Student suspended over Facebook entry

[Salty]

One student was suspended and 25 were put on detention for a Face book entry.

If one of the 25 were one of your kids, would you keep your child out of detention?

Some of the 25 were only "friends" on the face book page and evidently did not make any comments.

Salty

 

[preachinjesus]

It sets a dangerous precedent to regulate speech in a public setting.

What I would do to a child involved in this who was part of my family would be worse than detention, but the school has stepped over a line and is now controlling speech. My family action would be privately handled, as it should be.

Besides, I still have no clue what the issue was. What a confusing article.

 

[annsni]

One student was suspended and 25 were put on detention for a Face book entry.

If one of the 25 were one of your kids, would you keep your child out of detention?

Some of the 25 were only "friends" on the face book page and evidently did not make any comments.

Salty

No - they weren't "friends" of the page but "fans" which means that they joined the page and by doing so, agreed to what the page is about. If my child was a fan of the page, they'd not be on the computer for a LONG while. Additionally, if they were friends with this girl who made the page, that relationship would be cut off completely.

Kids need to know that Facebook and other social media is not a diary that no one sees. I've limited the friendship of my 17 year old daughter with another girl because this other girl posts MANY of the abbreviations for cursing and is not exactly stellar online. I told my daughter that when this girl stopped posting thing of a sexual nature and curses, she can go to her house and hang out but until then, no. My daughter told her and the girl thinks I'm overreacting but I don't feel that I am at all (nor does my own daughter). I mean, do I really want that sort of a "friendship" with my child? No. She's finding friends who are encouraging, godly and those who would help her to grow - not those who would make her lose a job someday. Yep - prospective employers are now not hiring people because of their MySpace, Facebook and Twitter accounts. These kids need to understand that.

So bottom line, not only would my child be in detention, there would be 10x more consequences at home.

 

[annsni]

It sets a dangerous precedent to regulate speech in a public setting.

What I would do to a child involved in this who was part of my family would be worse than detention, but the school has stepped over a line and is now controlling speech. My family action would be privately handled, as it should be.

Besides, I still have no clue what the issue was. What a confusing article.

It is not overstepping a line and controlling speech IMO. Would the child be allowed to post obscenities in a paper? The article posted said the content was "obscene in nature" and "inappropriate". Facebook is a public forum. Period. The school had every right to do what they did with a minor.

 

[mcdirector]

Wow! I'm so glad to see the school protecting the teacher in this way.

Keeping your child home from detention on a specific date doesn't mean it won't have to be served later - not knowing this school's policies of course.

 

[Salty]

Wow! I'm so glad to see the school protecting the teacher in this way.

Keeping your child home from detention on a specific date doesn't mean it won't have to be served later - not knowing this school's policies of course.

But should a kid be required to serve detention even if he did not comment on the page, only for be a "friend" on the page?

 

[annsni]

But should a kid be required to serve detention even if he did not comment on the page, only for be a "friend" on the page?

That's an active process (you can't accidentally become a 'fan' - it's not "friend") and is as much a comment as actually typing words. Facebook has a "like" button where people can tell you they like what you posted. You can also become "fans" of people and pages. That states your activity just the same as typing "yeah, I agree".

 

[mcdirector]

But should a kid be required to serve detention even if he did not comment on the page, only for be a "friend" on the page?

Yes. When you become a fan of a group page, you are giving your support in some form. Those 25 kids did not become a friend of the original kid's page, they became fans of the group page where the purpose was to libel the teacher.

I've become a fan of lots of groups and can't think of a time that I've commented. If I don't want my name associated with something, I don't become a formal fan of it.

 

[Steven2006]

Yes. When you become a fan of a group page, you are giving your support in some form. Those 25 kids did not become a friend of the original kid's page, they became fans of the group page where the purpose was to libel the teacher.

I've become a fan of lots of groups and can't think of a time that I've commented. If I don't want my name associated with something, I don't become a formal fan of it.

I really don't know anything about facebook and how it works, but let me ask this. Couldn't someone become a fan, and then the content was changed or things added? For example you mention that you are a fan of many groups. Is it not possible that someone could add something to that page which you wouldn't be a fan of yet you would technically be listed as a fan?

 

[windcatcher]

I'm not familiar with face book as everytime I've been given a link it required my 'joining'.

So, can someone tell me..... If one becomes 'a fan' on a page..... does that mean that the page cannot be edited by its owner: in which case would this require renewal of the 'fans'. Is it possible for someone to misrepresent themselve using another's name?

 

[mcdirector]

I really don't know anything about facebook and how it works, but let me ask this. Couldn't someone become a fan, and then the content was changed or things added? For example you mention that you are a fan of many groups. Is it not possible that someone could add something to that page which you wouldn't be a fan of yet you would technically be listed as a fan?

Yes, but you get updates for the page so you can keep up with what's going on. If this was the case in the above situation - the content of the group was changed and they were unaware, they could most likely challenge the detention. This is a very small group though and a group of people that know each other and are probably friends with each other, so word would get out if that happened.

I wasn't thinking of lots as being equal to many either I've got about 10 so I can keep up with them. I've removed myself from some from time to time to keep the number down.

 

[Mexdeaf]

I don't do fans, games, or other apps on FB for the simple fact that the BB consumes all of my spare time... :laugh:

 

[Steven2006]

Yes, but you get updates for the page so you can keep up with what's going on. If this was the case in the above situation - the content of the group was changed and they were unaware, they could most likely challenge the detention. This is a very small group though and a group of people that know each other and are probably friends with each other, so word would get out if that happened.

I wasn't thinking of lots as being equal to many either I've got about 10 so I can keep up with them. I've removed myself from some from time to time to keep the number down.

Thanks for the explanation of how it works. I am woefully ignorant when it comes to these types of things. (wow, do I really sound that old?):laugh:

 

[annsni]

I really don't know anything about facebook and how it works, but let me ask this. Couldn't someone become a fan, and then the content was changed or things added? For example you mention that you are a fan of many groups. Is it not possible that someone could add something to that page which you wouldn't be a fan of yet you would technically be listed as a fan?

Actually, you can't change the content of the fan pages, from my understanding - they don't even let you edit your statuses and stuff. You can either leave it or delete it and if it's a status, then all of the responses to that get deleted too. So there's no way to change content of fan pages.

 

[annsni]

I don't believe the content of a "fan page" can be changed or edited. Additionally, from Facebook:

Note: groups that attack a specific person or group of people (e.g. racist, sexist, or other hate groups) will not be tolerated. Creating such a group will result in the immediate termination of your Facebook account.

So this group would have resulted in trouble anyway.

 

[mcdirector]

Thanks for the explanation of how it works. I am woefully ignorant when it comes to these types of things. (wow, do I really sound that old?):laugh:

It's easy to join and set up! You'd have many ready made friends!

 

[mcdirector]

I don't believe the content of a "fan page" can be changed or edited. Additionally, from Facebook:



So this group would have resulted in trouble anyway.

It's good to know it can't be changed. thinking about it, it seems like one I joined early that was biblical in nature put up a suggestive picture. BUT those updates alerted me and I un-joined them.

I'm thinking someone probably has to report a page for it to get noticed and removed.

 

[donnA]

if it's off school property, then the school has no business in my family business, this does not mean my child would not deserve punishment, would probably get more severe then the schools. schools have no authority off campus, and I'm not volunteering to let them have it either, the more off campus authority they have in my family, the less I have.
This is a good reason to have your child on your friends list so you can see this kind of thing. Whenever someone on my friends joins a group I see it, some I check out with interesting names, like the silly one, flipping your pillow to get to the cold side. Point it, if it's your child you would know this before the school or anyone else.

mcdirectory, every page has a report button, and it must be reported for facebook to even know it exists.

 

[annsni]

if it's off school property, then the school has no business in my family business, this does not mean my child would not deserve punishment, would probably get more severe then the schools. schools have no authority off campus, and I'm not volunteering to let them have it either, the more off campus authority they have in my family, the less I have.
This is a good reason to have your child on your friends list so you can see this kind of thing. Whenever someone on my friends joins a group I see it, some I check out with interesting names, like the silly one, flipping your pillow to get to the cold side. Point it, if it's your child you would know this before the school or anyone else.

mcdirectory, every page has a report button, and it must be reported for facebook to even know it exists.

So it's OK for a student to pass around something about one of the teachers that is highly offensive? Since it happened off of school property, they have no recourse? I disagree.

 

[Crabtownboy]

if it's off school property, then the school has no business in my family business, this does not mean my child would not deserve punishment, would probably get more severe then the schools. schools have no authority off campus, and I'm not volunteering to let them have it either, the more off campus authority they have in my family, the less I have.
This is a good reason to have your child on your friends list so you can see this kind of thing. Whenever someone on my friends joins a group I see it, some I check out with interesting names, like the silly one, flipping your pillow to get to the cold side. Point it, if it's your child you would know this before the school or anyone else.

This is the attitude that used to drive my spouse crazy. No matter what the kid or where they did it, the parents defended the child and accused the school and teachers of harassing their kids. And we wonder why public schools have big problems.

When I was a kid I would catch it from the school and my parents backed up the school and gave it to me again at home.