Instructor denied order of protection against student

Advocacy+and+public+communication+major+Roderic+Moyer+stands+outside+the+DeKalb+County+Courthouse%2C+133+W.+State+St.%2C+Sycamore%2C+wearing+his+cap+and+gown+after+instructor+Michele+Duffy%E2%80%99s+request+for+an+order+of+protection+against+him+was+denied+Tuesday.

Colton Loeb | Northern Star

Advocacy and public communication major Roderic Moyer stands outside the DeKalb County Courthouse, 133 W. State St., Sycamore, wearing his cap and gown after instructor Michele Duffy’s request for an order of protection against him was denied Tuesday.

By Kurt Bitting

DeKALB — Judge Marcy Buick denied an order of protection Tuesday that would have protected instructor Michele Duffy from advocacy and public communication major Roderic Moyer.

Duffy was teaching a class of around 20 students at about 1:20 p.m. Nov. 20 at Graham Hall when she said she noticed someone at the classroom door.

Duffy said during testimony that a student she didn’t know, later identified as Moyer, was standing outside her classroom door holding a candle. In the wake of an alleged mass-shooting threat circling campus social media the previous day, Duffy said she shut her door and waved the student off, but when the student didn’t leave the lecture hall, she called NIU police.

Moyer said his class was dismissed early that day, and that he was waiting outside Duffy’s classroom with other students for her class to end and his next to begin.

Moyer said Duffy began yelling at him to leave, so he began recording her with his phone as he had learned to do in his social change classes.

Days after the encounter, Moyer sent Duffy an email asking to meet to discuss what happened, resolve the issue and move forward. Duffy forwarded the email to her supervisors and did not respond.

Duffy filed an order of protection against Moyer Jan. 7. There are a few kinds of orders of protection. The protective order Duffy filed for was a stalking no contact order, which would have stopped Moyer from stalking Duffy if it was granted.

Buick said Tuesday that in order to meet the definition of stalking to provide the order of protection, Duffy had to prove that Moyer had contact with her more than once that caused her to fear for her safety. Buick said Duffy did not present evidence that Moyer had stalked her, and Buick denied the request.

Moyer said he will file a formal complaint against Duffy through the university.

Duffy declined to comment.