Oakland University: Student Suspended over His Writing Journal

In fall 2011, student Joseph Corlett was enrolled in Oakland University's Advanced Critical Writing course, which included a requirement that students keep a journal, described as "a place for a writer to try out ideas and record impressions and observations." After two of Corlett's journal entries described the attractiveness of the course's instructor, she demanded that Corlett be removed from the course. Oakland then charged Corlett with "unlawful individual activities" solely on the basis of his journal entries. Corlett was found guilty, suspended for three semesters, given persona non grata status at Oakland, and may only return to his studies if he undergoes "counseling" for "sensitivity issues."

Case Materials

• "Oakland University's Motion to Dismiss, United States District Court Eastern District of Michigan," April 30, 2013
• "Press Release from France Law Group, LLC, March 15, 2013," March 15, 2013
• "Complaint in 'Corlett v. Oakland University Board of Trustees, et al,' District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, March 15, 2013," March 15, 2013
• "‘Hot for Teacher’ Student’s Appeal Denied: Suspended for Writing an Essay ," March 13, 2012: Oakland University in Michigan has denied the appeal of a student who was barred from campus, suspended for three semesters, and required to undergo "sensitivity" counseling for authoring a class assignment in which he stated that he found his instructors attractive. While the assignment specifically permitted students to write creatively about any topic, the university bizarrely classified his "Hot for Teacher" essay as "unlawful." Joseph Corlett came to FIRE for help.
• "Letter from Oakland University President Gary D. Russi to FIRE, March 12, 2012," March 12, 2012
• "Letter from FIRE to Oakland University President Gary D. Russi, March 8, 2012," March 8, 2012
• "Denial of Appeal from Mary Beth Snyder to Joseph Corlett, March 5, 2012," March 5, 2012
• "Email from Pamela Mitzelfeld to Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs Glen McIntosh," February 16, 2012
• "Email from Dean and Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs Glenn McIntosh to Department Chair and Associate Professor of English Susan Hawkins, November 15, 2011," February 16, 2012
• "Writing about Attraction to Professors Gets Oakland U. Student Suspended," February 10, 2012: Oakland University near Detroit has suspended a student for three semesters, barred him from campus, and demanded he undergo "sensitivity" counseling because he wrote in a class assignment that he found his instructors attractive. While the course specifically permitted students to write creatively about any topic, the university bizarrely chose to classify his writing as "unlawful individual activities." Joseph Corlett came to FIRE for help.
• "Letter to Joseph Corlett from Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Glenn McIntosh, January 20, 2012," January 20, 2012
• "Letter to Joseph Corlett from Oakland University Assistant Dean of Students Karen Lloyd, January 3, 2012," January 3, 2012
• "Response to FIRE from Oakland University Assistant General Counsel Boyd C. Farnam, December 23, 2011," December 23, 2011
• "FIRE Letter to Oakland University President Gary D. Russi, December 16, 2011," December 16, 2011
• "Letter to Joseph Corlett from Vice President of Student Affairs Mary Beth Snyder, December 8, 2011," December 8, 2011
• "Letter from Joseph Corlett to Vice President Student Affairs and Enrollment Management Mary Beth Snyder, December 7, 2011 ," December 7, 2011
• "Letter from Vice President of Student Affairs Mary Beth Snyder to Joseph Corlett, December 7, 2011," December 7, 2011
• "Email from Pamela Mitzelfeld to Sherry Wynn Perdue, November 29, 2011," November 29, 2011
• "Joseph Corlett's Daybook, November 1 2011," November 1, 2011
• "Keeping a Writer's Daybook, Pamela Mitzelfeld, English 380, September 1, 2011," September 1, 2011

Blog Entries

• "Oakland University's Motion to Dismiss in 'Hot for Teacher' Case Relies on an Unconstitutional Speech Code and Shows Its Lack of Regard for the First Amendment," by Catherine Sevcenko, May 22, 2013
• "Motion to Dismiss in 'Hot for Teacher' Case Is Legally Weak But Tactically Disturbing," by Catherine Sevcenko, May 17, 2013
• "‘So, Are You SURE I Can Write Whatever I Want in This Assignment?’," by Robert Shibley, March 19, 2013
• "Student Suspended for ‘Hot for Teacher’ Essay Sues Oakland University Administrators," by William Creeley, March 18, 2013: On Friday, student Joseph Corlett filed a federal lawsuit against administrators of Oakland University, near Detroit, for suspending him in the fall of 2011 after he authored two journal entries that described the attractiveness of his professor for an Advanced Critical Writing assignment. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Southern Division, alleges that university officials violated Corlett’s First Amendment rights by finding him guilty of “unlawful individual activities” solely on the basis of the journal entries. Corlett was suspended for three semesters, banned from campus, and required to undergo “counseling” for “sensitivity issues.” Corlett was punished despite having verified with his professor that he could write about any topic and having previously received high grades for writing concerning sexual topics. Corlett, who came to FIRE for help in December 2011, brought suit with the assistance of FIRE Legal Network attorneys Alari K. Adams and Kyle J. Bristow. 
• "Speech Code of the Month: Oakland University," by Samantha Harris, April 3, 2012: FIRE announces its Speech Code of the Month for April 2012: Oakland University in Michigan. Oakland's Student Handbook prohibits the use of "immoral," "insulting," or offensive language over "any telephone or other communications device." This vague and overly broad policy contradicts decades of federal court decisions—both in Michigan and from the U.S. Supreme Court—holding unequivocally that speech cannot be prohibited simply because it offends others. The policy is a clear violation of students' First Amendment rights, and the university must revise it immediately.
• "‘Hot for Teacher’ Case Hits the Press Again," by Gina Luttrell, March 14, 2012
• "‘Reason’ Riffs on ‘Hot for Teacher’ Case," by Robert Shibley, March 14, 2012
• "‘Hot for Teacher’ Student’s Appeal Denied: Suspended for Writing an Essay ," March 13, 2012
• "Oakland University’s Punishment of Student Makes National and International Press," by Peter Bonilla, February 16, 2012
• "‘Hot for Teacher’ FOIA: ‘Continuous inaccurate characterization and attacks’," by Adam Kissel, February 16, 2012
• "MSNBC Covers ‘Hot for Teacher’ Case," by Adam Kissel, February 15, 2012
• "Isn’t There More to the Story at Oakland University? Not Really. (Part 3)," by Adam Kissel, February 14, 2012
• "Isn’t There More to the Story at Oakland University? Not Really. (Part 2)," by Adam Kissel, February 13, 2012
• "Isn’t There More to the Story at Oakland University? Not Really. (Part 1)," by Adam Kissel, February 13, 2012
• "Creeping Someone Out Does Not Equal Threats or Intimidation," by Adam Kissel, February 13, 2012
• "Writing about Attraction to Professors Gets Oakland U. Student Suspended," February 10, 2012

Media Coverage

• "'Hot for Teacher' Essay Lands Student Joseph Corlett in Trouble,"
  GA Daily News, March 15, 2013
• "OU student denied appeal for reinstatement over "hot for teacher" essay,"
  Big Rapid Daily News, March 15, 2012
• "Oakland University denies appeals by student who wrote ‘Hot for Teacher’,"
  by Dave Phillips, Daily Tribune, March 14, 2012
• "When Is Quoting Van Halen a Crime?,"
  by Jacob Sullum, Reason Online, March 14, 2012
• "Appeal denied for student suspended after writings,"
  by Associated Press, WWMT, March 14, 2012
• "Appeal denied for OU student who authored 'Hot for Teacher' essay,"
  by Tom Greenwood, The Detroit News, March 14, 2012
• "Oakland University president denies 'Hot for Teacher' essay writer further appeals,"
  by Bill Laitner, The Detroit Free Press, March 14, 2012
• "'Hot for Teacher' Essay Lands Student in Trouble,"
  by Ashton Marra, ABC News, February 16, 2012
• "OU student, 56, needs a lesson,"
  by Laura Berman, Detroit News, February 16, 2012
• "Joseph Corlett, Oakland University Student Barred For Calling His Teacher Hot In His Writing Assignment,"
  by Tyler Kingkade, The Huffington Post, February 15, 2012
• "OU student describes teacher in essay: 'Tall, blond, stacked',"
  by Kim Kozlowski, Detroit News, February 14, 2012
• " Oakland U. Prosecutes ‘Hot for Teacher’ Student,"
  by Candace de Russy, National Review Online, February 14, 2012
• "Oakland University student fighting suspension over 'Hot for Teacher' writings,"
  by Tammy Stables Battaglia, Detroit Free Press , February 14, 2012
• "Too Hot for Professor?,"
  by Scott Jaschik, Inside Higher Ed , February 13, 2012
• "'Hot for teacher': Oakland U student says he was suspended over professor crush,"
  by Aaron Foley, Michigan Live, February 12, 2012
• "Journal Entries Get Older Student Suspended From Oakland University,"
  CBS Detroit, February 11, 2012