saturday that I haven't seen in 9 years. We are getting together over the holidays, which is remarkable considering that we live almost 5,000 miles apart. Connection? Via Facebook. My parents have been overseas for the majority of the past year. While we can skype one another, for them to be able to push news of their travels to our entire family all at once is useful and alleviates the need for all of us to check in with them constantly. We can all passively follow their trip and even see what they are doing.

Are there a lot of better communication systems out there? Absolutely. Is it the greatest thing since sliced bread? No. But, not all of the 1.5 billion users are faffing about with it.



That kind of self reflection probably means that you should re-evaluate how you socialize.

What you are quoting does prove Facebook has merit about 0.1% of the time. The problem is facebook causes 99.9% issues in people's lives. Thats like saying using cocaine has merit. I am sure it does but is 99.9% problematic.

 

[WingedOx]

Anyone with a job, and uses facebook for more than 15 min a week needs to have a hard look at themselves in the mirror. Do you really need to post what you ate today, that your kids just finished camp, that you just took a poop? Seriously, No one cares

I mean, if your friends are only posting vapid things for you to read, then maybe it's you who needs to re-evaluate your social circle.

 

[Stagg737]

Anyone with a job, and uses facebook for more than 15 min a week needs to have a hard look at themselves in the mirror. Do you really need to post what you ate today, that your kids just finished camp, that you just took a poop? Seriously, No one cares

Facebook is for posting inordinate numbers of baby pictures and seeing stupid political opinions. Posting what you ate is what instagram is for. And posting when you're pooping is for twitter. Neither of which most people I know care about.

 

[WingedOx]

What you are quoting does prove Facebook has merit about 0.1% of the time. The problem is facebook causes 99.9% issues in people's lives. Thats like saying using cocaine has merit. I am sure it does but is 99.9% problematic.

What kind of funky-ass drama do you have going on in your life, exactly?

here, have a cat pic. It'll help you feel better.

 

[TBV]

Facebook is for seeing bikini pics in the summer lets be real

 

[mimelim]

What you are quoting does prove Facebook has merit about 0.1% of the time. The problem is facebook causes 99.9% issues in people's lives. Thats like saying using cocaine has merit. I am sure it does but is 99.9% problematic.

Yes, 99.9% of the worlds problems would be solved if they just stopped using Facebook. Just like with everything that gets blamed, it is a product of the people using it. If you're news feed is 99% idiotic trash, that is a reflection of your social circle (and you) more than it is the medium of communication.

People waste time with all sorts of things that others find stupid. Even people with full time jobs (or residents) find outlets, I don't know how one can conclude that somehow Facebook is "the worst" and comparable to cocaine.

 

[Lucrezia]

That kind of self reflection probably means that you should re-evaluate how you socialize.

Mimelim - hyperbole. Hyperbole - mimelim. Now you two are acquainted I trust I won't have to deal with that level of autism from you again.

 

[TBV]

Mimelim - hyperbole. Hyperbole - mimelim. Now you two are acquainted I trust I won't have to deal with that level of autism from you again.

Try not to hurt anything stretching to be funny

 

[WingedOx]

People waste time with all sorts of things that others find stupid.

Strange, I can't think of an example of what you're talking about, mimelim.

 

[ridethecliche]

What you are quoting does prove Facebook has merit about 0.1% of the time. The problem is facebook causes 99.9% issues in people's lives. Thats like saying using cocaine has merit. I am sure it does but is 99.9% problematic.

I know. If only Turkey and Russia weren't having a facebook spat everything would be hunky dory in the middle east.

I MEAN ISIS USES FACEBOOK AMIRITE!?

 

[WingedOx]

Remember kids, Internet is serious business.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-university-of-chicago-gun-threat-met-20151130-story.html

 

[Lucrezia]

Try not to hurt anything stretching to be funny

I wasn't trying to be funny. I was trying to be a snarky bitch.

 

[CherryRedDracul]

Settle down, people....

 

[awared2]

People make stupid decisions, especially when they're being ruled by their emotions. Everyone deserves a second chance, especially when it's something so important. I doubt that anyone's private messages would stand to public scrutiny if you cared to take a look.

I think one of the articles about the student said he had 5 previous official warnings

 

[addidas]

To be fair some UK schools are pretty rubbish when it comes to "official warnings"- you can get them because you didn't turn up to a lecture that was randomly registered.
Prior warnings or not, the fact that he sent a threat was probably enough for his goose to be cooked especially because he was a 4th year medical student; a stage when the GMC starts noticing you more and makes it a point that medical students are judged by the same yardstick a doctor would be.
PS. Why would anyone want to go for a night out in Leicester anyway

 

[Psai]

I think one of the articles about the student said he had 5 previous official warnings

Feel free to post the article. Depending on what he did, that does put things in a different light.

 

[addidas]

Feel free to post the article. Depending on what he did, that does put things in a different light.

http://www.oiahe.org.uk/media/106216/thilakawardhana-judgment.pdf

 

[ridethecliche]

I think it's pretty crazy that a school can consider a civil matter like this and use it as grounds for dismissal since it wasn't another student involved. No charges were filed by the other guy. That should have been the end of it.

 

[Yleio381]

I think it's pretty crazy that a school can consider a civil matter like this and use it as grounds for dismissal since it wasn't another student involved. No charges were filed by the other guy. That should have been the end of it.

It was another student involved though.

 

[sunealoneal]

Mimelim - hyperbole. Hyperbole - mimelim. Now you two are acquainted I trust I won't have to deal with that level of autism from you again.

That kind of response probably means that you should re-evaluate how you socialize.

 

[zero0]

My God, what have I done...

I'll acknowledge that Facebook does have some utility, but for the most part it's a huge waste of time and even a liability... Guess it comes down to the user. I stopped using it when my friends did. Towards the end, it mostly became a nuisance that obligated me to pretend to care about people I simply didn't care about, so I canned it.