Certain schools are suspending students for what they post on their myspace and xanga sites. Most of these suspensions are based around threatening remarks made about fellow students or teachers. I posted several months ago about a private school that actually banned myspace and xanga from being used by students even in the privacy of their own home.
Almost everyone agreed that the school shouldn’t be able to ban students from using myspace or xanga at home. But now some schools are making rules indicating that the students will be punished for offensive or threatening material if it is concerning a teacher or student from the school.
I was reading an article on indystar.com. In the article, a story was printed about a boy named Bryan Lopez. He posted comments about his school on myspace. He wrote about what he considered to be the “poor condition of his school building and the perceived racial biases of teachers and staff.” He was suspended for his comments about the school. The suspension was later overturned.
Should a school have the authority to punish a student based on something they wrote on their myspace or xanga site?
Comments (207)
It probably depends on what they posted, but I would say in general no.
Wow, I actually got first…
not at all
no, a student’s myspace and/or xanga are in no way any of the school authority’s business
no!
5th!
No. When people are motivated to rant online, it’s usually about thing that PISS them off, Behind a monitor is a very easy place to say things you would probably not say in close proximity.
This is overboard. Making angry comments is fine. Making threats is not. The only thing schools can do is block these sites in academic resources like wireless netorks and computers in labs, libraries and classrooms. You cant go on xanga is school.
That is fair and reasonable.
depends on the context. if its obvious obnoxious remarks without any basis, then yes suspend and punish. if its not untrue, harrassment, and libel, then let them be.
Not at all. That’s not fair and it just shows ignorance and insecurity.
That’s a controversial topic (but then, everything you write is). I don’t think so, their responsibility with the student lies only in the realm of school. However, it is mostly the students’ faults for posting stupid things on their sites. I’m kind of undecided. It’s worth pondering, though.
No!
Let’s get them ready for the real world. Let them have freedom of speech as long as it is responsible and not slanderous or threatening. I think it is a good experience for children to learn early the rules of the real world.
I say that they should only be able to do something if there’s an eminent threat to someone or something.
wtf
Well, if they mention threats, I think the school should be able to act. Otherwise, I don’t know. I’m half tempted to say “just ignore them”.
However in the example you gave, I think the school overreacted quite a bit. It wasn’t a threat nor was it harmful. They’re starting to get paranoid, it seems.
No, blogs are considered “online diaries”
The only way I could see this happening is if you are going to a private school. As for public schools, they should not be able to control what students do online, outside of school.
I’ve always been told that you should never type something and put it out on the computer if you wouldnt want someone to read it..
but also last yera my school suspended 4 of 5 girls because of the pictures of their myspaces. they were kissing and althugh our school is catholic and private it didnt care about the kissing, but cared that it was on school property and in school uniforms…go figure..
I’m not sure about threats. Most are just exaggerations
NO, they don’t have that right. Free speech is free speech, truth is truth. Criticism isn’t the same thing as threats. No, they don’t have the right to punish. Especially if it’s done outside of school.
No. It is over reach…
So if I was in school and they read the things I post, I’d end up in an insane asylum!!! Or Pelican Bay! Shit!I’m glad I’m no longer in school.
I think that schools need to worry about their teacher’s teaching materials and effectiveness and not anything else. What young kids say on their sites to vent should not even be of concern.
Students should pursue anonymity in order to maintain plausible deniability.
Everyone should have a fake Xanga for their real beliefs.
hmm…freedom of speech? whats our country getting to?!
what? no! not at all!
No, not unless it was typed at the school.
yes………..these are “Little” people, not fully functioning members of society and as such need supervision.
no, that falls under the category of freedom of speech
Schools are not law enforcement agencies, and have absolutly no authority beyond their fence line.
Banning the sites at school is fine.
Excuse me?
That depends.
Maybe if they had the right to cut my freaking penis off.
Dear God what has our world come to…
A student should be able to express any belief, emotion or frustration on Xanga or MySpace without repurcussions.
A student should NOT be able to post threatening material regarding teachers or students from the school without repurcussions. Any student who posts something like “I’d like to kill [blank]” should face not only school punishment but legal prosecution.
A student should have his constitutional right to the freedom of speech. But freedom of speech doesn’t allow someone to yell “Fire” in a crowded theater. Threats are not expression.
No.
Yes! What you write represents yourself and what you think! Not only that, but the organizations you belong to and your family!
NO! THATS FREEDOM OF SPEECH!
lyssa, the yellow one
no. dude that’s your private sphere. that shit’s not cool.
No, definitely not. That’s a total invasion of privacy. I suppose there are limits, but parents should be the ones watching the kids’ blogs, not the school. It’s not the school’s business, period.
Threatening comments that they seem to mean, then I think that it should be looked into.
However, expressing your own thoughts about a person or a student is perfectly acceptable. It’s like publishing a book about it, except it’s on the Internet and not so permanent. Oh, and not to mention the First Amendment does great things about backing it all up. You’re allowed to express your personal opinions. It’s why our country was so damn different from all the others and wasn’t swallowed up by Europe in the first place, way back when.
I could get fired if I say bad things about my work online. how fucked up is that?!
Hi Dan,
Hell no….free speech!!
Hope your having a good day.
Candy
I find that other people write a comment that expresses what I say more eloquently than I could say it..like … CTkajax - I say that they should only be able to do something if there’s an eminent threat to someone or something.
no. freedom of speech..and plus what u do at home is entirely separate of school…the two should not mix.
Only if an inappropriate post is done at school and on a school computer. If a post is made from another computer other than school’s equipment and poses a threat to another student or staff member school administration can print a hard copy and give it to authorities. As for the school punishing a student for a post from a home computer, that is unconstitutional. School administration is not law enforcement.
No.
Unless they say they killed someone.
Seriously; that’s all they should care about.
Normally I would say the schools can do what they want, but this is pure freedom of speech. Freedom of speech is not freedom from the consequences of that speech. Threaten someone, harass someone, and pay the consequences. Pointing out real flaws in public school, now that is protected speech. The right to criticize the government and its agencies (schools) is at the heart of the first amendment
If the student is making threats or using their online space for any other illegal activity then yes, they can and probably should be suspended by their school. If they’re just ranting about such-and-such teacher then that falls under free speech and shouldn’t be subject to punishment.
no.
Imma gunna say
No.
NO
i wonder if they ever have the time checking their students’ sites out
besides
itd be a waste of time
A threat is a threat, spoken or written, and has to be treated seriously.
No. freedom of speach………
uh hello. how is this any different than just keeping a journal. i mean sure its online and stuff.. but still.. a school shouldn’t be able to ban a student because of FREEDOM OF SPEECH!!!
hell no, show’s you why the danged schools should be abolished in the first place.
No, unless of course they are talking about doing violent acts or acts that they have already done that were violent in nature.
That all depends. If someone’s like, “I hate Mrs. So-and-so I think I should kill her”, duh, that’s something that should be looked at. But the poor condition of the building and racial biases? Hell no. That’s my school, right there. Our old principal was hated because everyone thought she was racist. And our school is in such a shitty condition. Things like that aren’t hurtful to the school, ’cause most likely, they’re true statements.
NO. that is a violation of free speech and in some cases free press
The situation should be treated as if a note were passed in class. Nothing more…
…Well, except if the author is some mental case who threatens to blow up the school or something along those lines. Then let the frisking begin!
no way! that is not the school’s place to regulate. However if someone writes a threat to students or faculty then I think that’s something that should be taken seriously. When I was in high school a girl in one of my classes wrote a letter on her xanga about, in specific detail, about how she was going to torture and kill my best friend and I. Why brought this to the school but they refused to do anything about it. Sure, she never acted on any of that, but there are kids that would have, and I think it’s something that should be taken seriously.
there’s a little thing called “freedom of speech.”
most definitely not.
No. That happened when I was still in high school three years ago. It was ridiculous. I’m sorry, but get the hell out of our personal lives.
I think if it’s a threatening remark they should take preventative measures, whatever those are, like counseling or something I guess. But no way should a student be suspended or punished and definitely not banned from the sites. The teachers and principals shouldn’t even be trying to find the students.
NO. I don’t understand how it’s any of their business what I write at home. It’s not like I post signs at school telling everyone to come to my xanga and read about how much I hate teachers. No one is inviting them into our private lives…
that sucks
Yes. As long as it’s offensive enough.
No, UNLESS they say something that will involve in the physical harm of another person.
no. that’s stupid. i’m pretty sure the constitution said something about freedom of speech. you can say whatever you want about someone else. you can offend anyone. it’s their fault for taking everything seriously. we should punish them instead.
kids should have some kind of freedom. you know, some place where they can go and say how they feel, and they shouldn’t get punished for stating the truth or their feelings. so i stick by saying that it is stupid. the end.
how come you dont leave anyone comments?
Unless a student threatens another, then no. They can get over it. The same holds true for companies and workplaces. Just remember what your mother always told you…if you can’t say something nice, then don’t say anything at all. Sometimes tho, a little civil disobedience is not a bad thing (as in the kid saying the school is falling down and questionable attitudes of teachers).
if we’re letting school systems punish students for thoughts and feelings that they post on their personal online journals, why not let the school administration search kids’ bedrooms for their journals and diares so that they can punish them for that as well? if the government started doing something similar to this to the principals of these private schools, the supreme court would be involved. just because most students are under 18 doesn’t mean that they should have no privacy or freedom.
If the post involves a direct threat to life, such as wanting to do a bombing or shooting, then yes. Otherwise, schools need to stay out f our personal lives. What we say and do in school is one thing. But if we are off campus, then buzz off.
I thought blogs and the such were for speaking your mind. If the schools act like Nazis to the students, do you think they’d want their kids going back?
No.
Nope!!
what school was this at?
i live in indy.
Threats should be taken seriously, and any kind of bullying or harassment should be dealt with. However, the school only has authority over what happens at school and/or using school equipment. What goes on off campus is for parents/law enforcement people to deal with. If I punch a kid while I’m at school, I get in trouble with school. But if I punch a kid in my neighborhood, the school has no jurisdiction.
Unless it is a threat, no. Freedom of speech. And, schools should know what their students think so they they can make their school better.
freedom of speech, of course. its private, no one should have access.
bullcrap
The school’s violated the student’s right to free speech and the offenders should be executed forthwith.
It seems like with something like what that kid wrote, it’s ridiculous to suspend him. I mean, it’s an opinion, and he’s not just badmouthing & insulting someone. In 8th grade a kid at my school got suspended for stuff he wrote on the internet, but it was insults about specific students and teachers and was just lame stuff like “ugly fat b*tch” and whatnot. That’s something kids should be suspended for, not broad opinions on the administration. If a school can’t take criticism like that, it’s stupid.
Of course not! The school has no right to do that.
In general, no. If there are threats, libel, or invasions of privacy, then yes. The same rules should apply online that apply offline. There’s no law against complaining about your school (especially if it’s the truth!). Uttering threats is often considered a crime, though.
So it depends on the circumstance. People keep talking about “free speech”, but that doesn’t mean we’re allowed to say anything we want to anyone, especially if it adversely affects the other person.
my school banned it, but we’d find anonymous proxies to get by.
haha
No. Heck no.
Unless the student was threatening another student or a teacher… but other than that it’s not the school’s business.
ABSOLUTLY NOT!!!
Absolutely Not. NO.
hells no.
No.
What ever happened to free speech? As long as it does not pose a threat, the school should have no jurisdiction.
No, because it’s ridiculous. Complaints are made so they don’t evolve into some deep-hatred or something.
Um, no fucking way.
My school has rude administraters!!!! I said it!
ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
No. Never.
As long as they aren’t using the site to threaten the well being of others, let them say whatever they want. What we say on blogs is monitored at my school too…and I’m in college.
Heck no.
No.
I never got suspended for the things I said in the letters I wrote to my friends (even if they were confiscated by the teacher). I am pretty sure I threatened other students and made fun of plenty of teachers when I was growing up. I swear, I would have been in constant trouble if I were in highschool now days.
uhm yeah…….. and the gov should control religion……………… NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well think about it this way:
Xanga posts coudl be related to either spoken words or posted flyers. IF a child cn be suspended for speaking about this topic outside of the school, then fine, they can also be banned for xanga posting it. Same for printed flyers. If it ws printed and posted up around the community and they could be suspended for it, fine for suspending it froma xanga post.
I do worry about the student’s privacy. Some things posted about on a xanga shouldn’t be read by all your teachers/administrators. Isnt reading a student’s xanga at all a violation of some sort?
no
i think the school has no right to suspend their students for using xanga or myspace.. that’s their freedom of speech and one way of expressing their inner self.. its very unfair..!
No, Definatly not.
Freedom of speech!
They have no right reading students’ entrys.
But also if they protected their posts they couldn’t read them at all.
Nope, its just like suspending them for thinkin it.
no
Generally no….but it really depends on the content.
This is a really grey area…
The suspension should have been overturned.
Honestly, if a student writes a post claiming that come Monday they are going to bring a gun to school and kill whoever, then people can get upset. But not if someone is just expressing their opinion.
But will students be required to give out their Xanga or MySpace or blog with the rest of their information (like name, age, all the basic stuff)? Because then some students will surely claim that they don’t have one. Then someone will have to search the internet for the countless amount of students who “don’t have a blog.” There has gotta be a better use for the teacher’s or volunteer’s time.
Wow, that’s fucked up. It can’t even really be considered slanderous, it’s opinion. Wow.
oh HELL NO!
A friend of mine had pictures of her drinking…and I think she had some cuss words on her myspace, and my school suspended her and made her delete her myspace.
no, oftentimes we vent about what’s going on at school, just like in a diary. these entries are made in brief fits of passion, anger, or whatnot, and should be counted as such!
Only in the realm of making threats against people and property. After that, it is a freedom of speech issue and the answer becomes no.
My school banned us for going on blogging sites altogether, during school hours. It really sucks.
no
!
Freedom of Speech. They most definitely should not be punished for what they put on their personal sites.
Threatening, yes. Offensive, no.
Freedom of speech is for everyone. You can teach students about this freedom by limiting their freedom of speech.
The whole point of democracy is that not everyone is going to agree on anything and that’s okay. By punishing students for having a differing opinion, you are basically teaching that they do not have the rights of other Americans.
Where is freedom of speech?
Besides, the PMRC (Parents Music Resource Center) took away a lot of that back in the 80′s with the Dee Snider case.
Or… Parent’s Minds Really Closed… but not every parent.
Anyway, all people are entitled to their own beliefs and opinions, and that’s alright. But I think that if the opinions turn into actions that are blatantly illegal, then the actions should be banned. But hey, they already are!
I haven’t slept in a while…
My thoughts are disorganised.
Happy Birthday!
its a violation of your freedom of speech
Absolutely not! Thats way out of control! I would have one anyways.
It depends. A bunch of kids wrote about how they were going to jump my brother when he least expected it, and they did, then the school found out and took action. I think that was appropriate
No.
But in a private school, we don’t have as many rights so I suppose they can.
If they’re talking about shooting up their classmates and blowing up the school, then definately. If they’re just complaining about it, then let them complain! We all need somewhere to do that.
no.
some girl at my sis’ middle school got a warning b/c of her myspace pix.
XOXO,
cG.
Maybe schools should read kids’ diaries and journals, too.
what is the difference in the student ranting online and the student sending a written thing to be published in the town paper? none. freedom of speech. if it were in the town paper there would be nothing they could do about it.
Definitely not.
Depends if their is a situation stretching outside of the campus.
no.
It really depends on what they post. However, on the whole, no.
-Guru on the Hill
no, that is their personal doing, not to mention freedom of speech.
doesn’t that fall under freedom of speech?
uhm. NOOOOOOO!
This is stupid
no, it goes against one’s freedom of speech , the only exception I can see is if the comments are threatening to a fellow student and so forth.
Our schools lets us use myspace,facebook,xanga,etc as long as it’s appropriate. I think giving that kid a suspension because he described the conditions of his school and how he was treated a little over the top.
They’re just concerned because of people who write mean things to other kids, inapropriate things, and so on. They claim they are doing their best to keep us kids safe. Can’t blame them.
No, because xanga has no affiliation with the school whatsoever, and the school is not responsible for what a student does at home, outside of the school. They’re getting ridiculous with this sort of thing, as is our country as a whole. Gah.
If a student posts an outright threat to cause harm to him/herself or to a fellow student, then I think that it is necessary for the school (or someone) to intervene. It is becoming way too easy to walk into a school and shoot someone these days; so, anything that can be done to prevent that from happening again needs to be done.
Now, if someone is posting “Tina Stevins at Whatever High School is a whore,” on a site, the school needs to leave it alone. Same with pics of two girls or guys kissing, detailed writings of sexual fantasies, posts about hating their parents, school, teacher, etc.
By the way, I don’t know anyone named Tina Stevins, and if that is your name, I apologize for using it as an example. You probably are not actually a whore
First off, YAY INDY!
Hoosier girl here.
Second, I would say that it’s understandable in the context of it being threats toward students/faculty, or something that they would normally be suspended for if they get caught for it (i.e. if they posted naked pics of their ex-gf or something cruel). But not just giving an opinion about someone/something. And if he’s talking about an IPS (Indianapolis Public Schools) school, I wouldn’t be surprised if what he said was 100% true.
absolutely not!
What the hell is wrong with this country?
People are abusing power and it’s just not right…
-Jacob
Freedom of speech, yes. Threats, no. If someone is ranting about the school and the condition of it and how they feel treated unfairly fine – that is there right. If they are threatening to blow up the school and injure people in or on it then I feel the school has the right to intervene. Consider how often lately have people blown off threats and later regreted it.
No
NO. Can anyone say bureaucracy?!
Oh, you gonna suspend me for that? Personally, I use a blog as a journal. Lots of bloggers do. If you write/type what you think, that’s having the freedom to think what you want. Since when is it the school’s authority to limit what we think? And since WHEN is it their authority to cut into our freetime away from school?
They need to remember that they don’t run our lives. School is just here to teach us about the Maths, Literature, Science, and History. Just education. And it was probably even optional at some point. They do not govern our lives or what we think, and if they think that, they can all go choke on their own saliva.
hell no.
school takes up enough of their time.
cant they at least have a little time to be teens like theyre supposed to…
but i promise…give it a few years…..
people arent going to be able to do anything…
not just teenagers either.
i can see it happening now.
with george bush as our president…
hell….with anyone as our president..
America’s never going to be the same again.
all these religious tyrades of people constantly wining and murdering people because they doll follow a specific religion…
and its NOT just Islam.
look around.
pshhhh….
the world is dead.
That question has been on my mind ever since these things became big. I think that if a student does write something they should be held accountable for what they say. We have a word in our law books that does keep us for writing our minds completely its called Libel is a written defamation . I think that if you do write something that could hold you Libel then you should face the music.
Yes, for bullying and threats against others’ safety, as well as libel and slander, but otherwise, no.
I teach high school, if that counts for anything.
we have free speech in this country–it was the kid’s personal webpage, he was doing it in his private life outside school, exercising that right and freedom. Why the heck would schools have the right to punish you for something legal done outside school time and property?
absolutely not. first of all, people have freedom of speech. second, it’s their own private space. they can say whatever they want. doesn’t the school by doing this to defend themselves, prove in a way that what the student is saying is true?
i say…..screw them. if you are in the privacy of your own homw i think its pretty ridiculous…unless you were planning to kill or harm somebody….and wrote about that…..but, just having a site and getting suspended for it is pretty stupid.
and if you were planning to kill someone i dont htink you would wqrite about that on a site…..the example given though….yeah, its called freedom of speech.
that’s like coming into a home and suspending the kid for what they wrote in their diary. i can understand doing something like counseling if the kid is actually threatening to harm someone on myspace/xanga, but other than that, it’s ridiculous.
no, back in jr high my friend made a website where he talked shit bout all the teachers and the principal too bout their racism, ignorance, stupidity, etc. and they couldnt suspend him for it cuz of freedom of speech. they wanted to but they couldnt haha. one of the teachers even enjoyed looking at the site and praised my friend for making it haha.
My question is: how can a school prove the identity of someone posting on Xanga? People post under the guise of screen-names, and any subscription information given by the user to Xanga is legally inaccessible to third parties. This would make it hard for a school to build a case.
oh totally, kids should be punished for expressing their own thoughts. What like they are people or something?
Hmm, again I wonder what kind of land of the free we are looking for?
The example that you gave us has no grounds for suspension whatsoever, except for embarrassment. However, if a student really does sound threatening on their myspace or xanga (or livejournal, or whatever) then, yes, I think it is something to be looked into.
There is always an option on any of these sites to post it privately or protected so that only a certain few people can read what you say. If the children were really that worried about being suspended, then they would have done that. I think a lot of times, parents need to be made aware of their children’s blog, and monitor the content on it more closely.
Only if they are making very serious death threats to specific people at the school…. otherwise, no.
only if it can be proven that they wrote it at school
Maybe if it’s a death threat or something but otherwise no.
actually im pretty sure living in america means we all have the freedom of speech
and that definately hinders on that right
that school is more than wrong for even thinking it was alright to do that in the first place
If it had to do with another student or teacher. Otherwise, I’d say it’s a violation of their rights to “monitor” what they write in the privacy of their own homes.
No, it’s completely wrong. We have freedom of speech, so we can say anything we want.
Why are the teachers going on Myspace anyway? Get a life, huh?
no, but in the vane of preventing violence against teachers and fellow students, threatening comments should not be ignored. from what this student posted, however, it seemed as if the student was expressing his observation of behaviors that were wrong. if he did not indicate any threat, then he was expressing grievances, and he has every right to do so.
people misunderstand freedom of speech. yes, people supposedly have a right to say whatever they want. however, in saying whatever a person wants, he or she better be willing to face the consequences of that speech.
NO! Blogs are “private” thoughts put out to the public. Yes, I do have a problem with the threats, but that is for the police to sort out, not the school. If there is a real threat then it should be dealt with. Schools are just afraid of their accredidation (sp?). If they are perceived by the public as a bad school, enrollment goes down, funds are lost. We have to remember that “school” is a business. Kids are the product. The tax dollar funds the business.
No. Why is the school (authority figure) nosing around in the off-campus property of a student? In my area, several cheerleaders were suspended from the squad for violating a zero-tolerance alcohol policy. They had merely posed with an empty wine bottle, and the picture was posted on somebody’s blog. Another cheerleader with a grudge complained to parents, parents complained to school officials, innocent girls got punished.
Okay I get why people are saying no because of freedom etc.I get it.I know everyone is intitled an opinion and that’s why I am respecting it and I am going to express mine and I am not trying to offend or start anything,I’m just giving an eye opener to the public and explaining why the schools etc would do it.I agree with school because in school your there to learn and plus like the article said these kids wrote inappropriate things.They are just watching the school so it can be safe because of what has been going on with violence for example school shootings,bullying etc.Now we all know each site has a code of conduct and most donot follow it and or hasn’t read it.The highschool I attended but I graduated from june 2006 has had anything to with chatrooms,posting,blogs etc banned so they will be safe and there will be no trouble in school atleast.Also most parents donot monitor and check what their kids are really up to.I know we do have a right to write certain things yes I get it but when it comes to breaking the rules of conduct it should be done and another thing if the journals are so private then why do we post them to public so everyone can read for those of you that do.Plus for people who have alot of problems and express alot of anger etc get some help,there is places where you can talk and express your feelings or even find a number that you can trust and remain anonymous.There is no excuses in this world today if you need help you can get it.Again sorry if offended anyone but I am just stating the truth.
Okay I get why people are saying no because of freedom etc.I get it.I know everyone is intitled an opinion and that’s why I am respecting it and I am going to express mine and I am not trying to offend or start anything,I’m just giving an eye opener to the public and explaining why the schools etc would do it.I agree with school because in school your there to learn and plus like the article said these kids wrote inappropriate things.They are just watching the school so it can be safe because of what has been going on with violence for example school shootings,bullying etc.Now we all know each site has a code of conduct and most donot follow it and or hasn’t read it.The highschool I attended but I graduated from june 2006 has had anything to with chatrooms,posting,blogs etc banned so they will be safe and there will be no trouble in school atleast.Also most parents donot monitor and check what their kids are really up to.I know we do have a right to write certain things yes I get it but when it comes to breaking the rules of conduct it should be done and another thing if the journals are so private then why do we post them to public so everyone can read for those of you that do.Plus for people who have alot of problems and express alot of anger etc get some help,there is places where you can talk and express your feelings or even find a number that you can trust and remain anonymous.There is no excuses in this world today if you need help you can get it.Again sorry if offended anyone but I am just stating the truth.
PUSHAW NO
Are you kidding me? My best friend was expelled from our high school. After she was on probation for a year, and the school dropped her case- the teacher personally sued the student.
The student wrote commented on her friends myspace that she wished the teacher would die and she hoped the teacher would trip and get hot coffee all over herself.
The only reason I can remotely see a school suspending a student for would be very obvious posting that are threating to a student, teacher or talking about reenactiong Columbine. But the student has the right to say how much he hates his school. He just shouldn’t talk about blowing it up. And I even wonder about schools going to xanga sites. Sounds like too much authority for a school.
Freedom of Speech.
Although I think threats should be addressed..
No. They don’t own my house.
it’s called freedom of speech. ARGH! I say only suspend them if they are threatening or harassing others.
no, thats a violation of privacy!!!!!!!!!
I think everyone has the right to express their feelings:). I posted things in my xanga even after people where I use to live at made it clear that if we talked about the place, and it got back to them we “could lose our place”. I’m not going to let anyone intimidate me for writing what I believe to be the truth. I would rather sleep in the street again than have someone try to bully me into giving up my rights.
No way!
But it could just be someone pretending to be that student.
What the fuck happened to Free Speech? I do draw the line at threats of violence.
I think it’s so stupid if the school suspends students for what they write on their xanga or myspace…. but then again it’s the student’s fault for posting threats against a teacher or another student. They might be writting about what piss them off at that precise moment. We should get to post whatever we desire on our blogs. Afterall, it is a form of our freedom of speech.
No, freedom of speech. That is their personal site and just because you don’t like what it has to say doesn’t mean you can stop that person from saying it. That’s like going through someone personal diary or something and then yelling at them for writing down their thoughts and feelings. You should not be allowed to ban what people say, it’s unconstitutional and it’e none of your buisiness. People will say a lot of things people don’t want to hear, and if you don’t wanan hear it, don’t listen to it and just walk away, don’t put a ban on it because it’s not what you want that person to say. Not everything in life will be sugar coated….
Unless there is a direct threat made to a person or property as in “today I’m going to blow up XYZ school with a homemade pipebomb stuck in the cafeteria and then beat Mr ABC with a baseball bat” then whatever a student posts on thier own personal blog on their own time and using their own computer should be irrevelant as far as the schools are concerned.
Sure, back in the day I might have said that I hated Mrs DEF because she smacked my hand with a ruler for sleeping and that I should smack her hand right back, but that was all venting frustrations which I’m sure in many cases that’s all it’s been.
Such a suspension would be along the lines of getting a suspension for getting into a fight on summer vacation while at someone’s house or whatever. Such an event has nothing to do with the school systems and if the schools can’t handle criticism, then that’s just too bad… they can try to suspend me too.
No. A school oversteps its authority when it does that. But — it does have an obligation to report suspicious behavior to the proper authorities, even if its just a rant on a blog somewhere, when such behavior is brought to the schools attention.
no. thats retarded. people are making a big deal out of nothing again. stupid people.
No way. Isn’t that censorship?
no. blocking the sites at school is okay with me, but thats like saying you’re not allowed to eat chicken at home because the school thinks it’s bad for you.
no unless it’s like harmful to the school or staff or student in a way.
probably not. it would be better to have someone sit down and talk to the kid. especially if they write a death threat or school shooting or something like that.
Punish, no. Serious, in-depth counseling, when warranted, yes.
As a girl who once had a teacher confinscate and read her personal journal, I’d say absoloutely not!
Myspace or xanga is like a journal, sort of. Some myspaces can be set to ‘private’ so only friends of the person may view it. If you think about it, it’s sort of like teachers taking a students’ journal, and saying, “I need to go through this to make sure there’s no threats to staff or students in here.” IT’S PRIVATE FOR A REASON. That’s all I have to say.
No, they should be free to rant about things that arent right.
Yes, not only should the school respond appropriately to their actions but their parents should be notified and take part in that repsonsibility as well.
What students post on their myspace/xanga’s is completely their responsibility.
They are responsible for their actions and what they reap they will certainly sow.
Now if the students’ words are threatening that is clearly wrong.
If the school is really in poor physical condition there isn’t anything the school about that truth except fix it. If you renounce truth you proclaim lies.
If the school’s teacher/staff is perceived as racist, it should be taken seriously as we are all equal under the law of God. For there is no partiality with God. If there is no change of person or attitude after a personal inquiry (the situation must be addressed with respect and level-headed thinking) then it should be taken up to a person who is higher in authority within that shcool.
I’m up for comments. Or corrections concerning the statutes found in the Word of God.
No. It’s called freedom of speech. Slowly but surely our rights are gettting taken away…
Nope…
Yeah….like school doesn’t have enough power over our lives already?
Should someone get fired from their job for what they write in their blog? As long as they’re not talking about coming into work one day with a saw-off and no mercy, then it’s no ones business.
sawed-off*
correction.
Using in on school grounds, yes I could see schools prevents students from accessing it on school-owed computers. However, schools have no business whatsoever about what students do at home… 1) that’s not school property & 2) that’s the parent’s job.
I think that if something that might endanger another student, or a teacher or other faculty or whatever, is written on one of these sites, it should be reported to the police and the police should be left in charge of keeping the safety of all parties involved. I do agree that a school should have the right to ban myspace, xanga, bebo, etc. from their school grounds. But private use of any of these sites or sites of this type cannot be banned, seeing as it is an unrealistic demand.
So, if anything is posted that might endanger anyone, including the writer, the proper authorities should be notified and should take care of it.
The only problem with this is that the authorities might not be able to act quitely enough to actually help. The solution is that it is better to know at least barely before it happens instead of never knowing it was about to happen. Also, these websites alow some sort of a release. It is often said that writing something out is the best way to release emotions. Children need this chance to release, otherwise we will probably become even more unsafe and unstable.
No.
hell no if a student want’s to write that their tacher is a complete d.i.c.k at what he/she is doing then that’s up to the parent to stop them.
i think that is so stupid. is they are doing it in the privacy of there own homes…then it shopuldnt be banned
well, if they use it at home why do they care?! its at home not at their school!!!
Depends what they wrote. Cyberbullying is illegal, right? Or what if they said that they were doing drugs or something? Freedom as long as it doesn’t hurt other people is what all the best laws are based on, right?
Free speech….???
and WTF is going on with the school system when they’re more concerned about prohibiting students from expressing themselves then they are about educating them better?
No. Absolutely not. What someone says is their own business.
no they shouldnt
no
NO NO NO NO NO NO NO. my friend recently got in deep trouble for posting a funny story on her myspace. yes, it was somewhat vulgar, but it was meant to be a joke. the school punished her for it.. they put her in saturday school and took away her honors pass. it had NOTHING to do with school. on top of the school punishment, her parents grounded her for 2 weeks.
No not if the post is based on incidents that occurred or an opinion of the students. On the other hand if the student made some sort of threat towards the school or posted a comment that led the school to believe the said student was planning some sort of crime against the school or the teachers/students then yeah, i can see why they would suspend them.
2 friends and I got suspended cause of that too.
some student sent in our xangas to the school & the viceprincipal read it.
& yes now this school (now my ex-school) made a new rule for that too.
i know in my school they cant ban it becasue it didn’t happen at school, they just report the myspace to like tom or whoever if there is something extremely mean on it.