Student Suspended for Calling Teacher a 'Fat A--' on Facebook: Fair?
SodaHead Living
2011/02/04 12:00:00
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Earlier this week, we told you that Facebook is being linked to eating disorders in teenagers. Well, it turns out that teenagers may also be using Facebook to give other people eating disorders.
A California high school student was suspended after updating his Facebook status with a nasty comment about his teacher's weight, Mashable.com reports.
High school sophomore Donny Tobolski reportedly called his biology teacher, Mr. Cimino, a "fat a-- who should stop eating fast food, and is a d-----bag" after Cimino assigned his classes three times more homework than usual in December.
Long before Facebook was invented, this was the kind of thing that kids would say out loud, or pass to each other in a note. But when Sacramento's Mesa Verde High School was notified of the Facebook post, they reportedly suspended Tobolski for one day on charges of "cyberbullying."
Wait a second -- isn't Tobolski aloud to speak (or write) his mind in his private time?
The American Civil Liberties Union had the same concern. They sent a letter to school authorities stating that Tobolski had been within his right to free speech when posting the comments, adding that school should only discipline students for similar offenses if the speech posed a threat to school functions, The San Francisco Chronicle reports.
"Schools have an obligation to provide a safe school environment," wrote ACLU lawyer Linda Lye. But "petty comments, insults, ordinary personality conflicts ... don't rise to the level of harassment."
Score one for free speech -- Mesa Verde officials have reportedly erased the suspension from Tobolski's record. But it's still mean to call people fat a--es and d-bags -- even if they do assign too much homework.
A California high school student was suspended after updating his Facebook status with a nasty comment about his teacher's weight, Mashable.com reports.
High school sophomore Donny Tobolski reportedly called his biology teacher, Mr. Cimino, a "fat a-- who should stop eating fast food, and is a d-----bag" after Cimino assigned his classes three times more homework than usual in December.
Long before Facebook was invented, this was the kind of thing that kids would say out loud, or pass to each other in a note. But when Sacramento's Mesa Verde High School was notified of the Facebook post, they reportedly suspended Tobolski for one day on charges of "cyberbullying."
Wait a second -- isn't Tobolski aloud to speak (or write) his mind in his private time?
The American Civil Liberties Union had the same concern. They sent a letter to school authorities stating that Tobolski had been within his right to free speech when posting the comments, adding that school should only discipline students for similar offenses if the speech posed a threat to school functions, The San Francisco Chronicle reports.
"Schools have an obligation to provide a safe school environment," wrote ACLU lawyer Linda Lye. But "petty comments, insults, ordinary personality conflicts ... don't rise to the level of harassment."
Score one for free speech -- Mesa Verde officials have reportedly erased the suspension from Tobolski's record. But it's still mean to call people fat a--es and d-bags -- even if they do assign too much homework.
Read More: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2011/02/0...
Top Opinion
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TasselLady 2011/02/04 16:34:30Yes
+9Yes, he should be. It's one thing to say it privately to somebody else, but to defame the teacher's character on a public page is almost akin to slander in a newspaper. Sounds like this little punk needs a good kick in the shins or the hindquarters. Many teen have a mouth on them, and this is one example of how nasty kids can be.
Suspended is too weak a punishment. He should fail the class or grade.
"Respect or Repeat!" That's the kind of slogan used in the seatbelt campaign, "Click-it or Ticket! :)
Disagree with me? Get in line! YOU are the source of the problem! CHANGE!
Kids talk about teachers...so what is new? Kids now talk on computers and texting on cell phones instead of passing notes and talking on the rotary phone.
Now again, I stress, if a threat had been leveled, well... I think we all know enough about school tragedy to know that he should be suspended and questioned if that were to occur.
I will however give everyone this advice that I was given when a teacher intercepted a note I had written to a boy. She said, "if you don't want everyone to know about it then Do not write it down." That is better than $300 an hour legal advice.
A teacher is a contracted agent of the government (hereafter referred to as employer.) Even in America, if you want to remaind employeed...The employer calls the shots.
A teacher cannot nor should he do such a thing such as post disparaging remarks about a student on FB.
Case in point...A teacher was recently suspended (and possibly dismissed by now) for calling a student gay on FB. I have a relative who cannot have a FB account in her name and remain at her job.
Again,if a threat was mentioned...this would be a different deal altogether.