UPDATE: Suspended Teacher Speaks Out; New Info From Sheriff Posted: Wednesday, September 3, 2014 6:39 PM EDT Posted:

Patrick McLaw

SALISBURY, Md.- Two weeks ago the superintendent of Dorchester County Schools announced Cambridge school teacher Patrick McLaw had been placed on administrative leave. The 23-year-old eighth grade teacher at Maces Lane Middle School was also banned from school property. Since then his story has gained national attention.



Multiple law enforcement agencies worked together in making the decision to remove McLaw from Dorchester County Public Schools. Dorchester County Sheriff James Phillips told WBOC that McLaw authored two fiction books, using a pseudonym, with one depicting a "futuristic school shooting." But authorities say it was not just the books that caused alarm.



In McLaw's hometown of Salisbury, Wicomico County Sheriff Mike Lewis said a four-page letter caused concern, as well as a handmade model of a school, which deputies found in McLaw's house.



"We had received a couple of phone calls from concerned colleagues and members of the community that had been recipients of a four-page letter written by Mr. McLaw. They believed he was reaching out for some help," Lewis said. "And then we got calls from some individuals early in our investigation that he had constructed and or fabricated a couple of models that appeared to be models of schools in the local Dorchester County area."



WBOC spoke with McLaw, who is currently in a mental health facility on the other side of the bay. He told WBOC that he does not belong in a mental health facility.



"Law enforcement have not tried to contact me, they have been misinterpreting information, they have been disseminating information incorrectly to the psychiatrists and to the medical professionals up here who have been making diagnoses that are invalid and irrelevant," McLaw said.



As for the model of the school, McLaw explained that building models is just a hobby.



"I used to be in architecture and engineering and as a result of that, as a hobby I built miniatures," McLaw said. "And I built a miniature of a cruise ship, a miniature of a house, and a miniature school. Now given the situation, they have only focused on the miniature school."



Lewis again emphasized that the four0page letter, obtained by WBOC, is what really concerned law enforcement officials at first, not McLaw's books.



"There are certainly things that are said, certain things that are referenced in this particular four-page document that cause me some concern, but this is all part of our investigation right now," Lewis said.



But McLaw insists the allegations are false.



"This entire situation is a complete and total misunderstanding," McLaw said. "And it's unfortunate that it has come to this and it's unfortunate that I won't be able to share my skills and talents and teaching capabilities that I did with my students last year with my students I was going to have this year."



As of now, McLaw is not under arrest and is not charged with any crime.



McLaw said aside from being detained, he is doing all right and is working on six new books.