The article definitely builds a case of 'us vs them'. Even though the article is a year old, it's definitely relevant given the MIT stress post (<a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9216238" rel="nofollow">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9216238</a>).<p>The most surprising thing I read from the piece was the manipulation of HIPAA code to prevent any confidentiality during therapy:<p><pre><code> Wesley says she called his therapist without reading the essay. She decided
it was evidence of psychotic thinking and told Wesley she was going to notify
Sarah Lawrence. When Wesley, familiar with the ADA after his experience at
his previous college, asked her if she felt that he was a danger to himself
or other people, she said no. "That means you can't tell them," he says he
told her. According to Wesley, she said that it "wasn't his business" to
tell her what to do.
</code></pre>
Telling students to 'forgive and forget' rape (even suggesting it was made up):<p><pre><code> Instead, Epifano says, she told her it would be useless to press charges
against her rapist and advised her to "forgive and forget." She told
her there were no nearby support groups available and said Epifano was
too "behind" in her feeling process to join the one on campus. Instead,
she connected Epifano with a school counselor, who told Epifano she had
probably invented the rape to deal with a traumatic childhood.
</code></pre>
Suggesting students just 'get over' their depression:<p><pre><code> "I broke down after reading the letter," Shireen recalls. "I already felt
so bad, and now I was getting in trouble for it."
In that meeting, Shireen says, Santa Catalina's assistant director told her
she could be suspended or expelled and that she had put the entire high-rise
in danger. He allegedly said it was possible Shireen would become so
emotionally unstable that she might start running around the halls, threatening
her floormates with a knife, and asked her what steps she would take to improve
herself - "you have to be a social butterfly," he suggested - and told
Shireen she could only stay in school if she waived her confidentiality and
allowed her therapist to provide weekly reports to the administration.
</code></pre>
And even applying pressure to 'get better' such that any small mistake will result in harsh penalties:<p><pre><code> Shireen says. "Everyone kept telling me I was on their radar. They said
'on their radar' over and over and over."
</code></pre>
It's all pretty disgusting. Though given the clear legality of the situation:<p><pre><code> "Those codes of conduct are illegal," says Burnim, "no question about it."
</code></pre>
And various successful cases listed in the article, why aren't there more 'ambulance chasers' for these types of problems?