SRJC teacher found dead

[Sequoia]

Michael H. Ballou, a Santa Rosa Junior College instructor questioned last year by the Secret Service over a controversial assignment involving President Bush, has died, the Sonoma County coroner said Tuesday.

The 49-year-old political science instructor died Saturday at his Guerneville home where he lived alone, Sheriff's Sgt. Will Wallman said.

The cause of his death is under investigation, but detectives have ruled out homicide, Wallman said. "There's nothing to say he died at the hands of another, but, otherwise, the book is wide open."

He said an autopsy has been conducted and authorities await the results of toxicology and microscopic tissue tests.

A neighbor discovered the body.

Ballou, who also spelled his name Ballow, was a part-time teacher at the junior college's Petaluma campus and had been on the faculty since 1990.

Ballou was born in Ogden, Utah. He had a master's degree from Brigham Young University and a bachelor's degree from Weber State College, an SRJC spokeswoman said.

He became embroiled in controversy in the summer of 2003 when he assigned students to compose an e-mail with the words "kill the president" in the body of the text.

Ballou said he was trying to demonstrate to students' fear of government and the "growing police state."

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http://www1.pressdemocrat.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041110/NEWS/411100345/1033/NEWS01

[Straight Shooter]

1. Well, looks like he made his case, after all.

He should have used "f*ck" instead of "kill"

[lovedems]

2. Have they expanded from using small aircraft?

:scared:

[havocmom]

3. Back in the Nixon days, a poli-sci teacher at the small community college

I attended was found hanged in his office. Ruled a suicide, but none of the people who knew him, absolutely NONE of them believed the official report. He was rabidly opposed to Nixon and our tiny, out of the way in the middle of nowhere campus was treated to constant FBI observers.

The year: 1972

[Sideways]

4. No Fucking Way Mike Was My Poli-Sci Prof At SRJC

He was also a friend and a strong gay activist. I can't fucking believe this I'm sobbing right now. Fuck.

[mike_c]

17. condolences....

It's always hard to lose a friend and mentor.

xoxo
mike_c

[Sideways]

21. Thanks Mike He Was A Wonderful & Brilliant Man

He told the most hilarious stories about growing up gay in Utah. I loved the one about his beard "girlfriend" who was a lesbian. Remembering him with a smile.

[Javaman]

5. Quieting the decentors...and the beat goes on...

[Gyre]

6. Suicide would be a reasonable

alternative to Canada, if you really love your country and are deeply torn-up by the theft of the election. Very sorry about this.

Gyre

[Sideways]

7. I Just Read The Full Piece And SRJC Prez Agrella Is A Fascist

I wrote for the newspaper when I was a student and got in hot water with "Bob" because I accused him in an article of wagging "agrella warfare" against the part time instructors. Mike was a part-timer who was always in the shit with Fascist Bob and his goon squad. SRJC is one of the best schools in the country BTW. My educational experiences after attending there always paled.

RIP Mike my buddy.

[Sequoia]

10. Would you like to contact the local TV station?

They probably will be doing a story on this.

[Sideways]

12. I'm In Sicily Now Are You In Sonoma Co?

Is The Bohemian still being published? I used to write for The Independent if BOHO is still going I will contact them.

[Sequoia]

16. Yes and Yes to both

The Boho comes out on Wednesdays. I am so sorry about your friend. This is very bad news.

[buff2]

8. Oops.......he went against the "King"........

and another one bites the dust.

[Sideways]

9. Kick For My Friend Mike

;(

[johnnie]

11. Shot 4 times in the back of the head

Ruled a suicide.

[Maat]

13. May his energy find great peace.

Comfort to his family and friends! He is in my prayers (non-fundie denomination, of course).

[Contrary1]

14. Hmmm...4 times in the back of the head.

Do the police "suspect" foul play?

[Shakespeare]

18. Where'd you get that info? It's not in the story.

I haven't seen anything disclosed so far on cause of death (I live in near SR and have been following this closely).

[johnnie]

19. Sorry

I forgot to put the sarcasm off/on disclaimer in my post. I just figured that people would realize I was being sarcastic about how someone could have 4 bullets in their head and it be a suicide.
I guess it's not a subject for me to play with...sorry.

[Shakespeare]

20. Well, some of us are worried that it WAS foul play.

So, if there'd been information on cause of death, I was genuinely curious. Northern California is an interesting place; for the most part it's quite liberal, but we do have our share of mouthbreathing freepers around here, and this death strikes me as awfully suspicious.

[Sideways]

22. Sonoma CO Has Seen A Growing Freeper Base

One only has to read letters written to the "Repressed Democrat" Santa Rosa's shameful Repub daily. I think something untoward happened to Mike.

[Shakespeare]

23. Careful, there--they endorsed Kerry!

Press Dem's not bad for a smallish town paper, and they've got some good local liberal columnists, too. (and they run Molly Ivins' column each week, which even the SF Chron doesn't do)

[Sideways]

24. No Shit They Endorsed Kerry? Wow I Used To Write For The Independent

We were across the street from the Press Democrat. They do have a decent mix of local columnist you are correct. I canceled my subscription to the Chron when they ran a photo on the front page 3/2002 of a soldier in Afghanistan with slash marks on his helmet marking how many he killed.

Pity I love Ellen Goodman and Mark Morford.

[Katha]

15. Santa Rosa is my hometown

Scary times we live in.