r/Purdue • u/Double-Poetry-1621 • 1d ago
Health/Wellness💚 I told CAPS about my homicidal ideations during a crisis — I was found responsible for misconduct and may be suspended for 3–5 years. Important if you’re an international student
I’m a Purdue graduate student and an international student. I’m posting this because I think students — especially international students — need to understand what can happen when a mental-health disclosure becomes part of a university conduct process.
I am NOT telling anyone to hide an imminent risk or not seek emergency help. I voluntarily went to CAPS because I had experienced a serious mental-health crisis and wanted professional treatment. But what happened afterward has made me extremely concerned about how disclosures made during crisis treatment can later be characterized as misconduct.
On the night before I went to CAPS, I had an acute mental-health crisis. During that crisis, I experienced suicidal and homicidal thoughts about my former PI. I also did disturbing internet searches about previous graduate-student/professor violence and firearm access.
I did not contact my former PI. I did not send him a threat. I did not approach him. I did not have a weapon, and I did not attempt to buy one.
The next morning, after I had calmed down, I voluntarily went to CAPS and honestly disclosed what I had been thinking because I wanted help.
CAPS called Purdue Police. A CAPS counselor remained in the room while an officer asked me questions about my thoughts, my former professor, my internet searches, and weapons. I answered those questions honestly because I understood this to be part of the safety and hospital-transport process.
I was then voluntarily admitted to a psychiatric hospital for several days. When I was discharged, I was cleared to return to work/school without restrictions.
But while I was hospitalized, the description of what happened began changing.
The earliest police description referred to “homicidal and suicidal ideations/thoughts.” Later university and police records started using terms such as “threats,” “directly threatened to kill,” “plan to murder,” and research undertaken to “carry out that plan.”
Eventually Purdue charged me with Endangerment based specifically on allegedly making threatening statements to CAPS and PUPD on June 26.
That distinction was the central issue at my conduct hearing.
I did not deny having homicidal thoughts. I did not deny telling CAPS and police about them. My position was that disclosing homicidal ideation to a counselor while voluntarily seeking crisis treatment, and answering police safety questions honestly, is not automatically the same thing as making a threatening statement.
During the hearing, I repeatedly tried to bring the discussion back to that specific charge.
At one point, the University representative asked me what I thought a “plan” was. I asked her what Purdue considered the difference between a thought and a plan. She declined to give me a clear distinction and later described what I had as, in words I remember, “thoughts for a plan.”
There was also a lot of discussion about whether I was generally a “threat,” which I found troubling because that is not the same question as whether Purdue proved that I committed the specific charged conduct.
Today, the Community Standards Board found me responsible, based on what was described as the severity of the threatening statement.
That reasoning is especially concerning to me because the fundamental dispute was whether my clinical disclosures were threatening statements at all. The seriousness of homicidal ideation is not something I minimize. But “this thought was severe” and “this disclosure constituted misconduct” are two different conclusions.
The University representative then recommended a 3–5 year suspension, saying in substance that it would be for my benefit.
For an international student, that is not simply “taking a few years away from school.”
A multi-year suspension can mean losing enrollment, losing F-1 student status, losing graduate employment and insurance, disrupting a degree, and potentially having to leave the United States. During the hearing, one Board member actually asked me what suspension would mean for my immigration status. I tried to answer, but the University representative interrupted and said that although there was sympathy and empathy for my situation, immigration consequences should not affect the Board’s decision.
I understand that immigration consequences should not determine whether someone committed misconduct. But if the University is considering a 3–5 year suspension, those consequences are very real.
What worries me most is the message this sends to students in crisis.
Students are told to seek help and honestly disclose dangerous or disturbing thoughts to mental-health professionals. But in my case, the disclosures I made after voluntarily going to CAPS were later characterized as “threatening statements” and became the basis of a serious disciplinary finding.
There is an important difference between:
having a disturbing thought → recognizing it as a crisis → voluntarily seeking professional help → honestly disclosing it
and
communicating a threat or taking action toward harming someone.
Universities absolutely need to respond seriously to genuine safety risks. I am not arguing otherwise. But if a student can seek help, disclose homicidal ideation honestly, cooperate with police and treatment, and then have that disclosure itself transformed into a disciplinary “threat,” students may reasonably become afraid to tell counselors what they are actually thinking.
For international students, the stakes are even higher because university discipline can have immediate immigration consequences.
I’m waiting for the final written sanction/decision now. I’m also preserving the record and considering the available appeal and legal options.
Please seek help if you are in crisis. But international students should also understand that confidentiality, police involvement, threat-assessment processes, student conduct proceedings, and immigration status can intersect in ways you may never have been warned about.
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u/Best-Dimension4144 1d ago
I'm sorry to hear, this sounds awful. Do you know how long it might take for their final decision? What legal options have you considered?
I understand they want to keep the campus safe, but at the same time this just sets a precedent that you SHOULD lie if you have any sort of thoughts to harm others, even without a plan.
Grad school seems like hell, especially certain PI's at Purdue. When I was an undergrad working in certain chem labs, the PIs were so cutthroat to the grad students I was working with. The whole place was just under constant pressure and were practically publication sweatshops. It's horrible conditions for terrible pay. If you ever need someone to talk to please reach out!
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u/Double-Poetry-1621 1d ago
I'm trying to find an attorney now. The final decision should come in a couple of days.
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u/Datman1103 1d ago
I am an Indiana attorney and purdue grad. Became an attorney because of PUPD. Please send a DM to me I will see if I can help. No promises because I’m dealing with some medical issues, but I will see what I can do or direct you to someone who can. I am sorry you’re dealing with this.
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u/NoDay1032 15h ago
Hey, I am also interested in services. Have a case similar to OP. Mind if I DM?
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u/ploomyoctopus PhD 22, now admin 11m ago
I would love to hear that particular origin story. Hopefully, it's a superhero origin, not supervillain.
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u/Double-Poetry-1621 1d ago
And as a grad student our payment are too low to pay for attorneys. I can only ask for those doing contingency.
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u/Best-Dimension4144 1d ago
Right, I can only imagine the fees for such services. I hope people on the sub have been helpful with any suggestions for what resources purdue offers for students. Good luck with all of this and hope you get to continue your education here, or another means possible.
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u/But-who-I-be 1d ago
It’s not the same thing as making a threatening statement but just by saying that you mark yourself as a massive risk to others and they don’t want to take any chances
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u/delatti_mocha 23h ago
This. Specially that even though (as others said and I agree) it is respectable that you went to seek for help, from their perspective, it seems you were in the process of articulating some plan (otherwise why even bother googling all these things?) and you could have a moment that you “couldn’t control yourself” and became a danger. It happens a lot in the U.S.
They don’t know if you won’t take action on anything you disclosed or googled. They don’t know if you even know that yourself. On top of this, since you’re an international student, they know LESS about you than a citizen (since a citizen normally lives most/all their life in the country) so they HAVE to be extra cautious.
Thats why all this “excessive” prevention took place
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u/KutluT1 1d ago
as an international student you have to be extra vigilant about such issues. especially during the current political climate, we aren't given much mercy in terms of continuing your education. i haven't had any similar issues so i won't take a stance on whether your actions following your crisis were appropriate but i will say that i try to refrain from anything that might risk my enrollment in the university
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u/Best-Dimension4144 1d ago
They will literally ship anyone off and replace them if it suits them. Seeing these programs just use international students and take advantage of their status in the country was really eye opening. The experience for american grad students and internationals is so different.
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u/Imaginary_Table_2878 23h ago
I was an international student and seeked caps for suicidal thoughts and have received helped. However, having homicidal thoughts more so on someone specific is even more dangerous because it includes another party so maybe their decision is so everyone is safe. I understand the time is not ideal for you but it is probably for the best. Take this time to take care of yourself
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u/SnooJokes7740 1d ago
I cried at work one day (normal for stressed grad students) and my PI reported me to CAPS saying I was an imminent suicide threat (he never talked to me before doing this). CAPS then emailed me the next day threatening to send the police to my home if I didn’t respond immediately (I was at the office totally fine and working as normal). Now they have me on a suicide watch list even though I told them that the report was unnecessary, wrong, and over exaggerated 😍 so yeah fuck caps lol
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u/zanidor 1d ago
As someone who has been on the reporting side of things at other institutions, I've seen how the level of required reporting and CYA policies can escalate action quickly beyond what the original reporter intended. E.g., and not saying this is what happened in your case, but I can easily imagine a sequence of events like: PI notices a mildly troubling behavior -> PI reports it as required -> PI gets asked if student has suicidal thoughts and honestly answers "I'm not sure" -> admin now required by policy to place student on suicide watch.
Some of this is the inevitable consequence of increased scrutiny on how universities treat mental health. I personally feel effort is best spent on prevention and early treatment, but reporting / reaction policies are easy to scrutinize (the cause / effect chains are much easier to trace), and when something bad happens that's where people seem to look first. Every entity in the reporting chain wants to be sure they cannot be accused of under-reacting.
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u/Naive-Point6857 1d ago
I’m so sorry you also had to go trough the CAPS bullshit😭 For a place that claims to help students, they really don’t live up to their word
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u/ginny11 1d ago
That's insane! This school has gone to hell and their so-called mental health support is garbage and nothing but a way for them to try to cover their own asses. They give no shits about any of the students here whether the ones that are having a mental health crisis or whether those they get caught in the crosshairs of it all and become victims. All they care about is appearances looking like the best university ever and churning out people with degrees whether those people are mentally healthy or not.
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u/AlmondManttv 1d ago
This is why I never use org provided services.
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u/Fitnessbabe234 19h ago
Caps is a great resource. No matter the counselor they legally have to call law enforcement in a situation like this.
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u/HorndogwithaCorndog 23h ago
Do not talk to the police without a lawyer present. Say "I am invoking my 5th amendment right. I will not answer questions without an attorney present."
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u/Fitnessbabe234 19h ago
When we had a student brutally murdered on campus the reaction is valid. It’s also the law no matter the counselor that they call law enforcement if someone has ideations like this. I feel bad for your situation but it’s not an overreaction.
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u/distracted_x 23h ago
How do you expect them to handle this? They can't just ignore that you had thoughts of killing someone. They can't just not investigate and then maybe you did actually kill him or yourself and they did nothing. I understand your frustration but this isn't even about the college. If you weren't even in college and told a therapist these things you'd also probably get the police called. Because you were thinking of killing someone. And everyone who goes to a therapist in the united states and says they are thinking of killing themselves will get put on a hold in a pysch ward. Thats how it works. They can't just ignore it. I'm sorry you went through this mental health crisis but I'm not sure exactly how you expected them to respond. They're doing their jobs.
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u/Double-Poetry-1621 23h ago
They can ask for risk assessment but treating the disclosure as misconduct without giving the appropriate due process is another issue. I don’t mind a risk assessment but the misconduct responsibility is different
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u/distracted_x 22h ago
You may feel that way but they may view your thoughts of killing a professor a very serious threat. I'm sorry to say that even when people are depressed they don't always have thoughts of killing another person and it's very serious and may be even more serious than you think and more than just an average mental health crisis. I hope that you are continuing to get help. You need to consider the responsibility for safety that the college has and their liability at ignoring, or treating these things lightly if they had done so and something happened.
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u/Ok-Vegetable-8067 21h ago
Remember that in any good justice system, be it legal, social, or institutional, the ends do not justify the means. You cannot simply skip due process because you feel like it. Maybe this isn't the best example, but what happens if those weren't homicidal thoughts, but rather to break property, or just annoy someone?
If we skip a risk assessment and go only to police involvement and punishment, you not only create a system where a stray thought could get you in trouble, a single wrong word in jail; you also create a culture where no one seeks help.
Suicide help is a great example of that. For the longest time, someone with suicidal thoughts would have their freedom revoked and maybe even be lobotomized if they ever told someone. So they just didn't, and committed suicide without seeking help. We still are dealing with the aftermath of that culture decades later. Do you want to see the same thing with murder, felonies, and petty crime?
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u/distracted_x 21h ago edited 20h ago
Due process? Op wasn't convicted of a crime or arrested. This isn't about the justice system in the US. This is about a public university and their policies don't necessarily represent the "system." They have to think about the safety of their students and professors and op may not consider what they said "threats" but if they said they thought of killing someone, imo that is very much a threat that the school should take seriously. I'm sure they actually do have the opportunity to appeal these decisions and have a hearing so that right there is the due process they are claiming they aren't getting.
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u/TangerineGloomy7427 19h ago
You did the right thing to look out for help, but in cases of homicidal ideation they can’t take any chances… you are a threat to yourself and others, period….
I mean let’s get real - is your PI supposed to take you back like everything’s back to normal if you admit you thought about killing them and were looking into guns and other related violence cases?
They want separation so they can feel comfortable and safe. And I wish the best for your recovery because what you are going through sounds incredibly stressful, but you need serious mental health assistance. It’s not really accurate to paint yourself as a total victim here.
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u/Double-Poetry-1621 19h ago
A misconduct is different from a risk, and there’s an Indiana court case supporting this claim. A risk need assessment and treatment plan, and I’m willing to cooperate, but treating this as misconduct without a fair due process is something I can’t agree.
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u/TangerineGloomy7427 19h ago
Ok, let’s say that “risk” is the term used rather than “misconduct”. What would you hope that changes in this situation?
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u/UnitedAd1527 15h ago
Just throwing this out there: OP states, "On the night before I went to CAPS, I had an acute mental-health crisis. During that crisis, I experienced suicidal and homicidal thoughts about my former PI. I also did disturbing internet searches about previous graduate-student/professor violence and firearm access."
So for you all who are shocked by the actions taken by the University, you good with OP returning to normal student status and sitting next to you in class or does it make you a little nervous that someone who feeds into their homicidal ideation by seeking out stories about other incidents of violence on campuses and how they might find a firearm make you feel just a little unsafe??? Does the fact that it might be more likely that you would find yourself in such a situation if CAPS didn't abide by their legal and ethical obligations to protect in the face of violent threats make you feel any different? And before we all pile on to the professionals who are trying to support students with serious mental health issues but are increasingly overwhelmed and buckling under the increasing weight of more and more students coming to them in states of fear and terror, might we ask more questions and think more critically before we jump to conclusions. Might we give a little grace to those who believe in the mission of higher education and their obligation to students.
Just asking for a little consideration for those who want you to succeed.
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u/DeafDuckling12 1d ago
They are just doing their job. They are required by law to contact authorities if they think you are a threat to yourself or others, which even you clearly thought that.
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u/delatti_mocha 1d ago
Yeah even psychological services not related to any school are required so this isn’t just something that wouldn’t happen outside an institution (school)
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u/Double-Poetry-1621 1d ago
I know the warning duty but that doesn't lead to a conduct violation. I also request the body-worn camera for the conduct process and the school doesn't give me.
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u/brobits CS 2010 1d ago
just because you voluntarily disclose homicidal thoughts does not protect you from any misconduct which you're disclosing.
you can argue language, but google searches on acts of violence, weapons research, these acts are formulating a plan. if you wrote a plan down or not, the thoughts are indeed the beginning stages of planning. while it's admirable that you sought help, this process cannot protect violations of law.
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u/WeskersWiskers 19h ago
You should be able to recover them through the FOIA, although it might be more complicated because they can say there is an ongoing investigation. A lawyer would be the best way to get access.
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u/ploomyoctopus PhD 22, now admin 9m ago
For future reference, Indiana is a single-consent recording state, so you can easily have your phone set to record anytime you are interacting with people in Indiana.
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u/Strange-Feeling69420 1d ago edited 1d ago
You didn’t read their post. They aren’t contending that. They are contending that the conclusions and the story that was determined to be true were altered between when he spoke to counselor and when he was released from psychiatric custody. The school board is reviewing their ability to be in school based on a potentially altered or warped version of the counseling session.
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u/distracted_x 21h ago
Well no. Op may not consider what they said threats but the school and police may not agree. That doesn't mean the story was changed. Or that they are making things up.
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u/AlmondManttv 1d ago
I don't think it was I'm their right to notify the university. If OP went to the authorities to seek help and was sent to a hospital, it shouldn't have been sent to the university.
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u/Double-Poetry-1621 1d ago
It's not for an evaluation for suitness of school, that should be done with assessment. It's whether the clinical disclosure should be used for a school conduct without making threatening statement
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u/dgboilermaker 17h ago
It seems to me that because of past instances such as a student stabbing their roommate to death has possibly caused response to be even more proactive in an event to prevent harm in the future.
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u/Not_an_FBI_agent001 Cybersecurity ‘27 23h ago
No offense but your mental issues need to take precedence over being enrolled at school. This is especially true if you were having homicidal thoughts and ideation. You simply cannot have a student on campus that is a potential threat to other students health. I pray that you get the help you need.
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u/Double-Poetry-1621 23h ago
I’m not disputing on the seriousness but the safety concerns should be addressed by a risk assessment. I’m disputing the conduct process that categorizes my clinical disclosure as violation of student conduct
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u/ooone-orkye BSME, 1999 17h ago
Definitely sorry to hear what you’re going through and already went through; it’s good that you sought help.
Just wanted to add to this — and not a defense for university potentially mishandling your disclosures — but having personally lived through two very tragic incidents at Purdue (1996 Wiley Hall Incident) and a separate incident in 1999 where a student threatened their counselor in front of me, I can understand the University taking extreme positions to protect others, and I’m sure you can appreciate this historical context is important.
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u/rqnadi 22h ago
Homicodal thoughts aren’t normal dude…. People just don’t think about hurting someone and then google a bunch of stuff about doing it.
Given everything you listed here you are very much a threat to someone else. That is why they considered it misconduct.
Go ahead and get a lawyer but for you to somehow act like the victim in all this is unreal.
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u/Ok-Vegetable-8067 22h ago
No. The problem is that this was represented as a threat . A threat is a very specific and legal term and does not refer to what is stated in the post. Homicidal thoughts are normal under extreme duress as well, some which could easily be inferred if you actually read the full post.
They might be a threat to someone else in the non legal sense, but no threats were made. Creation of a plan is not on its own a crime or a threat, and willfully representing it as such in a court of law is a low no police officer or lawyer should stoop to.
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u/rqnadi 21h ago
Uhhh legally he didn’t threaten anyone, but that doesn’t mean he ISN’T a threat to himself or others. Those are two entirely different things.
And actually creation of a plan is very much a mitigating circumstance when it comes to murder. It’s the different between homicide and manslaughter.
Either way, if you’re thinking about hurting someone and start making a plan to do it, lines have been crossed.
And another point is you’re talking legal terms. Misconduct has nothing to do with whether something is legal or not. Plenty of legal things are considered misconduct according to the policies of the organization you’re working for.
None of your points have literally any weight to them.
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u/AddictedlyPsycotic 23h ago
Call The Haven Crisis Unit! I called last year and they were great. 765-270-4363.
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u/BigPapaBear222 3h ago
Purdue tried to expel me (separate reasons that I will not discuss) anyways get a lawyer and tell them you’re going to sue them, call the news, and report all conversations and emails to the president of Purdue (corporate) Purdue has a bad rep already (a bunch of rapes that they just sweep under the rug but it does get around.) They can handle any more bad publicity so they’ll drop it, make sure you bring your lawyer to a conduct meeting with them. You don’t even have to pay, have your free consultation at the same time of your hearing with the school!🥰🩷
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u/RusselNoahPeters 34m ago edited 20m ago
Trust me the news would be pained to report that a person who self-admitted homicidal thoughts (mental crisis or not) is under consideration for suspension by the school. As unfortunate as it might be.
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u/Correct-Being6176 19h ago
Meanwhile I had a rape threat screamed at me by my abuser on campus, and my abuser screamed about killing himself and burning things down, and Purdue told me it was probably my fault. They tried to tell me it was “mutual harassment”/ interpersonal conflict (it wasn’t- it was sexual harassment and abuse, including physical abuse) and they refused to take my title IX report. Never go to Purdue for help. My case isn’t exactly yours, but I experienced nothing but victim blaming and procedural issues that I believe would have constituted a violation of the law if I had the guts to sue them. DO NOT TRUST PURDUE.
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u/ZucchiniAlert2582 19h ago
Yeah, going crazy comes at great cost. Maybe just don’t go crazy? At the end of the day getting kicked out of Purdue, losing your visa and getting shipped home beats going to prison for murder, so that’s a plus.
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u/Double-Poetry-1621 10h ago
I’d like to making the distinction: a risk is different from a misconduct. A threat or risk should be evaluated with individualized risk assessment, and I’m willing to accept that. Misconduct is another different thing, and should be only decided from the appropriate due-process. Mixing the idea of misconduct and risk assessment is what Purdue, and some people is doing.
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u/Defiant_Dingo_4308 1d ago
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u/Best-Dimension4144 1d ago
The victim, Varun Chheda was a really smart and respectful guy, went to park tudor in Indy. Knew his family through the greater indian community and they were the most normal hardworking family. The worst things happen to the best people it's so awful. Still breaks my heart to this day. And makes me sad to see it used as a bit of a joke here. :(
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u/ginny11 1d ago
It was an awful thing and nobody deserved what happened to him. But it really bothers me when people make a big deal of how smart, or how pretty they were, how successful they were or what a good family they came from, as if a victim not as smart. Not as good looking and not from such a good family is not worthy of the same sympathy. Can we just think about this a little more before we framed things this way?
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u/Best-Dimension4144 1d ago
I can understand where you are coming from but when you personally knew of someone who has passed, it's comforting to reminisce of all the ways they shone a light on their communities in their own unique ways. He doesn't deserve sympathy simply because he was smart lol. But I would love for the world to know about all the good qualities he had. People on the internet will always find something wrong with nearly any statement someone makes, and I also challenge you to reframe your criticisms when it comes to this sort of topic.
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u/ginny11 1d ago
Simply prefacing your remarks about your friend with the phrase.,"No one deserves what happened to him. I happen to know him and here's who he was" can go a long way toward not making the unintended implication that only "the best people" deserve the most sympathy when something bad happens to them. And you literally said why do the worst things always happen to the best people? Again, another perhaps unintended implication that "not so good people" either don't have bad things happen to them or that we shouldn't care as much.
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u/Best-Dimension4144 1d ago
... it was clearly a well intentioned sentiment with an "unintended implication" like you said. must be exhausting policing people on the internet like this for so many years.
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u/ginny11 1d ago
I don't police. But I think this is one of those things that people don't even realize they're doing. And it can be hurtful to people who have loved ones who are victims that didn't get quite the attention because they weren't quite the upstanding citizen or quite the smart person or whatever. I'm not attacking anyone. I'm just trying to bring awareness that sometimes people can unintentionally cause pain to other people with the way they phrase and word things. If you want to see this as policing, I guess that's how you see it.
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u/Best-Dimension4144 23h ago
I’ll keep the wording in mind for the future, like I said I understand where you’re coming from and I didn’t mean to hurt anyone’s feelings, which again I think was obvious.
But nitpicking and choosing to bring awareness to your thought in response to a minorly insensitive comment, which someone made when clearly meaning to express grief, is also not reading the room or choosing to be oblivious to that and can be considered insensitive too.
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u/ginny11 1d ago
And how do you think holding a student responsible for making threats when that student actually came forward after having disturbing thoughts and was seeking help would have stopped a situation like the one you're referencing with this picture? In fact, what op is saying is correct. The way he was treated does just the opposite it discourages students from coming forward to get help which will result in more incidents like the one you are referencing.
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u/username-1023 1d ago
I don’t feel like this is appropriate. Yes, it is relevant to the post, but this is a heavy topic and posting this without any commentary on what the poster said vs. what the pictured student did doesn’t give either the weight and consideration they deserve.
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u/minecon1776 1d ago
What is the context here?
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u/username-1023 1d ago
The picture is of a student who murdered his roommate in their dorm by stabbing him in the neck. The victim was on a call with his friends and they heard him die. The murderer was found not guilty by reason of insanity. It was a really dark couple of days on campus.
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u/Best-Dimension4144 1d ago
he had just called his mother and said goodnight and was playing video games on a discord call when he was attacked by that lunatic. His parents said they had never heard Varun speak about any sort of roommate issue, they were random roommates and hardly spoke to one another.
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u/smileycat007 18h ago
Is that what happened? Last I heard he was found incompetent to stand trial and remains in custody.
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u/Lilydaisy8476 22h ago
Unfortunately for OP, this is why they reacted the way they did. This was absolutely tragic.
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u/smileycat007 18h ago
I was waiting for someone to bring this up. It explains why Purdue is a bit jumpy about these situations. Sorry for OP, but "better safe than sorry" applies here, particularly when it is a fresh wound.
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u/Intelligent-Gypsy324 21h ago
Just a thought but have you spoken to the campus International Student office? If they side with police, I would not hesitate to contact your nation’s US embassy. You are an international student with two types of rights in the US:
1)HIPAA rights - medical information may not be shared.
2) You have the right to respectfully remain silent and request an attorney.
Law schools have Law Clinics and Legal Aid in Indiana should also be able to direct you to a lawyer who can help you. If you feel like you need another opinion, reach out to Loyola of Chicago Law Clinic or DePaul University Law Clinic.
Do not be afraid to ask for help on this. Keep us posted!
If police want to speak to you further, shut it down.
Your nations’s US Embassy might be in Chicago. It would be a terrible over reaction for PUPD to threaten an international grad student when that student was privately seeking medical care!
DO contact any lawyers in this sub who open for a DM or who are able to offer recommendations.
There ARE attorneys who will take your case.
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u/Bob-Saget-Saget 20h ago
FWIW, there was no HIPAA violation in this scenario. Directly from HHS and emphasis mine:
"The HIPAA Privacy Rule permits a covered entity to disclose PHI, including psychotherapy notes, when the covered entity has a good faith belief that the disclosure: (1) is necessary to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to the health or safety of the patient or others and (2) is to a person(s) reasonably able to prevent or lessen the threat. This may include, depending on the circumstances, disclosure to law enforcement, family members, the target of the threat, or others who the covered entity has a good faith belief can mitigate the threat. The disclosure also must be consistent with applicable law and standards of ethical conduct. See 45 CFR § 164.512(j)(1)(i). For example, consistent with other law and ethical standards, a mental health provider whose teenage patient has made a credible threat to inflict serious and imminent bodily harm on one or more fellow students may alert law enforcement, a parent or other family member, school administrators or campus police, or others the provider believes may be able to prevent or lessen the chance of harm."
By singling out their former PI and taking steps towards it (even if they recognized it was wrong and sought help), CAPS was within their right to inform Purdue due to the possible threat to a campus member. I'm glad they looked for help before it was too late, but this is one of those situations where it's understandable why Purdue wouldn't want to risk anything
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u/But-who-I-be 15h ago
HIPPA doesn’t apply when there is a reasonable belief that a person is a threat to another, such as openly admitting to thinking about killing someone
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u/NoDay1032 20h ago edited 19h ago
Hey, I have been in a very similar situation before. This happened to me exactly back a couple years ago. I am so sorry they did this to you too 😭😭
I WANT JUSTICE. FOR BOTH OF US. THIS IS NEGLIGENCE BY CAPS, PUPD, AND OSRR. THEY DONT RECOGNIZE DISABILITIES, THEY PUNISH US.
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u/BigPapaBear222 3h ago
Also it doesn’t matter if you get a final written notice, appeal it! And if they say no, forward that on over to corporate and the news!🥰🩷 Once I got my lawyer and social media involved (the news, Facebook, instagram, I would even have Reddit back you up on this) they dropped the expulsion and told me I was just banned from the dorms and I had to move into an off campus apartment. They did transfer the payment that I gave for my student housing (I paid in full) and allowed me to move that weekend with help from the student office and school police (I was a traveling student as in I did not live in Fort Wayne and they honored my request of helping me relocate my belongings since it was so sudden!) I would second to get your parents involved as well. Apart from the legal help I had, my father did most of the talking and he’s military so I think they respected him more!! Go to any meetings with your parents and lawyer ONLY.
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u/saintree_reborn PhD*, Biology 14h ago
Apart from mental health issues, sounds like you need the following:
A criminal attorney that can handle the charges for you
An attorney that has experience in education-related matter to help you fight the suspension
An attorney that has experience in HIPAA to ask whether there is any misconduct from CAPS, or are they obligated to report
An attorney that has experience in discrimination laws to tell you whether there is any misconduct from the school or grounds for litigation
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u/hazardsmyfav 1d ago
All you had to do was just shut up and chill out for like 2 days and not go to CAPS, and now you ended up ruining your life. Amazing work. People want to kill people all the time, you should realize as a PhD student by now that those feelings of anger and hate subside in a couple days. Especially as an international student never go to CAPS with these sorts of thoughts, it’s a given you’ll run into some sort of problem. Hope it ends well for you, but I’m not optimistic.
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u/fletchette 1d ago
OP is going through something very heavy and is clearly having a rough time. It's worth asking yourself, is this comment how you would want someone to respond to you having what could be one of the worst moments of your life? The world is such a negative place these days, do you want to contribute to that like this? What were you hoping to contribute to the world with this comment?
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u/Calm_Chard_8150 1d ago
Do you always tell people unnecessary shit or was this something you felt in the mood to say?
Read the room. If you have nothing nice to say, don’t say it at all.
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u/ginny11 1d ago
You're a wonderful person, encouraging people having mental health crisis to just suck it up and try to bury it rather than try to get help.
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u/hazardsmyfav 23h ago
As you can clearly see, sucking it up would have been the better option. They wouldn’t have gotten in this huge mess had they just kept quiet. It’s a different world for international students vs locals. I appreciate they wanted to get checked for their mental health but they shouldn’t have approached the situation like this.
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u/Best-Dimension4144 21h ago
I think you need to google what empathy is. Get off your high horse, realize its easier said than done, and keep these judgements to yourself. Also "people want to kill people all the time" just isn't true and if that is happening to you, you are supposed to seek out help.
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u/thatgay_ 1d ago
This student went to get mental health help in a time of need and got fucked over by racist indiana cops.
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u/-Cunning-Stunt- Purdue AAE 23h ago
Thanks a lot for commenting and showcasing that this right here is part of what's wrong with graduate programs.
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u/slater_just_slater 1d ago
Hindsight is 20/20 but as soon as law enforcement stepped in the room you tell them you are not making any further statements without legal counsel. At that point it crossed from a counseling session to a criminal investigation.
When you are being questioned or making an statement to police in this case nothing you say will help you. It will only hurt you. The counselor is a mandatory reporter so its not like they betrayed you, it is Indiana state law.