CHICAGO — Allen Lee dreamed of joining the Marines his entire life, a dream that was on the verge of coming true after the suburban Chicago 18-year-old signed enlistment papers earlier this month.

One violent, profanity-laced English essay later and Lee's future with the Marine Corps appears to be over.

Because of pending criminal charges stemming from his essay, Lee's recruiter told him on April 27 that the Marine Corps had discharged him from his contract, said Sgt. Luis R. Agostini, spokesman for Chicago's Marine Corps recruiting station.

"Basically he is no longer an applicant to become a Marine," Agostini said.

The Cary-Grove High School senior was charged last week with two misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct after the principal turned his creative writing essay over to police.

Lee was arrested April 24 and posted $75 bond. He is scheduled to appear in court June 18.

The charges are a product of paranoia, born in the aftermath of the massacre of 32 students at Virginia Tech by a social outcast who then killed himself, said one of Lee's attorneys, Thomas Loizzo.

"Once the dust settles, once they look at this through clearer glasses, we think that the state will do the right thing and dismiss the charges," Loizzo said.

Lee hopes to re-enlist in the Marines if he's cleared of the charges and he's allowed to return to school, said his other attorney, Dane Loizzo.

"That's the most disheartening thing about this entire situation," Dane Loizzo said. "He was really looking forward to and wanted to serve and protect this country, because of this, unfortunately, that seems to be put on a temporary hiatus."

Lee signed a contract April 9 that made him a "poolee," a high school senior who had signed up before graduation. If the charges are dropped and Lee completes a psychological exam, the Marine Corps could reconsider his application to enlist.

Lee said the essay was a compilation of song lyrics, movie quotes and video-game references.

"I have completed the MEPS (Military Entry Processing Station) examinations, and yes a psychiatric evaluation is included in the process," Lee wrote in a statement provided by his attorney. "If I'm qualified to defend the country, I believe I'm qualified to attend school."

But prosecutors say Lee's words shouldn't be taken lightly. He initially faced just one charge, but an amended complaint filed April 26 cited a second passage.

"In light of recent events (at Virginia Tech), that is part of the context of what happened that makes the reaction all the more reasonable," said Tom Carroll, first assistant state's attorney in McHenry County.

McHenry County State's Attorney Louis Bianchi said he never had seen a student essay as "alarming and disturbing."

"Fortunately, we may never know if we've saved anybody's life here," Bianchi said.

Lee, who has a 4.2 grade-point-average and never has been in trouble before, is being tutored at the school district's administration offices while officials decide his future, Thomas Loizzo said.

The essay, written April 23, reads in part, "Blood sex and Booze. Drugs Drugs Drugs are fun. Stab, Stab, Stab, S...t...a...b..., poke. 'So I had this dream last night where I went into a building, pulled out two P90s and started shooting everyone ..., then had sex with the dead bodies. Well, not really, but it would be funny if I did.'"

The teacher told students, "Be creative, there will be no judgment and no censorship," Thomas Loizzo said. "There was never any warning from the teacher that if she determined the paper to be offensive, she would then pass it along to the authorities."

School officials had other options besides turning over the essay to police, said Ed Yohnka, spokesman for the Illinois branch of the American Civil Liberties Union.

"I've never heard of someone, a student, being arrested for what they wrote," Yohnka said. "It just went from a student turning in a homework assignment to an arrest ... not a contact with a parent, a social worker or anyone else. I've never seen anything like it."

Community High School District 155 spokesman Jeff Puma declined to talk about Lee's future, citing privacy concerns.

"The essay was inappropriate in that it caused a question about safety," Puma said.

The charges could result in a possible $1,500 fine and up to 30 days in jail if Lee is convicted.