[1035] in Discussion of MIT-community interests
Fwd: Message from the President (fwd)
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Wally)
Mon Feb 4 18:01:32 2002
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Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.4.33.0202041637070.31117-100000@sub-zero.mit.edu>
Date: Mon, 4 Feb 2002 16:37:25 -0500
From: Wally <wally@SUB-ZERO.MIT.EDU>
To: MIT-Talk@MIT.EDU
bravo chuck! tactfully but forcefully said.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Mon, 04 Feb 2002 15:52:03 -0500
From: yolanda <yolanda@MIT.EDU>
To: ifc-talk@MIT.EDU
Subject: Fwd: Message from the President
>From: "President's Office" <pres_off@MIT.EDU>
>Subject: Message from the President
>
>To student leaders:
>
>The following is a letter to the community regarding the Elizabeth Shin
>case. I hope that you will take a moment to read it and forward it to
>other students as appropriate.
>
>
> --Chuck Vest
>
>=====================================================================
>
>
>February 4, 2002
>
>
>
>To Members of the MIT Community:
>
> As you probably know, the parents of Elizabeth Shin have filed a
> wrongful death civil suit against MIT for their daughter's death in April
> 2000 in an MIT residence hall. The suit alleges that Ms. Shin committed
> suicide by setting herself on fire and charges breach of contract,
> medical malpractice, and negligence on the part of MIT doctors, staff,
> and members of our Campus Police.
>
> It is a sad fact that in today's litigious society, the very
> individuals who do the most to help our students can find themselves the
> targets of such claims. We grieve for Elizabeth Shin and try to
> understand the depth of her family's anguish, but we will defend those at
> MIT who labored hard and appropriately to help her. We are
> extraordinarily grateful to them, and the Institute will of course
> provide them with legal services and our support during the litigation.
>
> A number of people have asked us why MIT has not discussed the
> case more fully in public. There is obviously much more to the story than
> what the lawyer and the public relations firm hired by the family are
> saying in court papers and in statements to newspapers and
> television. The place for MIT to respond to these unfair and inaccurate
> allegations is in court, and not in the media. More complete facts will
> come out as the legal process continues.
>
> That process will allow us to explain the critical need for
> confidentiality and trust between our students and the MIT staff members
> who care for them, whether in the Medical Department, the Dean's Office,
> or the residential houses. The quandary that they face is balancing
> students' legal and medical privacy rights with the obvious interests of
> parents in knowing how their sons and daughters are doing. This quandary
> is worked through on a case-by-case basis by professional judgment of how
> best to help each student. Such judgments are especially complicated
> when students insist that information be withheld from their parents as a
> condition for accepting help. We strongly encourage our students to
> involve their parents in their lives, and in almost all cases that is
> what happens.
>
> For now, our response to the media has been a statement issued by
> Jeffrey Swope of the law firm of Palmer & Dodge, which most press reports
> have included:
>
>The death of Elizabeth Shin was a tragedy - for this bright young woman,
>her family and friends, and all those at MIT who tried to help her. But
>it was not the fault of MIT or anyone who works at MIT. According to
>information provided by the family's own lawyer, she had suffered from
>serious emotional problems that began at least as early as high school.
>
>Many people at MIT had offered as much help and support as they could to
>her. While MIT regrets the need to do so, it will defend against the
>claims that have been brought against it and the members of its community
>who had tried to help her.
>
> In the meantime, I hope you will support those in our community
> who have been touched most closely by this matter and that you will
> continue to care for all those with whom you work, study, and live here at MIT.
>
> --Chuck Vest
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