How about this? Student expelled over rap he wrote

[angwill]

I wonder if the rap were just about hurting kids that went to the school outside of the school and never mentioned the school or teachers if the school would have gotten involved?

 

[krcit]

My district has a whole seperate school for kids who can't 'hack' it in the regular school. While I think it's great in some cases ie. a child who missed so much school because she was caring for her terminally ill mom, I know a buttload of those kids have been suspended or expelled from the regular high school because of drugs or violence. Now I'm picking up the tab for them

 

[angwill]

My district has a whole seperate school for kids who can't 'hack' it in the regular school. While I think it's great in some cases ie. a child who missed so much school because she was caring for her terminally ill mom, I know a buttload of those kids have been suspended or expelled from the regular high school because of drugs or violence. Now I'm picking up the tab for them

On the other side of the benefit of these special schools. If someone doesn't work with these kids to help them get an education they may just be the same people that someday rob your home or beat up and steal from you or your family to be able to live without a high school education. Then your tax dollars will pay to house them in the jail system.

Some of the kids in these schools have mental differences and need a smaller more involved environment to get things back on track and feel like they are worth getting that education. I feel it is worth my tax dollars to try to help these kids straighten out and live a healthy productive life. You have to admit that most public schools don't really have the time to get involved and help kids who need it.

 

[krcit]

On the other side of the benefit of these special schools. If someone doesn't work with these kids to help them get an education they may just be the same people that someday rob your home or beat up and steal from you or your family to be able to live without a high school education. Then your tax dollars will pay to house them in the jail system.

Some of the kids in these schools have mental differences and need a smaller more involved environment to get things back on track and feel like they are worth getting that education. I feel it is worth my tax dollars to try to help these kids straighten out and live a healthy productive life. You have to admit that most public schools don't really have the time to get involved and help kids who need it.

That's a really good point. You gave me something to think about, thanks. It's easy to forget about those kids when you have typical kids. Thanks again

 

[angwill]

That's a really good point. You gave me something to think about, thanks. It's easy to forget about those kids when you have typical kids. Thanks again

I'm glad it helped.

I will admit I understand what goes on at the special schools because I worked at one as a teachers aide. It was amazing to watch a teen come in angry and hating school and everything/one else. Then to watch them realize they are accepted there for the unique person they are but their bad behaviors are not. It really can turn a child around from being on a bad path thinking so what if I go to jail everyone tells me I am going nowhere anyway, to understanding their education will make or break their future and they are the only ones who can fight for that future. I am positive it keeps a lot of kids from ending up being thugs and going to jail. I feel they are just too young to give up on and deserve a chance to change.

 

[Pigeon]

In general, I think schools are in a tough place over this kind of thing.

I don't think they should be able to expel a child from a public school over a song he wrote and posted outside of school. The school isn't the thought police or the musical expression police. If the kid is threatening people in school, it's a different story.

I do think it would be prudent for the school to talk to the parents about this, but expelling the child seems unreasonable to me.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

How is this different than a student getting in trouble for making a hit list, or cyber bullying? He threated other students and teachers, therefore he gets suspended. Doesn't matter if the threat was on a note found in his bookbag at school, found lying out in the street, found in his room, or found online.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

I wonder if the rap were just about hurting kids that went to the school outside of the school and never mentioned the school or teachers if the school would have gotten involved?

If a student threatens other students in a school district, regardless of WHERE, the district will likely step in.

 

[Holly]

How is this different than a student getting in trouble for making a hit list, or cyber bullying? He threated other students and teachers, therefore he gets suspended. Doesn't matter if the threat was on a note found in his bookbag at school, found lying out in the street, found in his room, or found online.

I think the punishment was appropriate. There should be no tolerance for threatening behavior, and that includes written threats.

 

[OceanAnnie]

Because targeting school faculty, threatening to shoot students, and threatening to burn down the school, is bad whether in school or out of school. If you get busted for it, then you are busted.

He is lucky he is not sitting in jail.

I agree.

 

[hentob]

If only Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold would have been suspended for their "out of school writings"

 

[LisaR]

In 10th grade, I wrote a poem about my history teacher. He hated me and the feeling was mutual. My brothers and sister had him before and the second he saw my last name, he immediately started treating me like crap because of their behavior years ago.

I write this poem and show it to a few close friends. Within a day, I think everyone in the school had read it.

I did NOT threaten to kill him nor did I mention anything at all about death. I did use some very inappropriate language and I called him things like idiot and stupid and there were more swear words than you can imagine. I made fun of his clothing choices (always wore bright yellow or green pants), talked about how he continually picked his nose, and I brought to light the fact that he was having an affair. None of it was inaccurate but it was very cruel.

The next day in class, he grabbed the poem from someone and started reading it aloud to embarrass me. Of course, two sentences into it and he realized that he was the one that would be embarrassed.

I was sent to the office and I was lectured about having respect for my teachers and I was made to apologize to the teacher I offended. My parents were never called and I was not suspended or given detention.

I realize this case is different. I did not threaten anyone but I was certainly behaving like a bully. I am certain that if I was in school today and wrote that same poem, the consequences would have been much more severe. Times sure have changed.

 

[LuLuO]

I agree with the school's decision. They have a responsibility to keep students and faculty safe, even if the threat occurred outside of the walls of the school. If this kid actually acted upon anything he rapped about, and the school had done nothing, the community would be screaming "Why didn't the school do something?" and blaming the school officials for not acting.

 

[hentob]

I am certain that if I was in school today and wrote that same poem, the consequences would have been much more severe. Times sure have changed.

I don't know. As long as you didn't write about killing him or running him over, you might have a case.

It's when bodily harm is mentioned that it becomes an issue.

 

[SadieDog]

I had not heard about this. I think I will look into it now.

 

[NHdisneylover]

In 10th grade, I wrote a poem about my history teacher. He hated me and the feeling was mutual. My brothers and sister had him before and the second he saw my last name, he immediately started treating me like crap because of their behavior years ago.

I write this poem and show it to a few close friends. Within a day, I think everyone in the school had read it.

I did NOT threaten to kill him nor did I mention anything at all about death. I did use some very inappropriate language and I called him things like idiot and stupid and there were more swear words than you can imagine. I made fun of his clothing choices (always wore bright yellow or green pants), talked about how he continually picked his nose, and I brought to light the fact that he was having an affair. None of it was inaccurate but it was very cruel.

The next day in class, he grabbed the poem from someone and started reading it aloud to embarrass me. Of course, two sentences into it and he realized that he was the one that would be embarrassed.

I was sent to the office and I was lectured about having respect for my teachers and I was made to apologize to the teacher I offended. My parents were never called and I was not suspended or given detention.

I realize this case is different. I did not threaten anyone but I was certainly behaving like a bully. I am certain that if I was in school today and wrote that same poem, the consequences would have been much more severe. Times sure have changed.

Well, that one became the school's business because it was ON school property (you said the teacher took it away from someone IN class--I realize you may not be the one who brought on school property though).
Depending on your discipline history--assuming there were NO threats in the note (not just no death threats) I would say the school handled that one about right--for his day and age as well.

Expressing your opinion that you do not like someone and even making fun of that person, even doing so with vulgar language is not even close to the same thing as actually writing about intending to do that person harm.

 

[shortbun]

But this isn't reaching into our homes. He posted something on the internet. That's as public and widespread as one can get.

I think so too. So, how come everyone is ready to hang this child but no one thinks Facebook is bad? Facebook put personal stuff into public space. It's totally boundaryless and unhealthy.

 

[NHdisneylover]

I think so too. So, how come everyone is ready to hang this child but no one thinks Facebook is bad? Facebook put personal stuff into public space. It's totally boundaryless and unhealthy.

I will not blame the technology for the actions of the boy. If he had printed this up on poster board and tacked it all over town I would not blame paper Facebook is a way to communicate. Many people use i wisely and communicate decently, some idiots do not.

 

[cm8]

So- a student from Hermon High School here in Maine wrote a rap about the faculty at his school. It's disgusting really- full of nasty words and hateful language. He posted it on myspace or FB something like that and he was expelled for it. My question is this- he didn't sing it at school, so how can they suspend him for something he didnt' do within their walls or at a school function? There's an article on line at Bangordailynews.com if anyone wants to read it.

They are trying to prevent what may or may not happen from the words of the song. Too many times thing were written and follow up on by individuals who may or may not have acted on what they wrote. Better to be safe than sorry

 

[rie'smom]

There was an incident like this at a private high school in our town and a few students were suspended during finals. Most of them had a chance to get full scholarships to Ivy League colleges but of course with "F"s on their finals, that didn't happen. It caused an uproar though when it was discovered that the president's son just happened to leave the FB group the day before all the crap hit the fan.