Student sues over punishment for Facebook comments

[Ravi]

It worries me that we have become a society where parents are just pleased as punch that their daughter is using a Facebook page to insult and demean her teacher...rather than instructing their obviously bright and mature daughter to handle her differences as an adult or speaking with the teacher about the conflict during a parent-teacher conference. Instead, parents are just tickled that their children are "exercising their rights" and sue the school district for trying to protect their teachers (and students) from being demeaned, ridiculed, and harassed online.

Huh? Who is pleased as punch or tickled about it?

 

[Amanda]

It worries me that we have become a society where parents are just pleased as punch that their daughter is using a Facebook page to insult and demean her teacher...rather than instructing their obviously bright and mature daughter to handle her differences as an adult or speaking with the teacher about the conflict during a parent-teacher conference.

Have you tried that lately? They're right, you're wrong, case closed. No conference needed. Complain too much and they jack you up on drugs because you obviously have ADHD. Being a kid is pretty no-win these days when it comes to these things, that's why you see us striking back where we're the ones in power. I'm surprised the schools can even figure out how to find these Facebook and MySpace pages they're generally clueless when it comes to the interweb.

 

[Gem]

Amanda Wrote:

Have you tried that lately? They're right, you're wrong, case closed.No conference needed.

As a teacher, I can tell you flat out that your statement above would be absolutely false in my district...and in any and all others that are following the law, Amanda. Schools are required to meet with parents regarding concerns. In fact, most school districts frequently respect the wishes of parents...almost to a fault. If a parent objects to a punishment it is often lessened, because districts would rather give in than put up a fight and risk a law suit.

A parent is guaranteed a right to a conference with a teacher any time a parent wants to do so. A teacher can not refuse to meet with a parent. And, out of the hundreds of teachers I know...most excellent, some terrible - NONE of them, would refuse to meet with a student who stated calmly and politely, "May I meet with you for a few minutes before or after school, or during Study Hall, to discuss some problems I'm having with your class?"

Now they might not see things your way after meeting with you. They might not give you the answer you want....or change their minds...but thats life...sometimes the answer is no...but you are never going to get the respect you feel you are entitled to...or the change that you would like to see happen by calling people names or creating a nasty Facebook page about it.

Complain too much and they jack you up on drugs because you obviously have ADHD.

Amanda, please. This is simply nonsense and is completely beneath you. A school district can not put you on medication - in fact, it is not even able to recommend or suggest that you have ADHD or need medication to your parents.

A school district is not allowed to test you for a learning disability at all without your parents consent and approval. No action AT ALL can be taken until the results of the testing are shared with your parents...who are then the ONLY people who can decide whether or not medication is an appropriate course of action. If your parents receive the testing and it indicates that you have ADHD and would benefit from medication and they say "No." The school can not do a darn thing about it.

Finally, no legitimate doctor would diagnose ADHD for a student who was complaining about their teacher.

Being a kid is pretty no-win these days when it comes to these things, that's why you see us striking back where we're the ones in power. I'm surprised the schools can even figure out how to find these Facebook and MySpace pages they're generally clueless when it comes to the interweb.

I agree...being a kid is a no-win situation if you want to be treated like a young adult while continuing to act like a child. No teacher is going to take seriously the complaints of a child ranting about them on Facebook. Many teachers would however, take into consideration the concerns of a young adult explaining why they feel that an action the teacher took was unfair.

But the young woman in this article did not act like an adult. She acted like a child. Did she have the RIGHT to act like a child? Perhaps. But just because you have the right to act like a child doesn't mean you should...especially if you want to be treated like an adult and have your opinions taken seriously by other adults.

 

[pegwinn]

You're correct that the real point is what one says has to be true and just because someone can post something on line doesn't mean they can say whatever they feel like.

Is anyone even addressing whether what the girl said is untrue or not?

BTW, opinions are protected speech. And putting that disgusting woman in jail who used the internet to emotionally abuse a girl into suicide is just fine with me. It's about personal responsibility, no? I don't believe in censorship, but that woman was reckless in her behavior.

I think the woman went to jail not because of her deception but because of the results of her deception. The deception was simply the means to the girls end.

Have you tried that lately? They're right, you're wrong, case closed. No conference needed. Complain too much and they jack you up on drugs because you obviously have ADHD. Being a kid is pretty no-win these days when it comes to these things, that's why you see us striking back where we're the ones in power. I'm surprised the schools can even figure out how to find these Facebook and MySpace pages they're generally clueless when it comes to the interweb.

Amanda. I called a school once and told them that my kid was going to beat the snot out of a playground bully who kept harassing her. The school was warned that if they attempted to discipline my kid, that they would certainly be on the six o'clock news, a lot.

The point is that adults can halt a school in it's tracks. If you act mature and they don't listen, then resort to facebook. That isn't about rights, it's about life.

Oh, and the school cannot put you or any other kid on meds. They can only dispense them, and then only with documentation and consent.

Finally, my solution above worked. But it wasn't the best example of how to deal with a school related problem. It was only my most recent.

 

[Amanda]

Amanda. I called a school once and told them that my kid was going to beat the snot out of a playground bully who kept harassing her. The school was warned that if they attempted to discipline my kid, that they would certainly be on the six o'clock news, a lot.

The point is that adults can halt a school in it's tracks. If you act mature and they don't listen, then resort to facebook. That isn't about rights, it's about life.

Oh, and the school cannot put you or any other kid on meds. They can only dispense them, and then only with documentation and consent.

You made my point perfectly, yes, adults can stop schools and teachers from being monsters, but all too often they don't. They are under the same hypnotic spell as everyone else that thinks the kids are bad or hyper or whatever and if we just get their meds adjusted right everything will go back to being peaceful.

I know a school can't put a kid on meds by themselves, they need the all too willing parents. If even half the parents involved would just question authority a little bit things would be a lot better.

 

[chloe]

Adults can be monsters, just the other day one of my daughters friends who hasn't been around since the summer called me crying saying some boys mother was on myspace sending the her horrible messages and calling her horrible names, it got so bad that she asked me what she should do, and I told her to tell her mom and and have her mom call the lady. Its outrageous that any adult would do that to a kid. Yet the kid felt so powerless she told me before her own mom first.

 

[Amanda]

Adults can be monsters, just the other day one of my daughters friends who hasn't been around since the summer called me crying saying some boys mother was on myspace sending the her horrible messages and calling her horrible names, it got so bad that she asked me what she should do, and I told her to tell her mom and and have her mom call the lady. Its outrageous that any adult would do that to a kid. Yet the kid felt so powerless she told me before her own mom first.

That's how it is for a lot of kids. No one that can do anything will listen. Thank you for being there for her. We all need someone we can come to with our troubles.

 

[chloe]

I saw this documentary on PBS and how it is so much worse now for kids because of my space and facebook. There was a boy who liked a girl at school and these group of girls made a fake account and pretended to be one person that liked him and then later told him all these awful things and it was a big joke and made him feel bad online and he killed himself. The Dad was so sad on the interview and I couldn't stop crying for his loss.

 

[pegwinn]

You made my point perfectly, yes, adults can stop schools and teachers from being monsters, but all too often they don't. They are under the same hypnotic spell as everyone else that thinks the kids are bad or hyper or whatever and if we just get their meds adjusted right everything will go back to being peaceful.

I know a school can't put a kid on meds by themselves, they need the all too willing parents. If even half the parents involved would just question authority a little bit things would be a lot better.

The other point was that by acting mature instead of childish the reasonable faction within the school system will often help you. It's when a 17/18 y/o kid is acting like a sixth grader that they get dismissed. And I have met parents like the ones you describe. They are wannabes who need a good horse whipping and removal of their Jerry Springer privileges.

 

[Amanda]

I saw this documentary on PBS and how it is so much worse now for kids because of my space and facebook. There was a boy who liked a girl at school and these group of girls made a fake account and pretended to be one person that liked him and then later told him all these awful things and it was a big joke and made him feel bad online and he killed himself. The Dad was so sad on the interview and I couldn't stop crying for his loss.

They don't have sad nodding head emoticon. Too bad cos it would be handy right now.

 

[chloe]

Yeah I can't even imagine whats its like for your generation or younger, you go through so much stuff that we never had to deal with it. It must be rough and it would be nice if you felt more support from the elders.

 

[Amanda]

Yeah I can't even imagine whats its like for your generation or younger, you go through so much stuff that we never had to deal with it. It must be rough and it would be nice if you felt more support from the elders.

You're really sweet, thank you so much for your compassion, it really means a lot to me.

 

[pegwinn]

Yeah I can't even imagine whats its like for your generation or younger, you go through so much stuff that we never had to deal with it. It must be rough and it would be nice if you felt more support from the elders.

Each generation has its challenges. Peer pressure is always in style. When I was a high schooler there were bullies, and drugs, and racism, and factions or cliques. Girls were under pressure to put out, and then vilified when or if they did. Guys were required to be tough, and if they weren't they were fair game. We didn't have myspace, but there were still rumors and innuendos via gossip. I am not minimizing the problems faced by teens. I am recognizing that as a parent, even though my problems were not perfectly identical I can still relate, and hopefully help.

 

[chloe]

Im just saying now they have school shootings, meth heads, aids, online group targeted bullying, still have racism, still have teen pregnancies, still have drug probs, but a lot more on top of that, they use cell phones to target each other at school to forward on to other kids to make the brunt of jokes, its just so much more now that they have to deal with imo.

 

[random3434]

Im just saying now they have school shootings, meth heads, aids, online group targeted bullying, still have racism, still have teen pregnancies, still have drug probs, but a lot more on top of that, they use cell phones to target each other at school to forward on to other kids to make the brunt of jokes, its just so much more now that they have to deal with imo.

Well, kids have always been mean and bullies if that is in their character, they just have many more ways now to promote their agenda.

 

[chloe]

yeah its a lot worse for kids nowadays

 

[Agnapostate]

Im just saying now they have school shootings, meth heads, aids, online group targeted bullying, still have racism, still have teen pregnancies, still have drug probs, but a lot more on top of that, they use cell phones to target each other at school to forward on to other kids to make the brunt of jokes, its just so much more now that they have to deal with imo.

Can you provide statistical evidence that these problems are explosive or especially prevalent among youth and not adults?

 

[Againsheila]

Can you provide statistical evidence that these problems are explosive or especially prevalent among youth and not adults?

I know from experience that my son was ruthlessly bullied in highschool and throughout his public school years. Now, he's in college and he's made friends and he's getting all A's and he's really starting to believe in himself. Of course, he is going to a nerd school, that may have a lot to do with it.

I remember my own highschool years and I will say, the people in college were much more friendly than the ones in highschool.

 

[Agnapostate]

I know from experience that my son was ruthlessly bullied in highschool and throughout his public school years. Now, he's in college and he's made friends and he's getting all A's and he's really starting to believe in himself. Of course, he is going to a nerd school, that may have a lot to do with it.

I remember my own highschool years and I will say, the people in college were much more friendly than the ones in highschool.

Problem is, that's one person right there.

Youth are stereotyped in such a grotesque manner as a whole.

 

[Againsheila]

Problem is, that's one person right there.

Youth are stereotyped in such a grotesque manner as a whole.

Yes, well, in one instance, the kids in his class put harrassing information on him on the school computer system and played it throughout the whole school. The teacher did NOTHING!!!!

My son finally said "now I understand why people with guns shoot up schools".

The police were called. They suspended my son for what he said. The rest of the kids weren't punished at all, in fact they got exactly what they wanted, my son to be harrassed even more.


What's more, my son has asperger's syndrom and they told me that if he didn't, they would have expelled him for what he said. I feel sorry for kids who aren't disabled that have to put up with that kind of crap in school.