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Students suspended over website

Stace

Boobie Jubilee
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COSTA MESA, Calif. - A middle school student faces expulsion for allegedly posting graphic threats against a classmate on the popular MySpace.com Web site, and 20 of his classmates were suspended for viewing the posting, school officials said.

Police are investigating the boy's comments about his classmate at TeWinkle Middle School as a possible hate crime, and the district is trying to expel him.

According to three parents of the suspended students, the invitation to join the boy's MySpace group gave no indication of the alleged threat. They said the MySpace social group name's was "I hate (girl's name)" and included an expletive and an anti-Semitic reference.

The rest of the article is here.

What do you guys think of this? I really don't think that it's fair for them to have suspended the students that merely saw the website. They weren't the ones issuing threats, and there's little to no chance that they actually knew what the original kid was up to.

I'm all for schools taking actions against students that threaten their classmates, but this one is going a little too far, in my opinion.
 
This is just the latest overreaction to the recent bad publicity that MySpace has gotten. It is ridiculous. The 20 kids that saw it should have no disciplinary actions taken against them at all. You don't arrest those that witness a crime, and one of those kids that saw it had to have ratted the owner of the page out for anyone to have noticed it. The kid that put up the page should not be expelled. Maybe suspended, but he did nothing that any other person hasn't done many times. We all vent and say things that we don't mean. So much for freedom of speech.
 
Stace said:
The rest of the article is here.

What do you guys think of this? I really don't think that it's fair for them to have suspended the students that merely saw the website. They weren't the ones issuing threats, and there's little to no chance that they actually knew what the original kid was up to.

I'm all for schools taking actions against students that threaten their classmates, but this one is going a little too far, in my opinion.
As the parent of a middle school student, I highly doubt that none of the kids knew what the original kid was up to...some of them maybe, but I'm sure the majority knew that it wasn't going to be a love note! Kids this age delight in playing mean pranks, and they don't keep it to themselves. What fun would that be?

Even so, since Columbine, the schools have had a tough time trying to walk the tightrope of ensuring safety without going overboard. It's tough to prove intent from simply viewing a website, but I can see the school's interest in coming down hard on all of the kids involved to set an example. I suspect that most of the kids will have their suspension recinded or reduced in severity, at least the ones that the parents defend. The original kid? He deserves exactly what he got. He publicly threatened another kid.

There is a big movement right now in schools to eliminate bullying, so expect more of this. I don't know if it will work, but I sure would like to see less incidents like Columbine!
 
/me waves buh bye to free speech and waves hi to Big Brother. :2wave:

The question is if the intent was to "do harm" or just let out emotions.

It's a flippin journal for crying out loud. If they didn't want the kids going to the site at school - they should have blocked it at the firewall. If these kids are under 13, which they might well be, it would be a parents issue.

If this was done from his home - its none of their :censored business. If the words were something to the effect of promising murder or promising harm, that is a threat. Asking if someone wants to take a shotgun to someones head 1000 times could just be a jerk typing before thinking. That is rather extream.

The only reason this made news: "anti-Semitic reference".
Another fine example of racism in the media.
 
vauge said:
/me waves buh bye to free speech and waves hi to Big Brother. :2wave:

The question is if the intent was to "do harm" or just let out emotions.

It's a flippin journal for crying out loud. If they didn't want the kids going to the site at school - they should have blocked it at the firewall. If these kids are under 13, which they might well be, it would be a parents issue.

If this was done from his home - its none of their :censored business. If the words were something to the effect of promising murder or promising harm, that is a threat. Asking if someone wants to take a shotgun to someones head 1000 times could just be a jerk typing before thinking. That is rather extream.

The only reason this made news: "anti-Semitic reference".
Another fine example of racism in the media.

I concur with Vauge. It did not happen in school, the school has no business with it. Punishing people outside the proper scope will only lead to rebellion. As far as the police trying to tie it to a hate crime, that is censorship. Hate crime laws that restrict speech are wrong.
 
alex said:
I concur with Vauge. It did not happen in school, the school has no business with it. Punishing people outside the proper scope will only lead to rebellion. As far as the police trying to tie it to a hate crime, that is censorship. Hate crime laws that restrict speech are wrong.

Well it seems the original poster made threats against the student, which is a crime. It should be punished no matter where it happens.
 
Kelzie said:
Well it seems the original poster made threats against the student, which is a crime. It should be punished no matter where it happens.

Kelzie, my favorite!

Punished, yes. In the school? No.

Do I have to bring back those three little words you love so much?
 
Kelzie said:
Well it seems the original poster made threats against the student, which is a crime. It should be punished no matter where it happens.

Things are usually never what they seem.

Can you cite legislation or code that states making such a virtual threat actually becomes a crime? If I say I'm gonna kick your ***... should I be arrested for it?

Nothing is so black and white, at least in my perception, that it should be punished no matter where, why, or how it happened. If someone were in my face with a weapon or an overture of violence... THAT would be intimidation. What we have here, in the most volatile form, are databytes of teen aggression.

I don't think any of the kids should be expelled for this. If the child is having issues in society further alienating him is not going to solve the problem, likely only make it worse. Perhaps some would rather avoid the ramifications and then blame WHO when the kid actually comes into the school with a tech9 or an m6?!
 
alex said:
Kelzie, my favorite!

Punished, yes. In the school? No.

Do I have to bring back those three little words you love so much?

"More filet mignon"?...:2wave:
 
From what I understand, the kids involved viewed the site at home. That being said, I agree with most of you when you say that the other kids more than likely thought the original poster was blowing off some steam, at least when he originally created the group. As far as the threat goes, I'm not certain that a supsension was really the correct route to take - at least, not initially. Counseling/psychiatric therapy would probably be a good first defense, to even see WHY this kid feels this way towards another student. Suspension is just going to make him dislike this girl, and whoever ratted him out (if that was the case....), and/or the school administrators, even more, as he will see them as the source of his current problems.
 
alex said:
Kelzie, my favorite!

Punished, yes. In the school? No.

Do I have to bring back those three little words you love so much?

DON'T DO IT!!!

Ha. I jest of course. Do your worst. :mrgreen:


A lot, and by lot I mean the vast majority, of schools will punish you if you break the law outside of school. Get caught selling pot and you will probably be expelled. What's wrong with it?
 
Stace said:
From what I understand, the kids involved viewed the site at home. That being said, I agree with most of you when you say that the other kids more than likely thought the original poster was blowing off some steam, at least when he originally created the group. As far as the threat goes, I'm not certain that a supsension was really the correct route to take - at least, not initially. Counseling/psychiatric therapy would probably be a good first defense, to even see WHY this kid feels this way towards another student. Suspension is just going to make him dislike this girl, and whoever ratted him out (if that was the case....), and/or the school administrators, even more, as he will see them as the source of his current problems.

I don't think the school systems are very open to taking chances lately. And it's middle school. It's not like the kid was six. Time to learn there are consequences to actions. It's not the end of the world.
 
Kelzie said:
DON'T DO IT!!!

Ha. I jest of course. Do your worst. :mrgreen:


A lot, and by lot I mean the vast majority, of schools will punish you if you break the law outside of school. Get caught selling pot and you will probably be expelled. What's wrong with it?

What's wrong with it? It's blind. It serves to only punish and not to correct. That's whats wrong with it. Pain may be discipline to some but to others it is anger. We are supposed to be a nation of freedom.. not conformity through fear nor pain.
 
Conflict said:
What's wrong with it? It's blind. It serves to only punish and not to correct. That's whats wrong with it. Pain may be discipline to some but to others it is anger. We are supposed to be a nation of freedom.. not conformity through fear nor pain.


Suspension attempts to correct. And expulsion forces you into a school that might be better suited to you. It's not solely for punishment.
 
Kelzie said:
I don't think the school systems are very open to taking chances lately. And it's middle school. It's not like the kid was six. Time to learn there are consequences to actions. It's not the end of the world.

So then why do they take the outcasts and dispell them as if they are some poor theory. Why do they turn their back on them? If we lived in a social utopia your excuse would make sense to me. As I interpret, you are saying troubled youth should simply be banned and ignored. That is so fricking wrong. It sickens me.

Okay.. no, let's send them to an alternative institution which bears the same fallacy....
 
Conflict said:
So then why do they take the outcasts and dispell them as if they are some poor theory. Why do they turn their back on them? If we lived in a social utopia your excuse would make sense to me. As I interpret, you are saying troubled youth should simply be banned and ignored. That is so fricking wrong. It sickens me.

Calm down then. Deep breaths. You'll get through this. Now I want you to read this very carefully....expelled kids can still go to school. That's right. They can. And it doesn't even have to be private. It just has to be a school where they won't disrupt the other students like they obviously were. It's really not a death sentence.
 
Kelzie said:
Calm down then. Deep breaths. You'll get through this. Now I want you to read this very carefully....expelled kids can still go to school. That's right. They can. And it doesn't even have to be private. It just has to be a school where they won't disrupt the other students like they obviously were. It's really not a death sentence.

I don't see anyone hyperventilating Kelzie. Don't be so dramatic.

I never implied that it was a death sentence. You are just a hyperbole of insinuation aren't you? LOL!

Pundits.....
 
Conflict said:
I don't see anyone hyperventilating Kelzie. Don't be so dramatic.

I never implied that it was a death sentence. You are just a hyperbole of insinuation aren't you? LOL!

Hey you're the one claiming you were feeling sick cause of it, not me, Mr. Drama Queen.


So no rebuttal then?
 
Kelzie said:
Hey you're the one claiming you were feeling sick cause of it, not me, Mr. Drama Queen.


So no rebuttal then?

I don't see how it becomes an issue of nonsensical rebuttal. I've stated my case and you've only attacked it by telling me to breath. LOL. Whatever. Don't get your panties in a bunch Darlin'.
 
Conflict said:
I don't see how it becomes an issue of nonsensical rebuttal. I've stated my case and you've only attacked it by telling me to breath. LOL. Whatever. Don't get your panties in a bunch Darlin'.

Trust me. Nothing you could do would get my panties in a bunch.

Your case relied on expelled kids no longer being able to attend school. I've pointed out that kids who are expelled can still go to school. You have yet to respond to it. Does that mean you concede the point?
 
Kelzie said:
Trust me. Nothing you could do would get my panties in a bunch.

Your case relied on expelled kids no longer being able to attend school. I've pointed out that kids who are expelled can still go to school. You have yet to respond to it. Does that mean you concede the point?

me said:
Okay.. no, let's send them to an alternative institution which bears the same fallacy....

The same fallacy under the same school board... under the same administration... it's like denouncing an american and sending them to communist China so they can learn to be good little sycophants.....

Oh yes.. I'm sure you'll go on about how they have social workers and school psychologists.... who are governed by who? The school board. Admit it Kelzie. You're just as much of an apologist to the detriment of conflict of interest as your master Bush is. :)) Don't breathe too deeply my lady.
 
Conflict said:
The same fallacy under the same school board... under the same administration... it's like denouncing an american and sending them to communist China so they can learn to be good little sycophants.....

Oh yes.. I'm sure you'll go on about how they have social workers and school psychologists.... who are governed by who? The school board. Admit it Kelzie. You're just as much of an apologist to the detriment of conflict of interest as your master Bush is. :)) Don't breathe too deeply my lady.

And so you're saying what? Sending them to a different school so they can get more attention that they obviously need is bad somehow? You accuse the schools of not trying to help them. Exactly what is it that social workers and school psychologists do? These people make very little money and yet are still there because they want to help kids. However, your disdain for their work is noted.

And see the donkey's? That means I'm a democrat. Often interpreted as one who does not support Bush.
 
Conflict said:
The same fallacy under the same school board... under the same administration... it's like denouncing an american and sending them to communist China so they can learn to be good little sycophants.....

Oh yes.. I'm sure you'll go on about how they have social workers and school psychologists.... who are governed by who? The school board. Admit it Kelzie. You're just as much of an apologist to the detriment of conflict of interest as your master Bush is. :)) Don't breathe too deeply my lady.

Ok, I get that you don't believe that the school should suspend or expel the kid. You think the social workers and school psychologists aren't the answer. So what is the answer? Should they just allow the kid to continue to threaten this girl, with no consequences for his actions? Should they wait until he actually hurts her before they do something?

I think it changes your perspective a little when issues have a real impact on you personally. I would have argued the freedom of speech side when I was younger and more idealistic.....and kidless.
 
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