DURHAM - Ken Gagnon, a University of New Hampshire student who recently gained notoriety for obscene comments he posted on his online journal regarding another student, has been banned from attending his English class because he made similarly violent, sexual comments about his professor.

Gagnon, a junior and a journalism major from Campton, described on his Web site an imaginary scene in which he thrusts his penis through his teacher's eye socket after handing her an exam, according to Foster's Daily Democrat of Dover.

"One of the first things you learn when you come to college is that sometimes, when an idiot is in charge of your English class, there's nothing that can be done about that besides a penis to her (expletive) brain," the journal read. "And rest assured, if I (could) impale people's brains with my (expletive) for a living, I would (expletive) drop everything right now and do it."

The journal, or blog, which has since been taken offline, also contained graphic descriptions of raping women and shooting students. Gagnon could not be reached for comment, but he has said in past interviews that the blog was not meant to be taken seriously and that he didn't intend for it to be read by the general public.

Gagnon was formerly a paid editor and reporter for The New Hampshire, the school's student newspaper. He was fired earlier this month after the paper's editor learned he had published a blog entry in which he described sexually assaulting UNH senior Whitney Williams.

Gagnon's blog was not affiliated with The New Hampshire. But Williams, a columnist for the paper known for her radical feminist views, reported the comments to the police, school administration and others. School officials were also notified about remarks Gagnon made concerning his English professor, as well as an entry where Gagnon described opening fire in one of UNH's dining halls.

"Thought it would be cool to take a sawed-off shotgun to the undead faces of every freshmen (sic) in my dorm," he wrote, "it'd be much more satisfying to get my kill on inside Holloway Commons."

Last week, Gagnon was told not to attend his English 519 class, which is a prerequisite for journalism majors, or to have any contact with the teacher. Gagnon also met with administrators and campus police officers, who recommended he attend counseling sessions.

He told Foster's that next week he is scheduled to meet with Ted Kirkpatrick, the interim associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts. Yesterday, Kirkpatrick said he could not comment on Gagnon.

Anne Lawing, senior assistant vice president of student affairs, said the school is seeking legal advice and examining the situation from both mental health and criminal perspectives. Administrators are also evaluating the circumstances through the school's judicial conduct system and evaluating questions of intent and effect.

Lawing would not comment on whether Gagnon could face further punishment. The school's code of conduct prohibits students from using university computers or technology to send or post obscene, harassing or abusive messages. The service Gagnon used for his blog was not affiliated with the school.

James Paine, a junior at UNH who this week published a column in The New Hampshire criticizing the school for disciplining Gagnon, said many of the blog's entries made it clear they were not to be taken literally.

"In multiple journal entries, he indicated that the sole point was to be offensive and crass," Paine said. "As politically incorrect as it may sound, it was written with such obvious humor that I can't believe it was taken seriously."

Even if Gagnon didn't write it with the general public in mind, the journal was published on a public site that anyone could access. The situation illustrates the complexities that can emerge with new technologies, Lawing said. (next page »)