Regent Revisited: Tattooed Dude Suspended Pending Psychiatric Evaluation
Last week, we brought you the tale of Adam Key, a heavily tattooed 2L fighting the powers that be at Regent University School of Law.
Now, here’s an update, from the Virginian-Pilot:
A Regent University law student who posted an unflattering photo of Regent President Pat Robertson on his Facebook page has been indefinitely suspended pending a psychiatric evaluation.Adam M. Key was told by a dean in an e-mail Friday that he was concerned about Key’s “emotional well-being” and that several students have recently expressed concern about Key’s “interpersonal behavior.”
The students “have reported, among other things, that you said that you brought a gun on campus, which is a violation of University policy,” said the e-mail, signed by L.O. Natt Gantt, the law school’s associate dean for student affairs.
But Key — who, by the way, appears to have commented on our last post — says this is a bunch of b.s. completely untrue:
Key said he has never brought a gun on campus or told fellow students that he had. “I’ve never owned or carried a gun,” he said….“This is an effort to discredit me by drawing attention draw away from” the free-speech issue, Key said Friday. “It’s insulting to imply that someone who has different opinions from the university is emotionally unstable.”
A little bit more, after the jump.
Judging from some of the comments to our last post, it appears that some of you mistook our lighthearted snark for a harsh attack on Adam Key. We were really just making the same basic point as Professor Marc Randazza:
Regent is a private institution, and if it wants to say “you must respect Pat Robertson’s authoritah,” then by golly, it can do so. That doesn’t mean that I think it is a good idea….[A] fan of free speech is not exactly a good fit for Regent University.
Even though we think we were misunderstood, we’d like to make amends. To Adam Key: We’d like to interview you, and let you tell your side of the story. If you’d be willing to participate, please email us — from your Regent account, preferably, so we can be sure that it’s not Pat Robertson (or Monica Goodling) posing as you. Thanks.
P.S. A Virginian-Pilot factoid: Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson — the esteemed Fourth Circuit judge, frequent Supreme Court short-listed, and feeder judge — served as the paper’s editorial page editor, from 1978 to 1981.
Regent suspends student pending psychiatric evaluation [The Virginian-Pilot]
Regent Law School Run by Censorship Monkeys — Go Figure [The Legal Satyricon]
(34) Comments
Comments
houston born and bred... Stephen F. Austin State to Regent
This guy had Bush administration written all over him till he screwed it up.
Look, this guy is obviously some sort of moron if he had no idea what Regent was like and decided to go there for law school. Still, it is absolutely ridiculous for the school to behave like this, even if they're entitled to do so.
Also, while we're in this neck of the woods, how about a Portsmouth salary update!!!!
OK, you have two options:
1) apologize to our Fearless Leader, or
2) write a legal brief defending your position under the First Amendment.
What, you chose Option 2? Really? Well...ah...er...you're suspended pending a psychiatric evaluation!
Why? Well...ah...er...we heard you were going to go all VA Tech on us. Can't be too careful these days. Nothing we can do. Responsbility to the students and all, you understand.
Who did we hear that from? Well...ah...er...look over there, a burning bush! [runs away]
lol @ 3:05
It's funny that ATL wants to interview Key so he can tell his side of the story. Unless I'm missing something, his side is the only side that has been told.
He should just be thankful that he's dealing with Evangelicals and not Scientologists...otherwise, he'd be dead already from an apparent "suicide."
If you want a good laugh . . . go to youtube and type in adam key. The video of adam "preaching" might shed some light on what kind of a fruit loop this guy is.
In case you missed it, Key used to be a pro wrestler: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/APStories/stories/D8S82PUO0.html
He also ran the PR department for straightpride.com
I wonder what his finish move was. The Reverse Keyhole?
Its so sad that many of you are lawyers and yet you simply accept this guys story without listening to the other side.
Hey Lat - you want to get "his side" - thats all the pilot has reported. Why don't you get an interview with other Regent students and get their side.
BTW - who cares that Wilkinson worked for the Pilot in 1981 that was 26 years ago - does that make it a good newspaper now? try reading it once in a while
he must be crazy. After all, he did go to Regents.
"...said the e-mail, signed by L.O. Natt Gantt, the law school's associate dean for student affairs."
Uh... "L.O. Natt Gantt"? Seriously, is that a real name?
OMGWTFBBQLOLOLOL
You play with Pat Robertson..
3:35 - is that the best you can do? make fun of someone's name? "seriously"
Lat - when you get an interview with this guy, could you please ask him for the name of his tattoo artist. I would really like one of Clarence Thomas - thanks!
3:37(2) - is that the best you can do? make fun of someone's lame post? "the best you can do"
3:13 / 3:29: The article DOES give the other side of the story. In fact, it leads with it: that Adam Key has psychiatric issues, allegedly brought a gun to school, and may be a danger to the Regent community.
3:50: The Pilot has inaccurately reported that Key was in trouble because he posted a picture on his Facebook page. Key sent the photo out on the University's listserv. Had the Pilot bothered to interview anyone other than Key (a student perhaps?) it would have been clear that he is not telling the whole story.
Factoid: Natt Gnatt (no relation to Gary Gnu) is a 1994 HLS grad.
http://www.regent.edu/acad/schlaw/faculty_staff/gantt.cfm
yeah 4:00, but isn't Regent ABA certified, doesn't that add extra limitations to how they can treat their students?
That guy's arm is about as toned as a veal-bred calf.
If Regent is ABA certified, I believe there may be some limitations on the treatment of students (as long as they pay their tuition in a timely manner; as soon as they don't, all bets are off). The only ABA restriction that comes to mind is that the Federalist Society must meet clandestinely.
can't we all just get along?
6:04 - no
3:23, seriously? He ran the PR department for an anti-gay group and calls himself a "liberal" Christian?
Good Lord, I hate to think what must count as "right-wing" in his world. And especially to think that I probably know what counts, and there's plenty of them in my own messed-up country.
I may be conflating my Bible-thumpers, but am I the only one envisioning Regent pumping out attorneys a la Alby Grant from Big Love?
All:
Clearly thus guy is insane. First, what kinda douchebag gets law crap written all over his body? He's an over-anxious law student with a martyr complex that greatly over shadows his intellectual prowess. He's not defending his right to speak; he's defending a stupid mistake. In any event, unless the Bush admin has annexed Regent, there is no state action to claim here.
Regardless of what you think of Regent, Key shows poor judgment. He picked a fight that was not worth fighting. He will NEVER, EVER be a lawyer, now. I'll bet my right leg on it.
Before you get to law school you should know to play the game. After passing the bar, then feel free to "change" the system. This guy is just a super-charged, self-righteous law student with poor judgment. That's all. Exactly the type of student most of hated when we went to law school.
P.S.: Although I did not go to Regent, I am sure their B.S. simply mirrors and equals the B.S. shoved down students' throats at uber-liberal law schools. So, in law, there is enough bashing to go around for the crazy-rght wingers and wimpy, crazy left-wingers...law school is law school.
Yes, there is no state action here, so constitutional rights to free speech do not apply...and besides, he freely chose to attend this private school, and implicitly chose to adhere to their standards and norms (note to law students; we might want to actually read the student handbook that they give to us at the beginning of the school year, because it is filled with behavioral expectations, norms, and potential sanctions).
What keeps most schools from sanctioning and tossing out people like this guy is the fear that they will get a reputation for not respecting academic freedom. Clearly, places like Regent could care less if the academia thinks it doesn't respect academic freedom.
Regents can do a lot of things, but they can't make false allegations. If he really never made any claims about guns, then the students (or school, if they made it up) are on the hook for defamation.
There were safety concerns about Key before the school year started. The gun reports started circulating the school last spring. Key has been in the dean's office on several occasions prior to photogate. This also would not be the first time Key has violated Regent's code of conduct.
On a side note, the president of straightpride.com, of which Key is the PR director, is a flaming white supremacist: http://www.websitetoolbox.com/tool/post/baptistwatch/vpost?id=356733
I just can't believe it's against Regent's policy to have a gun on campus. Sounds suspiciously liberal to me.
8:24: Hear, hear. I mean, whoever heard of a batshit-crazy Christian group NOT loving guns? The gun allegation HAS to be made up.
Don't those people carry them around everywhere they go, just in case they get assaulted by gay atheist abortionists? (Oh, and it might not hurt if said gay atheist abortionists were, say, female, non-white, and/or immigrants...)
Of course, I don't have a whole lot of sympathy for anyone who once worked for straightpride. I mean, what?
The gun issue had more to do with who was carrying it than the fact someone had a gun on campus. Anyone who has met Key can tell that he is unstable. Several female students have complained that he makes them uncomfortable and threatened. Many are just plain scared of him. That, combined with the fact that he bragged about bringing guns to campus, is certainly enough to raise a few red flags no matter what your feelings on the Second Amendment are.
4:06 - 1 gagillion funny points for the Gary Gnu reference.
Regent University is ABA acredited but only barely and only after a fight.
The first ammendment does not apply to Regent University but there is nothing to stop the ABA from withdrawing accreditation from a university on the grounds that free speech is not respected.
The ABA is already trying to work out ways in which they could de-accredit fourth tier schools like Regent and Appalachian School of Law which have miserable peer rankings and low bar pass rates.