Charges against Matthew Rouch, Northwest Missouri State University faculty member has taken a bizarre twist!

Instead of charging the 57-year-old communications professor for allegedly making a terrorist threat he was charged with felony production of a controlled substance (marijuana) and felony possession of a controlled substance by the Nodaway County Ofiicials.

During an online chat with another professor, Aug. 28, Roach posted this controversial comment on his Facebook page.

An excerpt of the post:

"...........by October, I'll be wanting to get up to the top of the bell tower with a high powered rifle - with a good scope, and probably a gatling gun as well."

He came under the officials glare for the post. However, the professor claimed that he was just joking.

"He claimed he was just joking and that all he had was a pellet gun," prosecuter Bob Rice said.

On Friday morning, Rice wanted to first search his home for any possible weapons to prove that Rouch was serious when he made the post. When his Maryville home was searched, surprisingly, deputies found marijuana plants growing beneath heated lights, several baggies of pot and a few bongs that were clearly visible to the naked eye. No Gatling gun was found.

"Looked like a lot of marijuana for personal use," Rice said.

Rouch, an instructor in the Department of Communications and Mass Media, was taken into custody by the University police, Thursday. Currently, he is being held in the Nodaway County jail.

Meanwhile, the university placed Roach on administrative leave pending the result of an internal enquiry. He has also been banned from campus.

Topics Professor, Marijuana, Threats, Online, Faculty