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Article: Should colleges withdraw students who threaten or attempt suicide?(Viewpoint)(Shin v Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
- Article from:
- Journal of American College Health
- Article date:
- May 1, 2006
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2006 Heldref Publications. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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A June 27, 2005, Massachusetts Superior Court summary judgment ruling in the case of Shin v Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) (1) concluded that MIT administrators owed a duty of care to a suicide victim, Elizabeth Shin. Shin committed suicide by burning herself alive in her residence hall room, after a series of suicide threats and gestures (known to classmates and MIT administrators) extending over a year. She was under the care of MIT mental health professionals at the time of her death. (2)
The court based its finding of a "duty of care" in the Shin case on its conclusion that a "special relationship" existed between university staff members and ...