Friday, April 27, 2007

People need to chill.

Student charged for writing violent essay

High school senior says he was just following the assignment

'CARY, Ill. - Authorities have filed a second disorderly conduct charge against a high school senior arrested for writing an essay officials described as disturbing and inappropriate.

Allen Lee, 18, of Cary was arrested earlier this week after penning the essay at his northern Illinois high school. Lee contends he was just following the creative writing assignment he was given in class at Cary-Grove High School.

Lee initially faced just one charge, but an amended complaint filed Thursday cited a second passage.

According to the complaint, the essay reads, in part, "Blood, sex and booze. Drugs, drugs, drugs are fun. Stab, stab, stab, stab, stab, s...t...a...b...puke. So I had this dream last night where I went into a building, pulled out two P90s and started shooting everyone, then had sex with the dead bodies. Well, not really, but it would be funny if I did."

Another passage said, "as a teacher, don't be surprised on inspiring the first CG shooting," the complaint said.

The creative writing assignment in Lee's English class on Monday instructed students to "write whatever comes to your mind. Do not judge or censor what you are writing," according to a copy of the assignment.

"In creative writing, you're told to exaggerate," Lee said. "It was supposed to be just junk. ... There definitely is violent content, but they're taking it out of context and making it something it isn't."

Lee has been removed from school, and District 155 spokesman Jeff Puma said the district is evaluating Lee's punishment while he attends an offsite learning program in the school district.

"It wasn't just violent or foul language," Puma said. "It went beyond that."

Lee's attorney, Dane Loizzo, said his client was within the parameters of the assignment.

"A stream of consciousness seems to be the goal of the assignment," Loizzo said. He said Lee has never been disciplined in school and signed Marine enlistment papers last week.

His father, Albert Lee, has defended his son as a straight-A student who was just following instructions and contends the school overreacted. However, Albert Lee has said he understands the situation because of what happened last week at Virginia Tech when student Seung-Hui Cho killed 32 students and faculty members before committing suicide.

The charges against Lee could result in a possible $1,500 fine and up to 30 days in jail if he is convicted.

Cary is about 40 miles west of Chicago.'

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