Opinions on this matter?

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-19-2003
Opinions on this matter?
5
Sat, 03-24-2007 - 12:06am

I know this isn't exactly light discussion but interested in your thoughts on the following story:

http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_9064.aspx

Students from a high school were suspended for starting a group on facebook that supposedly posted defamatory comments about the school vice-principal. Naturally students are protesting what they deem to be an act of censorship. Administrators claim the act violated their policies on cyber-bullying.

I have mixed feelings on this issue, I admit.

Firstly, people should be able to express their feelings without fear of retribution. I haven't seen the group in question to see if there was anything threatening or offensive in it or if it was merely critical. I can understand wanting to punish threatening remarks. But if it was simply a group of students complaining about some vice-principal being tough on them, if the school left it alone it would have blown over on its own. This way they are further inflaming the issue.

Secondly, if the school is truly concerned about the affects of cyberbullying, why stop at this page? Why not scour all the pages of students from the school for incidents of bullying? Did they do a check to see if groups existed that were "bullying" students in the school? I find it interesting that they take cyberbullying seriously only when a vice-principal is involved. The v-p is an adult who can take care of himself. But students being bullied is a more serious matter.

Thoughts?

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-13-2004
Sat, 03-24-2007 - 12:53am

Interesting and thought provoking question.
I honestly don't know what to make of this issue yet, but am anxious to check this out with my local school officials.
From the article, it seems they overreacted a bit, but like you, I can see valid points from both sides.
My DD has posted a few comments on the following site, both positive and mildly negative, but nothing derogatory. This site has quietly existed for years without controversy:
http://www.ratemyteachers.com

Thanks for the post. I look forward to others comments as well as personally checking this out locally.

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-16-1999
Sat, 03-24-2007 - 8:22am

Was it a wise choice for the kids to have the facebook discussion? Probably not. In the real world, if an employee publicly criticizes or defames his employer, there is always the risk of loosing one's job or some other form of negative attention. Kids are in school partially to learn to function in the real world IMO. So some action on the part of the district is probably not totally out of line. But to expell a student for making comments that are critical of the school's administration is going a little far. I know there was some comments about yes he was expelled vs. no he wasn't - I have to wonder if expulsion wasn't originally discussed by the administration and then when there was a backlash they're trying to backpeddle?

However, to call it bullying? That's going a bit far, I think. In my mind, bullying happens when a person with more perceived strenghth, power or status uses that strength, power or status to intimidate someone with less strength, power, or status. Generally, a school administration holds 99% of those cards when it comes to the students, so it can't be bullying IMO.

As you can see, I have mixed feelings about this one too. There has to be some order and control in order for the school to function, but it can't be a police state either where kids can't express an opinion without fear of suspension or expulsion.

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-25-2006
Mon, 03-26-2007 - 10:06pm

I agree with Rose, that to bully one must have some power, and it is the administrator--NOT the students--who hold that power. (At a PTO meeting, I actually called our asst. VP a bully and was chastised for it by other parents, although there was one there who readily piped in "That's right, she is!") This is the asst VP who, along with the AD, interrogated 8-10 kids trying to get them to admit that they drank alcohol before the game. I learned at that PTO meeting that some parents have instructed their children to keep there mouths shut unless a parent is present. Guess I was naive as I had never told my son not to be open and tell the truth. He knows now.

Here's why I think she's a bully. She told one innocent kid who was questioned, "You were drunk at every football game this year, weren't you?" Told DS, "Don't worry, we won't hold anything against you" and then suspended him for admitting. AFter an hour of questioning another innocent kid during his lunch hour (got no lunch then had soccer practice immed after school), the bully asst princ. called up his mom and questioned HER for a lengthy period after school. When DS and I met with her and AD the day after the suspension, she responded derisively when I expressed my worries that DS was so withdrawn that I thought he may have been considering suicide.
She routinely calls kids into her office, forcing them to miss class time, to get them to tattle on other kids.

Some kids at our school did get in trouble for calling this asst princ 'gay', on myspace--I think they may have just received after-school detention for that. I agree with you, if they go after kids who post negative things about administrators, they should do the same when students are the victims of bullying.

The story at the link you posted is not unusual, I'm afraid. If it had happened at our school, the result would've been the same. In fact, a couple years ago, when students quietly protested some disciplinary action that had been taken, the protesters were suspended from school--guess they were missing classes to protest. With zero tolerance, our children really have NO rights in school. I fear we're creating a generation who will never trust any person who holds any position of authority. There's definitely something wrong.

The 'ratemyteacher' site is interesting. I'll let DS know about it so he and his friends can express their subdued opinions.

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http://www.pnhp.org/news/2009/october/meet_the_new_health_.php

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQTBYQlQ7yM

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-29-2004
Tue, 03-27-2007 - 12:41am

Broadcasting on the internet defamatory and statements is libel. The VP could have brought a lawsuit against the students.

We, in this country, are limited in a "free speech". We can be sued if we broadcast statements that damage a person's reputation. Posting derogatory statements qualifies.

Avatar for kel7col4
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Tue, 03-27-2007 - 1:02pm

I don't think my dd would have any kids in her school if the school officials decided to visit the myspaces of these kids! I'll have to check our school's policy on this subject. I have seen quite of big of derogatory statements towards not only students but teachers and administrators as well. As a matter of fact, dd's ex best friend that has been going down a road of self-destruction was recently expelled from school. *Story is she was on Adderall, which she is not prescribed, and has been doing this for awhile. She apparently took too much and her heart began racing and she was rushed from the school to the hospital in an ambulance. They searched her bookbag and they found pot. But of course, it wasn't hers, she was holding it for someone.* She has been very open on myspace about threatening to kick a certain girls butt upon her return for narking on her. Shoot before this she was very open about taking adderall and drinking at school and everything. In the next 5 minutes, I can probably pull up 20 kids myspaces with SOMETHING that could be threatening, defamatory or just stupid (lol half the varsity cheerleaders have pics of them doing bong hits!!!)

I halfway wish our school would check such things. Our school is kinda known as a rough school and it sure would be nice to clean it up to lose that reputation.