What Happened at Yale and the Dark Side of the Human Soul
The New Haven Chief of Police has just announced that Raymond Clark has been arrested in connection with the death of Annie Le. We are relieved and encouraged by this progress in the investigation, but, of course, we must resist the temptation to rush to judgment until a full and fair prosecution of this case brings a just resolution. As with every development in this tragic story, we think first of Annie's family, her fiancé and his family, and her friends, and our hearts go out to them.
Mr. Clark has been a lab technician at Yale since December 2004. His supervisor reports that nothing in the history of his employment at the University gave an indication that his involvement in such a crime might be possible.
It is frightening that a member of our own community might have committed this terrible crime. But we must not let this incident shatter our trust in one another. We must reaffirm our deepest values as an institution -- our commitment to the search for truth, undertaken in a spirit of openness, tolerance, and civility. The work of the University requires us to engage with each other in the classroom, to collaborate in the laboratory, and to trust one another in workplaces across the campus. In many, even most respects, this University is a model of citizenship and civility. It will take the efforts of everyone to maintain that standard.
In the days and weeks ahead, we will redouble our efforts to educate the community about Yale's zero tolerance policy for violent, threatening, and abusive behavior. We have formal policies in place covering employees and students, and effective grievance procedures to bring forth complaints.
This incident could have happened in any city, in any university, or in any workplace. It says more about the dark side of the human soul than it does about the extent of security measures. Nevertheless, safety is a very high priority, and we will shortly be soliciting suggestions from the community about how we might further improve campus security.
We are all deeply indebted to the men and women of the FBI, Connecticut State Police, New Haven Police, Yale Police, and Yale Security. They have worked tirelessly and cooperatively since Annie's disappearance last Tuesday. Yale will continue to provide all needed assistance to the State's Attorney as the case proceeds. As is our practice when an employee is charged with a serious crime, Mr. Clark is being suspended from employment at Yale and barred from the campus. His ID card no longer allows him access to any Yale building.
We are a close community with deeply shared values. Monday night's candlelight vigil gave moving testimony to the caring and compassion of this place. Let us continue to offer comfort and consolation to Annie's family and friends, and let us honor her memory by rededicating ourselves to the search for truth to which she herself was so deeply devoted.
Originally published as a letter to the Yale University community.
Disgrasian: The Murder of a Young Asian Woman You've Never Heard Of
As much as the details of Felicia Lee's life and death would seem sensational enough for widespread media coverage, unlike Annie Le's murder, Lee's has largely failed to capture the public's imagination.
Alan Dershowitz: Raymond Clark III Arrested, But Many Questions Remain
It would be a sad day in America if anyone deemed by the police to be a "person of interest" -- which could almost include anyone -- could be handcuffed, and hauled down to the police station.
Alafair Burke: In Real Life, Violence Hits Close to Home...And Work
Annie Le's death reminds us that as much as we fear the stranger on a city street, the predator could be a friend, neighbor, or the seemingly harmless lab technician down the hall.
Alan Dershowitz: A "Person of Interest" Can't Be Arrested
If Raymond Clark III was in fact taken away in handcuffs and compelled to go to the police station in connection with the Yale murder case, he was arrested. But in order to be arrested, there must be probable cause.
Annie Le Case: Suspect Failed Lie Detector Test - ABC News
Friends remember Annie Le's humor and intelligence -- latimes.com
Yale grad student Annie Le disappears 5 days before New York wedding
After he's charged with murder of Annie Le, Yale lab tech Raymond ...
Murdered Yale Student Annie Le Remembered By Those Who Loved Her
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Yes.
That reminds me of the additional Dark Side of the Human Soul that
is ex-YALIE G. W. BUSH who bought his way through Yale
with privilege and deceit.
Bush turned "light and truth" into SMOKE & MIRRORS, patriotism into Hypocrisy, WAR & PROFITEERING.
A student Yale should've been impaled on that "gent's C".
This tragedy would have not happened if Yale has a hiring policy that does not tolerate nepotism like most other major corporations. having 3,4 siblings or relatives to work in the same department is a no common sense thing and will lead to unproductivity, cover-up and give Raymond Clark the kind of attitude that he has toward some scientist and other co-workers. I hope Yale will reexamine its hiring policy to make it a better workplace and to prevent this from happening again.
To Alcortez, I agree with you 100% the nepotism that was allowed to occur contributed to Mr. Clark’s sense invulnerability because there were previous complaints registered against him about his rudeness to others who worked in that area, but apparently he was not seriously disciplined over it.
Mr. Clark had to have known Annie was getting married the next day, it’s hard to believe that anyone could be so self-centered and arrogant to think his cages or even his crush on her (if he indeed had one) would be paramount to Annie at that time in her life, and that any distraction or any nonchalance Annie may have exhibited towards him was cause to murder her.
Mr. Clark has behaved normally when it was required of him so he’s not insane. He took a life, so his life is forfeit.
My condolences to Annie Le’s family and finance, may God grant them peace and I hope Annie Le is resting in the loving arms of God.
I am really flabbergasted that the mainstream media does not do more to connect the dots between Clark's interest in an Asian club while in high school, his alleged sexual assault and stalking of a former ex-girlfriend, and this murder. If you look at Asian-American-predominate websites, you will definitely see how it ties together. I'm pretty sure this "workplace violence" case is really some sort of twisted hate/race-based crime.
Race is a taboo in America. President Obama does not want to link race to his racist attackers and Yale certainly does not want to bring race into this killing.
Learn to write fluent standard American cliche, and you too may become president of Yale someday.
Agreed that Yale is not to blame. (Grew up in Hamden, with good memories of hanging in New Haven, and so of course Yale campus. Waiting in line for GD tix outside Cutler's Music, the mingling of Deadheads and Yalies went really well.. Remember getting invited to a keg party within the gated stone walls one warm late summer night, after dancing to a heated sweat on the dance floor of a packed Toad's Place...)
I also have grown up in New Haven, having frequented "Louis'Lunch", and "The Green". Many years ago "The Exit", Hungary Charlie's", "The Yankee Doodle", and even the aforesaid "Cutlers Record Shop", but one thing remains to this day. As much lip service as has been paid, as to what Yale adds to the community, not enough of what it pays is in tax revenue. Yale pays little in the way of taxes, and owns the majority of the center city. There are adjoining neighborhoods around Winchester Ave, Columbus Ave, Asylum St.,and many other depressed areas adjoining Yale properties, that feel no connection with Yale and the warm and fuzzies they would like us all to believe, they create, in the populace of the city.
Don't get me wrong, I love Yale being there and the ambiance it creates and the intellectual and progressive feelings inherent in that. I just think they have a greater responsibility to the New Haven area than they have thus far shown. And given that it has been there 208 yrs, what are they waiting for
Yale can bet the ranch that there won't be a wrongful termination suit from Mr. Clark, Lenzorizzo.
“we must resist the temptation to rush to judgment”
“His supervisor reports that nothing in the history of his employment at the University gave an indication that his involvement in such a crime might be possible.”
Guilty ‘til proven innocent?
Reports indicate that law enforcement stated they would WAIT for an arrest UNTIL a MATCH on DNA found at the scene linked anyone of interest (or otherwise) to the crime scene.
The arrest is not a verdict, but appears - at least to suggest that DNA found at the crime scene does indeed match the DNA of the individual that was arrested, otherwise - he would not have been arrested, which suggests questions must be raised and answers given to explain how his DNA was found wherever law enforcement is concerned that it matches up with the crime scene.
Presumption of innocence may be a requirement in the courtroom, but it's hard to square with the facts in this case.
"Clark entered that same room a short time later, the source said, citing the computer records. Le was never seen again and her card was never used again."
http://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/yale-annie-le/hc-annie-le-raymond-clark-yale-slaying,0,857789.story
There is a fascinating story about this tragedy over at the NYT:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/18/nyregion/18yale.html
The subtitle might be 'If you every wanted a s.h.i.t.t.y. job, this would be it.'
Thanks, the article was good.
Nobody can predict murder but the guy was clearly a jerk and everybody knew it.
That article is definitely insightful, I had already seen it but thanks for linking to it anyway. Yeah, talk about doing the dirty work. ("The washroom job is considered one of the toughest. It involves scraping dirty cages and loading them onto a conveyor-belt washer.")
Gee, I wonder if it's typical, even predictable for resentment to develop between the people who experiment on the animals and those who clean their cages and "serve as advocates for the animals and guardians of regulation about how they should be treated"...?
It is truly shocking that a staff who is in a position of trust, could do this to a student. I just hope that Yale does not categorize this as a SINGULAR incident and sweep this under the rug.
This man MUST have had behavioral issues before. Probably students and staff alike did not take it seriously. A person cannot just KILL another person instantaneously with minor provocation.
Sir, I urge you to talk to more staff and students. I am very confident that a pattern will emerge. Classifying as "workplace violence" may be right but again that "workplace violence" did not and could not have occurred in isolation.
This man MUST have had behavioral issues before.
You know not every death is preventable. You are probably safe in saying that he MUST have had behavioral issues before. The question is did he have issues that should have been noticed before. The sad thing for me is that if this had happened in an urban university in the center of a city such as the University of IL at Chicago or the University of Chicago I doubt there would be nearly this much attention and concern. We take murder in our cities for granted but because it happened in New Haven its a national crisis.
actually, Yale is on the edge of what has been described as not such a great area. many universities such as the Jesuit one i attended, are in the heart of urban cities..
actually it's possible he didn't have major issues that would warrant intervention from h.r.
also, someone posted that she should have worked through management,etc. but if he killed her over the cages, he probably would have killed her over ratting him out as well and endangering his position there as well..
i think she rebuffed his advances
ANYONE who commits a violent act has behavioral issues. No matter what university. Being that it came from Yale should not merit it more newsworthy. Sad story, but should NOT be focused on when other student violent acts are CLEARLY not.
Same old story...over and over.
Respect to the victim's family...respect to ALL victim's families.
"the dark side of the human soul"
Nice try, Mr. Levin. Tell it like it is: the dark side of the MALE soul.
Yup.
Nice of you to defend your institution, but trust should be earned, not given.
The act of one deranged individual is not the act of an entire institution.
Suspended? Why wasn't Clark immediately fired? And I wouldn't address him in that overly formal fashion: Mr. Clark. The man is being charged with an heinous crime. This isn't the New York Tmes.
get a grip! what if, by some stretch of the imagination of "innocent until proven guilty," the guy didn't do it? a wrongful termination suit wouldn't do yale any good. are we all guilty by virtue of being arrested now? trials are a good thing, usually. and hopefully, the punishment of the guilty party will fit the crime. and, at the appropriate time, i'm sure if he's found guilty he will be fired.
I think the "dark side of the human soul" applies not just to the evil person that committed this crime but also to the way it brings out the paranoia and mob mentality in so many people.
There's a lot of chaos down there at the quantum individual level in the peopleverse.
This was not an "incident". It was a tragedy. Yale's President is correct about not letting this getting in the way of trust (and funds from the trustees...), but he should not qualify this young woman's death as an "incident".
Some crimes are just impossible (or nearly impossible) to prevent. I live in South Florida and there was a high school kid that was stabbed to de.ath in the school courtyard earlier this week in a very afluent area (Coral Gables, FL). What are authorities supposed to do? Turn the school into an armed camp? Even so, in this case you have two good students sharing a lab space together. It's not like it was an outsider that oenetrated the campus so again I say it's next to impossible to prevent these kinds of crimes.
Well, maybe. But we need to help ourselves to the greatest extent possible to practice safety awareness. We have to train ourselves to be alert and prepared for the unexpected at home, work, on the street and in public places.
Self defense is a must. Take a self defense class and refresher classes 3 or 4 times a year, say near 4 of the major holidays, Thanksgiving/Christmas, Valentine's Day, Easter, Memorial Day, July 4th and Labor Day. These holidays are good reminders to do so as they spread throughout the year to keep you mindful of your safety.
Also, be sensitive to your environment, such as, areasthat are vulnerable to being trapped like restrooms that are usually isolated from busy areas w/ no windows for escape. Be sure to lock the doors upon entering them after checking to be sure no one's hiding there. Ask that the restroom you use at your workplace and favorite restaurants have alarms placed in the stalls to alert others in emergencies.
It's a good idea to carry something you can easily put your hands on, like spray of some kind, such as perfume, insect repellent, mouth refresher, or even a big fake sneeze to distract the perpetrator to give you enough time to make an escape.
There are many things we can do to protect ourselves. We just have to think ahead and prepare each time we arrive home or depart. God bless and good luck.
ironically she DID know all about awareness.Like the previous poster said,its next to impossible to know..to predict.She should have somehow known a colleague would murder her?Get real.
Two good students? He was an employee with a high school education and his job was to take care of the mice and clean their cages. It was reported in the New York Times that he took his job pretty seriously and was rude to people.
She was a Yale student.
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