It was a hoax

The story about a student who got visited by federal agents just because he ordered a Chairman Mao book from a library is a hoax.

It really annoys me hoaxes like this, because inevitably the retractions don’t get seen or remembered as widely as the original story. I was a bit sceptical of the story at first, but as it appeared in a newspaper assumed the story had been verified.

Reading the retraction story the kid who made it up seems pretty thick. He might have got away with his original story, but when his Professors questioned him for more details he said the agents had returned and got him and his family to sign confidentiality agreements. The professors checked with his parents and it all came unstuck. He is very lucky his professors are not naming him. I would. Actions have consequences, and that is how one learns responsibility.