SEC=UGA Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 (edited) Three Douglas County middle school students were disciplined with expulsion or suspension after they wrote disparaging comments on Facebook about a teacher, according to a media report. Neither officials in the Douglas County school system nor two of the students identified in the article on myfoxatlanta.com were immediately available for comment Wednesday. The article says two of the students were suspended for writing that a teacher at Chapel Hill Middle School was a pedophile and rapist. A third student was expelled for saying the teacher had bipolar disorder. William Lambert, Jr., the father of one of the suspended students, told myfoxatlanta.com that while he did not condone the youth's actions they should not be subjected to school discipline for posting things online at home "because it is a privacy issue." ETA: Had to put this in quotes, didn't want anyone to think that these were my words. Edited March 2, 2011 by SEC=UGA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Irish Doggy Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 If their FB settings are set so that everyone can see the comments, then yes, they should be punished. If they were private between friends, then no. Also, the punishments are backwards given the nature of the comments. pedophile rapist teacher > bipolar teacher. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savage Beatings Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 If their FB settings are set so that everyone can see the comments, then yes, they should be punished. If they were private between friends, then no. Also, the punishments are backwards given the nature of the comments. pedophile rapist teacher > bipolar teacher. Agreed with everything here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursa Majoris Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 Agreed with everything here. +1. All three should have got the boot. More schools should boot out lazy, disruptive and disrespectful students. Let the rest of them learn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polksalet Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 Students shouldn't be worthy of freedom of speech. I believe this is supported in the constitution. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEC=UGA Posted March 2, 2011 Author Share Posted March 2, 2011 More: DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ga. - Two Douglas County students were suspended and one student was expelled after a negative Facebook posting about a teacher. Twelve-year-old Alejandra Sosa said she regretted posting a Facebook status calling one of her teachers at Chapel Hill Middle School a pedophile. The comment got the honor roll student suspended for 10 days and she is now facing expulsion. "I was just expressing myself on Facebook, because like I said I was mad that day because of what he [did]. So, I mean I had no intentions of ruining his reputation," said Sosa. "I shouldn't have done it," said student William Lambert, III. "Because I could have still been at school, like right now, if I never had commented on the post." Lambert, a seventh grader, was also suspended for calling the same teacher a rapist. The honor student's father said he didn't condone the comment but believes that what's done in the privacy of one's home should not be the subject of disciplinary action at school. "Because it is a privacy issue. When you're at home on your computer, a lot of people say a lot of things on Facebook, about a lot of people, including our president, including senators, governors. [i think] the school should write the rules of Facebook into their policy before they try to take rules out of context," said Lambert's father, William Lambert, Jr. A third child was expelled for posting that the same teacher is bipolar. The student's mother asked not to be identified but said she believed the school's punishment did not fit the crime. "She made a disrespectful comment, however she is 12-years-old and she didn’t even get a chance to apologize for it before its done and over, you're out of school," said the parent. At least two of the families said they plan to hire attorneys and fight the disciplinary charges in a school tribunal. A social networking expert said the case should serve as a lesson for students and parents alike. "When you go home, yes it is your private environment but the school can actually say we would expect you to have nice behavior, be kind to others, not be a cyber bully, not be a bully in general. But it doesn't mean they can enforce it because we're coming into free speech territory here," said social networking expert Ben Halpert. Douglas County School officials said the three students violated the disciplinary code and they could not comment on the case due to an impending tribunal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Footballjoe Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 If it isn't true then the kids / parents should be sued for slander. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiegie Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 Students shouldn't be worthy of freedom of speech. I believe this is supported in the constitution. When have libelous statements been protected speech? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEC=UGA Posted March 2, 2011 Author Share Posted March 2, 2011 Should the school be able to expel/suspend kids from school for things that happen outside of school? Say a kid gets a speeding ticket, assaults a person at a concert, rolls another student's house, trenches a person's yard, etc... should the school be able to suspend or expel them for those actions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savage Beatings Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 Should the school be able to expel/suspend kids from school for things that happen outside of school? Say a kid gets a speeding ticket, assaults a person at a concert, rolls another student's house, trenches a person's yard, etc... should the school be able to suspend or expel them for those actions? What if a student goes to a teacher's house after school and assaults the teacher? I would think that it would be an expellable infraction even though it didn't take place at school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
untateve Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 Should the school be able to expel/suspend kids from school for things that happen outside of school? Say a kid gets a speeding ticket, assaults a person at a concert, rolls another student's house, trenches a person's yard, etc... should the school be able to suspend or expel them for those actions? Kids get expelled from school for incurring charges that did not take place at school and had nothing to do with school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
untateve Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 And I think expulsion is a little harsh for what these kids did. However, I support suspension. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursa Majoris Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 Should the school be able to expel/suspend kids from school for things that happen outside of school? Say a kid gets a speeding ticket, assaults a person at a concert, rolls another student's house, trenches a person's yard, etc... should the school be able to suspend or expel them for those actions? Why would it be different to you being fired from your job for some transgression? Your connection to the workplace (and theirs to their school) does not end as soon as you leave the grounds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
montster Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 it's not free speech if it's slanderous (or is it liable, I can never remember). Slander is spoken speech. Libel is written. I think it's comparable to if they posted it on a sign outside school. However, I agree that expulsion is probably a bit harsh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Furd Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 Why do I have the suspicion that this isn't the first stupid thing that William Lambert, Jr.'s child has done? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polksalet Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 When have libelous statements been protected speech? what if that one really does have bipolar disorder? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
i_am_the_swammi Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 lol at the parent defending his child's actions and he ethics and privacy of it all..... ...when all along his child must have lied to have created a FB account, since FB requires its users to be 16 or older. This moronic and immature posting by the minor is the exact reason why children should not be allowed to surf the net without proper parental controls and supervision in place. Honor student or not, the child proves that even our best students may lack basic common sense....and if the parent hasn't the time or effort to check his kid's security settings so other adults/predators can see their kids's profile, then they too deserve a kick in the arse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cliaz Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 Parents that automatically go on the defense with school items sometimes get under my skin. I'm not sure how I would act if I were a parent in this situation but I had a similar incident when I was in high school (obviously not facebook). My step-father came in and sat down with me and my principle. Dr. Hagan gave my father the run down of what happened. I said something about our lesbian PE teacher (but can't remember what it was but it was something foul - typical Cliaz stizzle) while out at open lunch (when we were allowed to leave school grounds to go to lunch). Apparently, Mrs Blucher was there and heard me. I was being suspended for 2 weeks. My step father smacked me on the back of the head and told me I deserved worse for disrespecting a teacher. I spent those 2 weeks doing the hardest labor around the house that man kind had ever seen before from a teenager and he drove me over to Mrs Blucher's house to cut her grass and wash her car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Furd Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 Apparently, Mrs Blucher was there and heard me. Frau Blucher? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buddahj Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 Why would it be different to you being fired from your job for some transgression? Your connection to the workplace (and theirs to their school) does not end as soon as you leave the grounds. +1 People have been fired from their job due to stuff that was posted on their FB page. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
electricrelish Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 And I think expulsion is a little harsh for what these kids did. However, I support suspension. How about a lawsuit? Is that better? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
electricrelish Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 Parents that automatically go on the defense with school items sometimes get under my skin. I'm not sure how I would act if I were a parent in this situation but I had a similar incident when I was in high school (obviously not facebook). My step-father came in and sat down with me and my principle. Dr. Hagan gave my father the run down of what happened. I said something about our lesbian PE teacher (but can't remember what it was but it was something foul - typical Cliaz stizzle) while out at open lunch (when we were allowed to leave school grounds to go to lunch). Apparently, Mrs Blucher was there and heard me. I was being suspended for 2 weeks. My step father smacked me on the back of the head and told me I deserved worse for disrespecting a teacher. I spent those 2 weeks doing the hardest labor around the house that man kind had ever seen before from a teenager and he drove me over to Mrs Blucher's house to cut her grass and wash her car. Just the fact that the parent said that, shows that the parenting is the problem here. The parent should keep his mouth shut and be completely embarrassed. The parent should be taking steps to make sure their child represents their family in a better light. However, this parent chose to show his unethical ass just like his child. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEC=UGA Posted March 3, 2011 Author Share Posted March 3, 2011 Very interesting. It seems that all of the posters here feel that the school should have no boundaries in being able to discipline a child for infractions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bpwallace49 Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 +1People have been fired from their job due to stuff that was posted on their FB page. I think there was a actually a court case on that in conneticut that ruled it was free speech. Sooooo this is an expellable offense, but the wackos from Westboro Baptist are protected under the 1st amendmnet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimC Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 Sooooo this is an expellable offense, but the wackos from Westboro Baptist are protected under the 1st amendmnet? Well, try wishing someone Merry Christmas on state property. You'll be arrested. And don't even think about saying "God Bless You" after someone sneezes or you'll be sent to Guantonimo. This country is becoming so ass-backwards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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