College strained by Loughner's behavior

Jared Lee Loughner's interactions with instructors at his Tucson, Arizona community college were strained throughout 2010, with administrators and instructors reporting disturbing out of context comments, inappropriate expressions, and very hostile behavior which culminated in a suspension, according to school police documents.

The incidents involving Loughner, 22, - who has been charged with multiple killings including injury to Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords - ended with his suspension after the discovery of disturbing YouTube video he was suspected of posting.

Pima Community College in Tucson released 51 pages of police reports on Wednesday, listing various incidents of suspicious activity and disturbances which showed instructors and students growing concerned and fearing for their safety as school officials and police attempted to explain to Loughner why his behavior was inappropriate.

The reports chronicled events involving Loughner and the school starting on February 5 and extending until September 29, when police officers issued the suspension notice at his parents' home.

What follows is a summary of incidents as recorded by police at Pima Community College.

Feb 5 - Why don't we just strap bombs to babies?

In a February 5 report about a February 2 incident following another student's poetry reading, an administrator described Loughner as having a dark personality and being creepy.

The school's division dean Patricia Houston reported to campus police a teacher's concerns about Loughner after he made comments that were a huge leap from the context of the poem and said things about abortion, wars, killing people and 'why don't we just strap bombs to babies.'

In September, as police were investigating a suspicious video thought to be posted by Loughner, the school's Advanced Program Manager Aubrey Conover told authorities about a meeting with him to discuss the incident in a statement to police.

I asked Jared to help me understand his comment. He said that the class had been talking about abortion, which made him think of death, which made him think of suicide bombers, which made him think of babies as suicide bombers, Conover stated.

She told him he needed to give context to his statements, especially when dealing with emotional issues. After a followup with the instructor, Conover said there were no further interruptions although the instructor said Loughner was still acting a bit 'bizzare.'

April 6 - Noises at the library

In an April 6 incident, police were called to the school's library, when a library director said his staff reported that a student sitting at a computer would sometimes make noises loud enough for the staff at the reference desk to hear.

The officer reporting said Loughner said that he was really into music and that sometimes he would be enjoying the music and excitedly utter phrases and words from the songs. After the officer explained it wasn't appropriate, Loughner said it wouldn't happen again.

May 17 - Very hostile

In a May 17 report, Loughner's Pilates instructor said he became very hostile after he found out he would receive a B in the class. Loughner, who was outside the classroom during the talk, replied that it was unacceptable. The instructor said that during the conversation she felt like it might become physical. At her request, a police officer patrolled the area near her classroom for the next and final class meeting without incident.

In the YouTube video made months later where Loughner stated This is my genocide school. Where I'm going to be homeless because of this school, he also said I haven't forgotten the teacher that gave me a B for freedom of speech.

June 3 - The number 6 is 18

In a June 3 police report, a Mayhem Fest!! scribble on a math class paper and an argument where Loughner asserted that the number 6 was 18, triggered concern with one instructor.

Division dean Houston, who brought the incidents to the attention of police, also reported that Loughner's instructor and students in his class were uncomfortable and afraid of any repercussions from Loughner being unstable in his actions.

In an e-mail presented to police by Houston, a counselor said Loughner denied creating a disturbance.

I was not disruptive, I was only asking questions that related to math, Loughner said.

My instructor said he called a number 6 and I said I call it 18, Loughner said. He also asked the instructor How can you deny math instead of accept it?

Loughner told the counselor he had felt scammed in other classes where he failed the course and didn't get his money back. However he denied feeling scammed in math class incident but said it scared him that his freedom of speech rights were being taken away.

After promising to remain silent in class and complete the course successfully, the counselor found no grounds to keep him out of class.

The 'Fest' scribble which had concerned the instructor turned out to be a music festival set to take place sometime during the year, according to logins that Loughner had looked up given to police by Houston.The officer said he had no charges to file on the student. Houston requested that the report be documented.

September 23 - His eyes were jittery and looking up and to the left

A September 23 incident involved a call to police from an instructor who said Loughner disrupted her class after he learned he would only get half a credit on a report for being late. Loughner said it was a violation of right to freedom of speech, the instructor said. He also delayed the start of the class, she said.

One of two officers on the scene said the instructor stated that Loughner stood up when called upon and said Loughner's voice grew louder and louder in a disruptive manner for her and several of her students.

Loughner could not verbalize what the problem was and kept referring back to the freedom of speech, the other officer questioning Loughner outside the classroom after the incident said.

During questioning, Loughner's head was constantly tilted to the left and his eyes were jittery and looking up and to the left, said one officer. He had a confused look in the countenance of his face, said the other.

At Loughner's request, he was escorted to speak with Aubrey Conover, an Advanced Program Manager at the school. She spoke with him privately for about 20 minutes and set up a September 27 meeting.

Loughner seemed to be content with the help he was given and left the office, an officer said. The officers told Conover that they felt through their training and experience that there could be a mental health concern with him, one officer said.

September 29 – ‘Genocide school’ video , Sept 27 meeting, Suspension

On the morning of September 29 an officer was asked to look into a “suspicious video” posted to YouTube posted on September 23 by a user with the account name “2PLOY.”

Statements in the video by a narrator included “This is my genocide school,” “This is Pima Community College, one of the biggest scams in America,” and “I haven’t forgotten the teacher that gave me a B for freedom of speech,” and “This is Genocide America,” among others.

Officer D. Mattocks recognized the speaker as Loughner ffrom the September 23 meeting. The officer contacted Aubrey Conover, the advanced program manager and asked her to issue a written report “as soon as possible.” Allison Ward, the counselor who was also present, was also contacted but had not submitted a report at the time the officer filed his.

He “smiled overtly at inappropriate times”

Conover said in the second meeting on September 27, Loughner said that the first amendment gave him the right to ask questions and that he paid the teacher’s salary so he was entitled to full credit.

Loughner also said he had paid for his courses illegally. When questioned, why Loughner said, “I did not pay with gold and silver,” Conover wrote.

As Conover asked more questions, Jared stated he should not say more. Counselor Allison Ward joined in a subsequent meeting. Also present was his mother, whom Loughner allowed to join by signing a waiver that would allow her to hear details of the incident.

When the counselor asked if Loughner had a support network to help him be successful in school Jared said he did not want to talk about it and that he would follow Pima policies, Conover wrote.

“Throughout the meeting Jared held himself very rigidly and smiled overtly at inappropriate times,” Conover wrote.

‘I realize now that this is all a scam’

On September 29, one officer was dispatched to Loughner’s home to serve him with a notice of immediate suspension letter after the discovery of the Youtube video.

One officer said Loughner “held a constant trance of staring” as he related the event documented in police reports and meetings with the Pima College administration.

The officer said Loughner understood why the police were there and the terms of the suspension letter, which required him to obtain a mental evaluation clearance before returning to the school. Loughner read back the letter to the officer.
“I realize now that this is all a scam,” Loughner said before the officers left.