Suicide Suspension?

I picked up a People magazine today to catch up on the celebrity trash I can't read at People.com. Normally I don't bother to read the "articles" (and I use the word lightly with People), because they always seem random, and, who buys People to read the articles anyways? I appreciate the pictures and two-sentence gossip blurbs- they are much more conducive to the brain-numbing activity I'm looking for when I fork over the $3.49 (?!) for the magazine.
In any case, I decided to give 'em a chance and read through the article "When There's Nowhere to Turn" by Joanne Fowler.

The article describes college students dealing with depression who attempt suicide (which, by the way, is the number 2 cause of death of college students, claiming 1,100 lives a year). The article starts out with the story of Ethan Helfand who tried to kill himself one night by overdosing on antidepressants (he had a history of depression and suicidal thoughts, reports Fowler). When he woke up the next day in the university hospital, he was told he could not return to his dorm room and had to check into a hotel.

Colleges across the country have adopted a "tough love" approach to students dealing with suicide: they have to leave. Students are forced to either leave campus or attend mandatory counseling sessions. And the reason? Fear of lawsuits. Now, I understand that the school doesn't want it's image "tainted"- and would prefer to sidestep the messy litigation, but how can this help a student who is dealing with real and serious problems? Many students who have been placed in similar situations transfer schools or refuse to use the counseling services provided by the university, opting for personal psychiatrists and counselors instead.

Anyways, just found it interesting (and sad) how far our society goes to avoid a tarnished image and a lawsuit, even when people's lives are at risk. It makes me feel GREAT about my law school applications that are currently floating around the country...