SRJC assignment draws Secret Service's attention

'Kill the president' e-mail called matter of 'extremely poor judgment'

July 10, 2003

By RANDI ROSSMANN
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT A Santa Rosa Junior College instructor assigned summer school students to compose an e-mail saying "Kill the president," prompting an investigation by the U.S. Secret Service.

Michael Ballou, the long-time political science professor who gave the assignment, hasn't been arrested and taught his class as usual Wednesday evening.

In a brief interview outside his classroom at the college's Petaluma campus, Ballou called the federal investigation of his assignment "farcical" and the result of a "growing police state."

Ballou was questioned Tuesday after the parents of one of his students contacted the FBI, and a congressman who received an e-mail from another student forwarded it to the Secret Service, the agency responsible for ensuring the president's safety.

Making a verbal or written threat on the life of the president is a felony, subject to a fine and up to five years in federal prison, said Richard Stribling, assistant to the special agent in charge of the Secret Service office in San Francisco.

"We take these things very seriously," Stribling said.

SRJC President Robert Agrella called the e-mail assignment at least a matter of "extremely poor judgment."

Agrella said the school hasn't decided whether to take action against Ballou.

He said school officials are waiting for the results of the Secret Service investigation, and also must comply with labor contracts outlining the process for disciplinary proceedings.

Ballou said the goal of the exercise was to get students to think about what could happen if they did send the e-mail or make such a statement.

"Just the act of saying that and knowing your e-mail could be tapped and your phone listened to, you get a wave of fear over you and you realize we're actually afraid of our own government," he said.

"No one was supposed to receive any e-mail," he said.

Ballou said he also didn't specify any e-mail address for the exercise or give a name to the president.

He said he was suprised that the e-mail had gone out and been received by a congressman. "And I'm shocked at the speed at which this stuff happened," he said.

It took less than a day for police to come calling and two days for Secret Service agents to arrive on campus.

Doug Garrison, executive dean of the Petaluma campus, said the exercise put students at risk of violating school policy and possible legal action.

Garrison said administrators are aware of only one e-mail that was sent. It went to Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, who notified the Secret Service.

Before class Wednesday, several students supported Ballou and expressed surprise that the exercise had brought the Secret Service to the campus.

"The point of the assignment was to experience fear of the government," said Andrea Joy of Windsor, adding that she didn't send an e-mail. "Everybody did by just suggesting the assignment. At no point was Michael advocating any violence.

"The reaction really validated his point," Joy said.

Nick Kardum of Sonoma said he didn't believe the students were supposed to act on the idea, just think about it.

"He wanted to show the power and fear of the government the citizens of America have," Kardum said.

"It's been blown way out of proportion," said Theresa Doss of Rohnert Park. She said she didn't send an e-mail either.

Two federal agents arrived on campus Tuesday night to interview Ballou and the student who sent the e-mail to Thompson, Garrison said.

Garrison declined to identify the adult student who sent the e-mail, citing privacy rules.

Ballou told Garrison that he never told the students to actually send the e-mail. He also didn't specifically say not to send it, Garrison said.

At a subsequent class session, Ballou asked if his students had done the assignment, Garrison said.

"A number indicated they thought he was joking," Garrison said. "He said, 'I'm quite serious and want you to fulfill this.'"

A high school student taking the junior college class told his parents and dropped the course. His parents phoned the FBI on Monday. FBI agents called the college police and the Secret Service, Garrison said.

Meanwhile on Monday in Washington, Thompson aide Leslie Danz opened e-mails that arrived over the Fourth of July holiday weekend.

"It was quite shocking when we opened it," she said. "That's all it said, just those three words, 'Kill the president.'"

Following procedures, Thompson staffers contacted Capitol police and the e-mail was forwarded to the Secret Service.

Agrella said he didn't know when the Secret Service investigation would be completed, and Stribling declined to comment on the status of the case.

An SRJC police detective also is conducting an investigation of the e-mail assignment.

"Possibly nothing will come of this," Garrison said. "But it's a timely reminder of the balance that exists on the issue of academic freedom and the responsibility we have to exercise that freedom in an appropriate and responsible manner."

Ballou has been a teacher for 25 years and a part-time instructor at SRJC for 12 years. He said he's not sure whether the incident will affect his job, but initially felt support from college administrators as a matter of academic freedom.

Ballou said he has used the same exercise in previous classes without a problem.

"I'm very surprised, quite frankly, that someone hadn't complained prior to this," Agrella said.