Girl suspended for facebook post where she wishes Osama killed her teacher instead...

[Lisa loves Pooh]

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/living/2011/05/20/drew.facebook.suspension.hln?hpt=C2

This is just a video—so I will summarize:

Child makes a facebook statement where she wishes Osama Bin Laden killed her teacher instead of 3000 people in the twin towers. She was consequently suspended when the Principal found out.

Within the interview, we find out that her facebook account was completely locked down and she doesn’t text or call people at school. She admits it was wrong, but is of course extremely upset that this has all happened.

The Cyber Educator expert (or whatever she was called) says the school was within their grounds.

The guest attorney who is a prosecutor suggests that this was a bit overkill. She describes the internet as the wild west and that one day there will be much more regulation regarding how we conduct ourselves. She feels in this case, the school overstepped their bounds. She speaks of incidences where a child is cyberbullied and schools won’t do anything.

Just wondering everyone’s thoughts. I kinda feel bad for the girl. From a threat perspective, she was saying she wished something 10 years ago had a different outcome. She broke down crying towards the end and the prosecutor felt for her.

I felt for her as well. Just not sure what my opinion is.

 

[FredinFL]

"If wishes were fishes, we'd all walk on water". If they aren't going to do anything about cyberbullying, they have no right to do anything about this. She didn't say she was going to kill her teacher, she said she wished she'd died instead. There is no threat there. Therefore, they should have no grounding for any type of prosecution or punishment.

 

[dodukes]

if her account was completely locked down, who say it and reported it?

 

[wdwiala]

The school was within its bounds. I know of college adult students who have been kicked out for this reason. It's a good lesson on how to guard your mouth (and perhaps take a strong look at what's in your heart).

 

[phorsenuf]

This story is from where I use to live and where all my kids went to school. I asked around to find out what teacher she was talking about because as soon as I read about it me and my son looked at each other and wondered if she was writing about Mr. XXXXX. He was a bit of a jerk and kids complained about him all the time. In fact that was the only time I requested one of my children be reassigned to another teacher the following year.

As for the whole situation....I'm kinda in the camp that it's just a stupid thing a kid said and it was handled wrong. Which is kinda hard for me to say since I know the principal and he really is a nice guy. I think it was a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation for him.

 

[luvmy3]

She didn't threaten the teacher, I don't think she should have been suspended over this.

 

[pixiedust9]

What I don't understand is why the students that cyberbully other students aren't punished as well? What message is this sending the students? If her account was on lock down, who got into it? Yes I think the parents should talk to her about whatever it is that is bothering her about this person, but to suspend her? And the real bullies get away with it???

 

[FredinFL]

The school was within its bounds. I know of college adult students who have been kicked out for this reason. It's a good lesson on how to guard your mouth (and perhaps take a strong look at what's in your heart).

How is it within their bounds? There was no threat made. There was no threat insinuated. Yes, dumb thing to write, but it's her opinion. Where do you draw the line?

PS: I think she needs to thin out that friends list.

 

[lizabu]

This is the modern day version of when kids would sing songs like "joy to the world the school burned down and all the teachers died" (to the tune of joy to the world) or "row row row your boat gently down the stream throw the teachers overboard and listen to them scream"(to the tune of row row row your boat). Kids have hated (certain) teachers since the beginning of time. The school did step over the line. She wasn't threatening the teacher. She wasn't saying anything nice but since when do we punish everyone who says something not nice?

 

[lovesmurfs]

This is the modern day version of when kids would sing songs like "joy to the world the school burned down and all the teachers died" (to the tune of joy to the world) or "row row row your boat gently down the stream throw the teachers overboard and listen to them scream"(to the tune of row row row your boat). Kids have hated (certain) teachers since the beginning of time. The school did step over the line. She wasn't threatening the teacher. She wasn't saying anything nice but since when do we punish everyone who says something not nice?

And don't forget my favorite when I was young (to the Battle Hymn of the Republic": http://bussongs.com/songs/my_eyes_have_seen_the_glory_of_the_burning_of_the_school.php

 

[Hillbeans]

I don't have an issue with the school suspending her.

I have worked in corporate offices where people were fired over stuff less serious than this. Not saying it's right, just a good lesson to learn early in life about what you say on the internet or in an e-mail may have serious consequences down the line.

 

[FredinFL]

People in your office have been fired for something less serious than a teenager writing that she wished a certain cretin of a school teacher dead? You work for Barney the Dinosaur or something?

 

[rchristiansen]

I think the reason this made such news it it's a case of the mom overreacting to her not-so-innocent daughter's punishment. The mom kept saying how she was a good kid and doesn't deserve it. Well, when good kids misbehave, they should be disciplined. She didn't get expelled, she got suspended.

It's a good thing she got suspended. Kids get suspended for a lot less. She learned her lesson and isn't going to act this stupid in the future. That is what discipline is for - to teach a lesson not to do stupid/bad things in the future.

If it was my kid, I would be livid. Not at the punishment but at my kid, and probably would lock up her computer for a long time.

 

[laurie31]

It's now a crime to WISH someone were dead?

Gees, I wished unfortunate things upon the idiot in front of me on the freeway just today. I'm not a bad person, nor would I ever ACTUALLY harm anyone (even the idiot! ) but yes, I have WISHED things. Silly things like I wish they would disappear, or something. I didn't truly wish they would DIE, I just wanted them to be someplace else.

I'm sure this girl figured since she was wishing for someone who is now really dead to have killed someone else 10 years ago, that no one would take that as an actual threat.

Is she allowed to say "Mr. So-and-so is a big fat jerk" or is that libel now?

And yes, I sang, "Mine Eyes Have Seen The Glory of the Burning of the School" when I was a kid, and my own father was a teacher!! I never actually had a teacher I didn't like, it was just for fun!

 

[morethananyonex]

Good lesson to learn, I guess. However, this was clearly not a threat at all, and I'm willing to bet good money much worse and more threatening things are said between students and nothing is done.

 

[Eeyore'sthebest]

For those asking how the school found out, apparently one of the moms on her facebook friend list reported the post to the school. They felt it was pretty inflammatory. I haven't seen the post though so I don't know.

The girl was only suspended for a few days but apparently she is traumatized and won't go back to school now. I guess she is embarassed to have to sit in the classroom with the teacher she wished dead. Some lessons are harder to learn than others. Oh well.

 

[Tiger926]

She would not have been suspended around here either. What kids do off-school property is very difficult for us to deal with, especially with Facebook. I've already been through this on these boards before - unless students bring their issues to a school sponsored event, or, bring their issues (guns, drugs or threaten on school property) to school, there is not much we can do with off-school issues. Wish it were different, but it's not.

We do not have Facebook monitoring at our school board, as we have no money for that. Facebook is locked on all school board computers, by both staff and students as well, so I'm pretty certain that this girl would not have been suspended at all.

Our lawyers are pretty strict around here with teaching us that we need to hear or witness direct threats, and not wishes, but teacher safety protocols would kick in if the teacher felt threatened or unsafe to be in class with that student. That would be another area altogether.

It is a good lesson for the girl, as both adults and teens don't seem to understand that people actually read Facebook, so what you post, may in fact get read by another human being.

Wonder if the mom is going to fight the suspension with a lawyer?

Tiger

 

[PollyannaMom]

She wrote that she wished a specific person dead, just as if we "in the olden days" had written the same note to a friend on paper and it fell into the wrong hands. In my school, that would have meant the same serious trouble.

 

[luvmy3]

She wrote that she wished a specific person dead, just as if we "in the olden days" had written the same note to a friend on paper and it fell into the wrong hands. In my school, that would have meant the same serious trouble.

What if the note was mailed to a friend, or written at home and given to the friend at their home?

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

if her account was completely locked down, who say it and reported it?

Someone who had some kind of allowed access saw it and reported it. Who, I do not know.

What I don't understand is why the students that cyberbully other students aren't punished as well? What message is this sending the students? If her account was on lock down, who got into it? Yes I think the parents should talk to her about whatever it is that is bothering her about this person, but to suspend her? And the real bullies get away with it???

The prosecuter was speaking about a different case. I'm not positive it was in the same school. Yes--if it is the same school, then they need to get on the ball with it.

How is it within their bounds? There was no threat made. There was no threat insinuated. Yes, dumb thing to write, but it's her opinion. Where do you draw the line?

PS: I think she needs to thin out that friends list.

Her friends list is thinned out. But not of her choosing. In the video, she was crushed that she lost 3 of her best friends because of this. I would guess that this was far more than a "wish" against a teacher--but the type of wish she made. I am not those parents--so don't know what they were thinking.

I think the reason this made such news it it's a case of the mom overreacting to her not-so-innocent daughter's punishment. The mom kept saying how she was a good kid and doesn't deserve it. Well, when good kids misbehave, they should be disciplined. She didn't get expelled, she got suspended.

Perhaps--it does seem she is irritated with the school and since the discipline stayed, she complained to the media.

It's now a crime to WISH someone were dead?

Gees, I wished unfortunate things upon the idiot in front of me on the freeway just today. I'm not a bad person, nor would I ever ACTUALLY harm anyone (even the idiot! ) but yes, I have WISHED things. Silly things like I wish they would disappear, or something. I didn't truly wish they would DIE, I just wanted them to be someplace else.

I'm sure this girl figured since she was wishing for someone who is now really dead to have killed someone else 10 years ago, that no one would take that as an actual threat.

Is she allowed to say "Mr. So-and-so is a big fat jerk" or is that libel now?

And yes, I sang, "Mine Eyes Have Seen The Glory of the Burning of the School" when I was a kid, and my own father was a teacher!! I never actually had a teacher I didn't like, it was just for fun!

She was suspended, not tried and convicted of a crime .
I remember some songs as a kid that we sang and it was never an issue--something about "Glory Hallelujah, Teacher hit me with a ruler". I don't recall anything that wished ill will on teachers though. Mostly about how they abused the students. And most of my teachers were great!

For those asking how the school found out, apparently one of the moms on her facebook friend list reported the post to the school. They felt it was pretty inflammatory. I haven't seen the post though so I don't know.

The girl was only suspended for a few days but apparently she is traumatized and won't go back to school now. I guess she is embarassed to have to sit in the classroom with the teacher she wished dead. Some lessons are harder to learn than others. Oh well.

She did finally go back to school. The teacher was brought in for her to apologize. I don't know why she had the day off because a substitute was assigned to the class that day. The girl was grateful that she didn't have to sit in math class with the teacher. (seemed an odd statement to me)

She wrote that she wished a specific person dead, just as if we "in the olden days" had written the same note to a friend on paper and it fell into the wrong hands. In my school, that would have meant the same serious trouble.

I don't recall what we did as kids--but making threats or "wishes" of that nature in notes would not have happened.



Still on the fence with this girl. But since social media can cause such a frenzy, it is a lesson in decorum and that how we conduct ourselves on-line is not anywhere close to the same as how we might "joke around" in a small group setting.