Jacob Marberger may have more friends than he thought. Since his disappearance last Monday, the missing Washington College student has received support online through social media from peers and concerned people wishing for his safe return.
Christine Hauser at the New York Times writes that “Pleas posted on online forums have been shared hundreds of times, with school administrators, alumni and friends publishing streams of Facebook messages that offer love, support and a confidential ear.”
To read the article go here.
Cynthia Stafford says
According to a recent article in the Washington Post, Jacob’s problems on campus began when he had the courage to report witnessing an incident of sexual harassment. What kind of disciplinary action is being taken against the harassing student? Is this being investigated? It sounds like Jacob did what many would call ‘the right thing’. Now he is being marginalized and harassed for speaking up.
David H. Sheets says
That this young man with so many positive attributes about him including his academic and leadership abilities is more than a loss but a needless death if ever there was one. Above all the school and relevant groups on campus that the young man belonged to fell far short in meeting their obligations to him, the shool and the community. As a Clinical Social Worker for the VA who for more than 22 years has assessed, diagnosed (or not) those Veterans meeting the criteria for PTSD – combat or non combat related as well as for PTSD and/or MST (military sexual trauma), and then treating them for same be it individually or within groups. Occassionally a Veteran would bring in a antique weapon which or knife which was against the law and they were repremanded or warned but unless seen as being dangerous to others and themselves, they continued with the program. Why this man was so misjudged and by who and then dropped from his fraternity, position as speaker of his school’s Senate and essentially castrated by the men of the school inspite of his having been bullied and possibly sexually abused by one or more within the group or fraternity. As a clinician this is a man who should be enjoying his Thanksgiving with his family, continuing with his education and above all receiving any psychiatric treatment that he may need. Instead because a school jumped to all types of conclusions w/o looking into what he may have experienced within the fraternity and the school and his label as a potential killer likely with an antique handgun not capable of firing, he was expelled from Washington College where he should have received a much more thorough assessment or evaluation of his mental status and the bullying and sexual trauma issues that occurred supposively at his fraternity. None of this occurred and now he is dead – not from a war as this writer served in during my two tours in VN but from his own gunshot and the loss of his own self worth all related to the poorly held evaluation and critique of this most valuable young man once so gifted and now dead – so unnecessarily!
Deirdre LaMotte says
I agree. We are just sick at how much Jacob suffered. This was handled horribly.