Chapter 1183: Inquiry (Part 1)_2

Shiller's gaze didn't linger too long on the other two. Sitting next to Jimmy, Angela glanced at the file and spoke in a detached tone: "Your answer and attitude to the following questions will greatly determine the outcome of the assessment. You must answer 'truthfully'. Later, we will conduct a criminal investigation lie detector test on everything you say and do, and you will bear all responsibility for this."

"Alright, let's begin."

"From the start of your employment at Gotham University until your investigation, have there been any illegal infringement activities on psychology students or students from any other departments?"

"No."

"During the aforementioned period, have you murdered any student at Gotham University?"

"No."

"Have you unlawfully detained any student?"

"No."

"Have you ever incited students to commit crimes?"

"No."

Shiller's series of denials did not surprise or anger the people behind the table. The purpose of this kind of interrogation is not to get the suspect to confess, but to observe his attitude and demeanor.

Next, Jimmy began to ask some detailed questions, but before he could ask, he said, "In the following questions, if you don't understand any assessment criteria, you can ask."

"In your teaching career, have you had physical contact against the wishes of any student?"

"No."

"Have you verbally or in written format, ever harassed any student against their wishes?"

"No."

"Sorry, can I interrupt?" William, sitting next to Jimmy, asked. Jimmy nodded, and William looked at Shiller and asked, "Have you ever physically punished them using any instruction?"

Shiller shook his head, then William continued, "Have you ever verbally insulted them in public or private?"

"What is your definition of insult?" Shiller asked for the first time.

William and Jimmy exchanged a glance. William gently rubbed his lips and said, "According to the Higher Education Act of Pennsylvania, any form of insult to students is not in conformity with the regulations."

"But I have taught at a university too, discipline and insult aren't so clearly defined, wanting to urge students to study, harsh and even slightly violent language can be understood."

"Then, let's imagine a scene, suppose I am your student now, and I'm causing a commotion in class and disrupting the teaching order, what would you do?"

William got up from behind the table, one hand in his suit pocket. Shiller also got up from his single chair. The moment Shiller's eyes met his, William instinctively took a step back.

"Mr. Dennys Jetter, is it? I hope you can keep quiet in my class. If you can't, please leave."

As the recorders on both sides of the table began to furiously take notes, William nodded and said, "If I choose not to leave and continue to be noisy after sitting down, what will you do?"

Shiller looked him over, then moved his gaze and said to the empty seat, "Mr. Falcone, I don't want this Mr. Dennys Jetter to continue staying in my class, could you please help me persuade him to leave?"

William squinted his eyes and looked at Shiller, "Who is this Mr. Falcone and what's your relationship with him?"

"He is another one of my students."

"Then how could he..."

Jimmy pulled William's sleeve and lowered his voice and said, "He's the son of Godfather Carmine Falcone, Falcone is the head of the Twelve Mafia Families of Gotham."

William showed a speechless expression, he lowered his head, then spoke again, "All right, this time the scene is set in your office, a student who consistently fails to hand in homework is called into your office, how will you educate him?"

"Normally, I wouldn't call students who fail to hand in their homework to the office." Shiller gently shook his head, "The first time they fail to submit their homework, I tell them that studying is their own business. If they don't work hard, they can't escape their present situation."

"If they make the same mistake the second time, I'll summon them to the podium after class and ask if they have any special reasons."

"What kind of special reasons can be accepted?" William asked.

"Busy family affairs, too tired from part-time work, being injured in a gang fight, homework is too difficult, homework is too simple, they don't like psychology or they don't like me." Shiller paused after each reason, as though he was thinking.

William quickly picked up on the key point and looked at Shiller, "If a student doesn't do homework because they don't like you, can that be accepted?"

Shiller sat back down in his chair, placed his hands in front of him, and nodded as he said, "I do my utmost to teach according to the student's abilities, but I accept that not every student likes my teaching style."

"Because I'm a psychologist, I can understand that disliking someone's appearance, temperament, or behavior can lead to questioning everything about them, or even resisting them by rebelling against them. This is very normal, the human race is emotional."

"If he neglects his studies because he doesn't like you, what would you do? Would you persuade him or give up on him?" William continued to ask.

Shiller's expression fluctuated for the first time, as if he were lost in memory and thought. After a while, he said, "Actually, I don't know, because each student is different."

This time, before William could ask, Shiller volunteered, "Not every person has the talent to learn this subject. Students who don't perform well usually fall into several groups."

"If they work hard but don't have talent, I would help them pass and suggest that they learn additional employable skills to secure a better life."

"If they have talent but don't work hard, I would be truthful in telling them that they are very talented and could achieve great things with a bit more effort. But if encouragement doesn't work, I would be as strict as possible because I wouldn't want to see their talent wasted."

"But if they neither have talent nor exert any effort..." Shiller leaned back in his seat, pursed his lips, and let out a helpless smile, then said:

"In line with the teacher's duty to educate, I would try to persuade them a bit, then give up and not waste too much time on them."

"But perhaps... there are exceptions."