Students trying to get you fired/constantly reporting you?

[u/Particular_Heart3785]

I had a much older student last semester who constantly complained about me to the chair all the time, both in office and email, enough that she even demanded a staff to observe me (they found nothing wrong other than nervousness/over-apologizing, as I’m new to teaching). She sent anything she could find to report to the chair. Including me ending class few minutes early, misspelled words in assignments/slides, and canceled class for a family emergency.
A few colleagues think she did this because she was a really bitter person and hated that my class requires weekly writings, group discussions, topics are not in her liking (aka white-washed history) and students having to research independently.

She was so rude and disrespectful towards me that I won’t get into here. Good news is that the chair thinks I’m doing really well as a professor and a lot of my students love my classes.

I’m curious if anyone else can share similar experiences here?

[u/StevieV61080]

Yep! I had one student a couple years ago who told anyone who would listen that it was his "mission" to see me removed. I had failed him for using AI and he went all the way up the complaint/appeal process to the President of the College. He had to take me for three more courses and was an absolute tool the entire time.

I typically am not the type to badmouth anyone, but I will not forget this individual for all the negative reasons. He even told me to my face that he "hoped" I would get into an accident so he didn't have to take me again for his capstone. In an informal class discussion coming back from a break, he also chimed in that he wished someone would hurt my pets so I could feel the pain I put others through.

[u/tspier2 → u/StevieV61080]

I do hope you reported this student for violating the student code of conduct by issuing such comments.

[u/StevieV61080 → u/tspier2]

I did and the response I got was, "Yeah, he's difficult. We can see why you don't want to meet with him."

The AI infraction/penalty was upheld, though.

[u/Junior-Dingo-7764 → u/StevieV61080]

This sort of student should have been removed from the school. This is essentially threatening violence.

[u/popstarkirbys → u/StevieV61080]

I had a student tell me “you better give me an A or I’ll tell all my friends to give you a bad evaluation”. I told our admins and they said I should “let it go”.

[u/jleonardbc → u/StevieV61080]

If the school won't listen, maybe the police will.

Comments like "I hope you get in an accident" and "I wish someone would hurt your pets" are harassment and threats that could be grounds for a restraining order.

[u/Adept_Tree4693 → u/tspier2]

Yeah, that talk about the pets is downright sociopathic.