Student suspended over Facebook entry

Slandering a teacher on or off campus needs to be dealt with by the school swiftly and decisively. And, shame on the parents who defended their little innocent angels. When those kids became fans of this rant against the teacher they knew exactly what they were doing. They were wrong, got caught doing wrong, and are now paying the consequences and rightly so.

 

According to the OP, the Facebook Page was libelous in nature. Since slander and libel are not protected speech, this is not a free speech issue.

 

Any changes made to a page like this, such as the purpose, intent, and other such variables, is posted by Facebook and the record of the change is readily available. I run a page for the forum I run, so I am rather familiar with it all.

As Ann said, it requires action to become a fan. You have to accept the invitation or search out the group/page and click it. It then posts your your Wall and to all your friends that you joined the group/page. It is not something that can be done by accident.

I am in support of the school for this on the grounds that it was an attack on the teacher. Free speech outside of school is fine and I totally support that... but this was a case of slander and libel and should have been acted against no matter who was the target. the student(s) took school activity outside of the school thereby involving the school in it and the school has taken the appropriate actions. Expulsion would have been an option as well, but the school didn't go that way with it.

 

You did not see me say it was ok. BUT how much authority do you want to give the public school in your home, in your families life outside the school building? Give a little here and soon it'll be more. Soon they're telling you whats what in your home. And how soon till they decide your christian up bringing is hate speech your teaching your kids and it needs to stop. And you just gave them authority to do so.

 

Again, this is not what I said, and it's plain and clear I did not.
So the school came into your home to tell your family what you could and could not do? Were your parents doing a good enough job that they needed t he school to do it for them? These kids are resposnible, I did not say otherwise, to say I did, is making it up. But they parents need to hold them responsible, and the laws should hold them responsible, but the school controling them outside the school is beyond their ability legally.

 

Yes, because they joined as "fans." This means they agree with whatever group or position is being espoused.

This page was not just meanness but libel, a legal violation. Therefore, consequences are in order.

Free speech does not allow for libel or slander.

 

Of course any Facebook posting libeling, slandering President Obama would be highly joined...by many here...

It's a matter of degrees. One point that is still hanging out there is that the school board has not been forthcoming with exactly what happened.

I am deeply worried about the reach into the home here. This is akin to a student getting into a fight with another student at the mall and the school disciplining them. With a public school system you just can't reach in and force the situation. If the act happened on school grounds and dealt with school property than that's one thing. Yet this happened outside of that.

Besides, name me one student who hasn't complained about a teacher. Name me one student who hasn't joked about a teacher with others. These aren't angels, they're kids.

We need to hear all the sides before making a decision here.

 

So much about this remains unclear to me that I find I can't take a side.

I do share concerns similar to DonnA's regarding the school's direct involvement in disciplining students because of behavior occurring outside the school.

The school contacted the parent of the child who posted on facebook and the parent saw to its removal. If discussion occurred between the parent and the school concerning the child's discipline.... we're not told about any collusion or agreement. So this piece gives us incomplete information and is designed to polorize us rather than inform us.

For example.... the judgement of content by the principal. If it were my locality and a principal I knew.... I might have either cause to trust his judgement or cause to question his judgement and desire to sweep trouble out the door... if there could be problems within personnel which were not already being addressed. What is called slanderous may be material which is totally false, or it may be material based upon self disclosure or offensive promotion in the classroom..... but w/o details .... we are left with the judgement of others who might be fair, but are also in a position to have their own bias.

I think this goes back to being a concern which was properly presented to the parents..... and the determination of penalty was hopefully something discussed and agreed upon between the parents and school administration. If there was no common ground of agreement between the parents of the child and the school in a matter such as this.... I believe the parents are responsible for authority over the child and agree that it can present a problem for the school.... but believe the problem then becomes not only the child's behavior but also the attitude of the parents if they assume no responsibility for disciplining their child and informing the school