Joseph Corlett’s “Hot for Teacher” essay landed him in the hot seat.
The 56-year-old Michigan college student was suspended for three semesters from Oakland University for writing about his attraction to his professor, The Oakland Press reported.
The writing sample titled “Hot for Teacher,” based on the Van Halen hit, was part of a class assignment in Advanced Critical Writing.
“She walks in, and I say to myself, ‘Drop, mother (expletive), drop.’ Christ, I’ll never learn a thing. Tall, blond, stacked, skirt, heels, fingernails, smart, articulate, smile. I’m toast, but I stay,” wrote Corlett.
Corlett said the assignment directions were clear: to write creatively about any topic in his daybook.
In his writings Corlett referred to his professor as “my Ginger,” a character from "Gilligan’s Island," and also wrote that sexual preoccupations make it awfully tough to be male.
He was suspended from the university following a ruling from a hearing committee composed of Oakland University administrators, staff and students. Corlett was not found guilty of sexual harassment but was found guilty of intimidating behavior.
He is required to seek psychological counseling if he wants to re-enroll this fall. Corlett appealed the decision and is allowed to continue his two online classes pending the outcome.
“I never experienced an interest in having sex with her. Never,” Corlett told the Oakland Press. “She’s attractive, but I see a lot of women who are attractive. That doesn’t mean I want to have sex with them,” he said.
Corlett admits to having written four other sexually charged essays in the course, one titled “The Boobs I Was Not Supposed to See.” For all papers Corlett said he received an A.
Corlett said he always did assignments to the best of his ability and was unaware of content restrictions.
If the vice president of the university chooses not to overrule the decision to suspend him, Corlett and his lawyer Brian Vincent plan to prepare for a lawsuit, citing First Amendment rights.
"Guys have died on the battlefield so I can write naughty things in my English paper," he said.
