GWU Settles in Jordan Nott Case
An alert tipster sent us word of this article in the GW Hatchet, bringing news that George Washington University has settled its lawsuit with former student Jordan Nott, who was barred from the school two years ago after he attempted to receive treatment for a mental illness. Supported by the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, Nott filed his claim against GWU in October of 2005. The terms of the settlement were not known when this article was posted.
In the fall semester of 2004, Jordan Nott was a sophomore at GWU, by all accounts thriving academically. However, at the same time, emotionally fraught over the suicide of a close friend, symptoms of depression were beginning to manifest themselves. Nott sought relief at the university's counseling center, who prescribed a drug treatment. Unfortunately for Nott, his condition worsened. Available accounts differ as to whether Nott was actively contemplating suicide or if he merely had a growing concern that the drug course was exacerbating his symptoms to the extent where he feared he might become suicidal, but what is not in dispute is the fact that after a restive Saturday night, Nott voluntarily sought help at GWU Hospital.
What happened after that is something out of Kafka.
Somehow, news of Nott's condition flowed from the hospital into the domain of school administrators and within hours the University furnished Nott with notice that he was barred from re-entering his dormitory until receiving clearance from the counseling center. The next day, GWU served Nott with another letter, this time charging him with violating the University's code of conduct on the grounds that his behavior was "endangering" the campus community. The school presented Nott with what amounted to a Hobson's Choice: he could face a judicial proceeding responding to these charges and risk expulsion, or voluntarily withdraw from the University and take his chances on re-admission after proving "that he had successfully completed medical treatment, had been symptom-free for six months and could live independently and perform successfully."
Mind you, this all went down within twenty-four hours of Nott voluntarily seeking out care for his condition. In the annals of senseless, doctrinal following of bureaucratic protocol, the speed with which the University washed its hands of Jordan Nott was nothing short of electrifying.
News of Nott's fate was worrisome to many. If Nott — who, by all appearances, responded appropriately and conscientiously to a mounting mental health concern — could be punished for seeking out medical assistance, what precedent does that set for students who find themselves in a similar situation? If forced to choose between getting treated for depression and maintaining academic standing, it's easy to see how many students might opt to gamble with their mental health and keep their condition hidden in order to remain in school. It's easy to see that it is actually the current University policy that exposes the campus community to endangerment — not students who proactively seek medical care.
According to the Hatchet, the University policy that precipitated all of these problems remains in place. However, the school appears to be placing it under review and changes could be coming by the semester's end. Nott recently graduated from the University of Maryland.