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Students' Status Statements Stifled
Posted On 03/11/2011 12:16:24 by Yanaba

Last night, I finished watching a new episode of "Bones".  The Atlanta news came on next.  I was busy on the computer so I did not get up to change the channel.  The lead story caught my attention.  It seems three students in Douglas County recently got in trouble at school because of status comments they posted on Facebook.

One twelve-year-old student said she regretted posting a Facebook status calling one of her teachers a pedophile.  The comment resulted in the honor student being suspended for ten days and now facing possible expulsion. 

"I was just expressing myself on Facebook, because like I said I was mad that day.....I had no intention of ruining his reputation," she said.

Two other students commented on the post.  One called the teacher a rapist.  The other posted that the same teacher is bipolar.

One student's father said he didn't condone the comments but believes that what's done in the privacy of one's home should not be subject to disciplinary action at school.

"Because it is a privacy issue," he said.  "When you're at home on your computer, a lot of people say a lot of things on Facebook including things about our president."

A decision had been made that the students be expelled and have to finish the rest of the year in an alternative school.  But, perhaps because of the publicity the incident has received, it has now been decided that the ten day suspension will be the only punishment.

This whole matter fills my mind with questions.  Where does freedom of speech end?  I've always thought it ended at the point where it becomes damaging, like yelling "Fire" in a crowded building.  Was what these students did damaging enough to ruin a teacher's reputation, or was it harmless venting?  Does a school have a right/responsibility to protect its teachers?  Does a school have the right to punish students for comments they make about a teacher on a social networking site?  Is this something harmless that has been blown out of proportion?

What are your thoughts on the subject?

 

Tags: Facebook Students Freedom Of Speech



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Viewing 1 - 4 out of 4 Comments

From: TouchedPainter
03/15/2011 11:33:05

The most dangerous thing on the internet is not spyware, it is not viruses, it is MISINFORMATION ! ! ! !


Freedom of speech is very important to be protected. What those kids did was NOT freedom of speech. It was extremely dangerous libel.


Lible is to publish in print (including pictures), writing or broadcast through radio, television or film, an untruth about another which will do harm to that person or his/her reputation, by tending to bring the target into ridicule, hatred, scorn or contempt of others.


They were angry with the teacher, & said they wanted to punish the teacher, by lying about the teacher.


There are too many people out there who believe "where there is smoke there is fire", & that teacher will always be believed by some, to be exactly what those nasty children said. Also what gets posted to the internet is there forever... It can NEVER be retracted... & at some time in the future what those kids posted will come back to bite the asses of both the children & the teacher.


The most dangerous thing on the internet is not spyware, it is not viruses, it is MISINFORMATION ! ! ! !


 

From: lovinggrandma
03/14/2011 11:41:58

I feel that a lot of the problem this and other posts have shown is that people are not being taught to respect themselves or others.  If they had self-respect, they would not have written what they did about the teacher.  Should they be disciplined? definitely!  It is not all their faults as the parents have allowed this kind of behavior and there should be some recompense made to the teacher.  He may not be the best teacher but he his the teacher and deserves their respect.  As a student when I was in school, Iwould have never thought of doing anything like that.  We were taught to respect our elders.  

From: kiwibarb
03/11/2011 12:47:51

I think FaceBook is at fault for providing a site where damaging comments, whether true or not, can be posted about other people. Yes, kids who have nothing better to do than write stuff like that about their teacher definitely need discipline. If they're going to be expelled from anywhere, it should be from using the internet, until they learn respect and decency.

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