Student: Brooklyn College Put Me In Psych Ward for 2 Weeks!

An honors student from Nigeria who was studying at Brooklyn College says that a school psychologist forcibly committed her to Kings County Psychiatric Hospital (not a nice place) for two weeks when she sought advice about a hidden camera her landlord installed in her bedroom. Of course, it's not uncommon for people with mental illnesses to believe they are under surveillance, but in Chinemerem Eze's case, it happened to be true! Just because you're paranoid don't mean they're not after you, as the poet sings—unfortunately for Eze, her college shrink wasn't familiar with Kurt Cobain, and she got locked up. Now she's suing the school.

Eze's lawyer Andrew Spinnell tells us, "It sounds surreal. She didn't want to go to the police; she turned to her college for help." According to Spinnell, Brooklyn College referred her to the off-campus housing where she came under surveillance. Spinnell also says, "She already settled a medical malpractice case against King County Hospital for six figures. You don't pay whatever she got unless the other side has a good case. The hospital tried to force her to take medication but she wouldn't take it."

According to a recent court filing [pdf] dug up by Kashmir Hill at Forbes, Eze discovered that her landlord had installed a camera in a vent in her room. She was also troubled because she believed one of her ex-roommates was defaming her on the Internet. When she turned to Brooklyn College security for advice, they summoned Sally Robles, Assistant Professor and School psychologist, who asked Eze "a series of personal questions pertaining to her psychological state of mind, including but not limited to whether she suffered from any mental illness, whether she ever 'heard voices,' whether she had any suicidal ideation and whether she thought of hurting herself," the lawsuit alleges.

Eze insisted she wasn't suicidal and didn't have any history of mental illness, but merely wanted advice about potential criminal activity. According to Spinnell, his client also told Robles she was thinking about leaving Brooklyn College. But instead of guidance, she says Robles and the security guards restrained her in the office and then committed her to Kings County Psychiatric Hospital against her will. Spinnell tells us a campus security guard accompanied her in the ambulance and made sure she was committed. There she remained for two weeks, missing her final exams in December 2008. And when she was released, Brooklyn College allegedly refused to let her take the exams, and so she lost her $65,000 scholarship.

Eze is suing the security officers, psychologist, and CUNY for negligence, emotional distress, and false imprisonment. Brooklyn College has not responded to requests for comment, and we're reluctant to press them too hard—we don't want the men in white coats to come for us. And, for what it's worth, there have been several other reported incidents of tenants discovering their landlords were spying on them.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By John Del Signore in News on January 13, 2011 12:34 PM

Comments [rss]

Investigate-NWO-globalists

I don't see anything at all funny in this horrendous ordeal this foreign student suffered through!!! Those who did this need to be prosecuted!!!

I wish more people would come forward in support of her!!!

kevd

Sue 'em up good Eze.

Guest

Brooklyn College cares nothing for its students and neighbors. I have been trying to get BC to fix a badly broken dangerous sidewalk on their property at Ave H and Nostrand ave for over six years. BC couldn't give a crap.

Inconcievable de Impublishable

"Campus Security" is usually just a cruel joke played on students by administrators.

Rammy

Can't be that easy to have someone locked up for 2 weeks - there's obvious homeless nutters roaming the subways and loitering in front of businesses all days that don't get locked up for 2 weeks, even after numerous arrests and neighborhood complaints - so how the hell does a "sane" college student just get thrown in a rubber room for that long?

No doctors or nurses or social workers at the hospital picked up on the fact that Eze wasn't bonkers?

Perhaps when the security guards first appear with EMTs and you're informed you're being taken to the nuthouse, one freaks out a bit and may seem a bit unhinged, but you'd think that sometime afterwards that Eze would calm down and be able to talk her way out of her situation.

Guest

Unfortunately it is that easy. Stupid ass 67 pct cop sent me to KCH because I told him he should actually know the law. I quoted the NYC code to him, he got pissed and I went to KCH. I was out the next day and have a civil suit against NYPD for this bullshit. Also the staff at KCH is a joke, the hospital police are lowlifes.

Rammy

Yikes!

FU Boy

And here I was, almost concrete in my belief that an email about a Nigerian coming into a lot of money was bullsh*t.

Steven Harris

Sounds like she's made more than she would've ever had getting an education from there.

suzy1234

Actually, it is a great school and there are some very wealthy people that began there like the current President of Adobe Systems, CEO of Barnes & Noble and many other very financially comfortable people that had humble beginnings.

However, this story is incredibly unfortunate and very disturbing. I hope Brooklyn College and CUNY do everything they can to make this right.

robingee

How is this possible? No family or friends to come forward and help her? It sounds like a movie! (Lifetime, get on this)

kevd

read more.
comment less.
the answer to your question is in the first line.

"An honors student from Nigeria"

robingee

Yeah I read it, but thanks for your help!

(planes exist)

kevd

because typically the easiest thing in the world when one is involuntarily committed is to call ones family in Africa (if they even let you call anyone) and have them jump on a plane for a couple grand to come save you. Its not as if they would need visas or anything.

Good understanding of real world situations. Check plus!

robingee

You're right, there is no way to ever get here from anywhere else. And also no way for anyone here to help. Guess I don't know much, living in my penthouse apartment and taking my helicopter every day.

You responded really rudely to a simple question. Check plus plus, a-hole!