[PCWorld]

Post your comments for Student Punished for Facebook Comments here

[CaniblCat]

Welcome to the Fascist States of America

[sickpup]

One step closer to China. Thanks Facebook and thanks to business/school who feel like they can censor our freedom of speech. Unless it has to do with brining harm to the school of others Facebook is a place to promote freedom of speech.

[ReasTech]

I think they should have went to the child's parent and handle it together

[TheOldTopkick]

I have never had a high opinion of the ACLU but this has struck a new low.

[michael1213]

On the face of it the school made the wrong decision. On the face of it your over reacting far more than the school did by calling for someone to be fired over this before you really know what happened.

I hope you get fired over that comment. Obviously tough-in-cheek but hopefully you get the point.

[JohnSullivane922]

The only time Facebooking (or other social networking) should become a school issue is if it is done at school or with a school device or the posting is committing libel/threatening the school or staff. Otherwise, it is none of the school's business.

[Batotahell]

Is this how the school teaches free speech? Saying that a teacher is "mean" or that you don't like them is not grounds for punishment. Especially if done - as the story says - on a computer outside of the school. Making threats against a teacher is one thing, but merely saying one is disliked is free speech. As for the coercion of the password and sign-in info, according to the story it was because they suspected R.S. of having conversations about sex with another student off-campus. This is definitely beyond their authority. Are they going to start confiscating phone records next? People need to lose their jobs over this. It will start with doing this to the children and then move onto the parents unless someone is slapped down hard. In this one case the ACLU is on the side of the angels.

[BadBob]

TheOldTopkick, on 18 March 2012 - 10:57 AM, said:

I have never had a high opinion of the ACLU but this has struck a new low.

I'm sorry, but did you read the article??

[JeffAHayes]

SIMPLY OUTRAGEOUS (yet sadly not very surprising, at all, in today's atmosphere where many schools seem to think they OWN their students and their thoughts).

I'm not sure exactly WHAT and WHERE the rules are, these days, as far as students and schools go. But I DO know when I was in elementary/middle school (back in the dark ages? -- late 60s/early 70s), if you didn't like a teacher, hall monitor, or whoever, and you talked about it with friends -- especially OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL, you didn't get in trouble for it -- unless, perhaps, you spray-painted bad things about that teacher on public property, or something.

Last I heard a person's private Facebook page (regardless of rules about the MINIMUM AGE of a Facebook account) WAS NOT public property. Just because schools and/or their teachers, hall monitors, etc., don't LIKE things students say about them on Facebook DOES NOT mean they have the unmitigated RIGHT to force students to cease and desist -- and MOST CERTAINLY not to force them to give up their internet passwords to SCHOOL PRINCIPALS, under duress -- WITHOUT even notifying the parent(s) and having at least one of them present at the time.

I can't BELIEVE THIS! If the ACLU EVER had a good case, this is it!

Even HOMELAND SECURITY doesn't have this level of "authority."

I think the two comments about "The Fascist States of America" and "Welcome to China" sum it up best if this type of "official" behavior is allowed to continue and perpetuate!
Jeff Hayes

[DEHos]

Many Americans do not agree with the two principles that are the foundation of the U.S. Constitution and declared in the Declaration of Independence. Many govenment officials have falsely sworn an oath to defend it but are in the process of dismantling it. Principle #1: ALL humans are created equal in value. Principle #2: All humans are endowed by their Creator with equal human rights such as the right to life, liberty and the right to choose one's path to finding happiness. These fascist Big Brother controllers think they are not equal but superior and have been endowed with superior rights to be your and your children's keeper. This is touted as being for your own good but it is really for their own good.

[bigbear639]

There are SeveralUniversities in the Philadelphia Area who have demanded the Password from Student athletes or be barred from Sorts. Also if a Deputy was present when she was forced to give up her password it not only Violated the 5th ammendment against self inrimination, failure to read her her rights under the miranda ruling and not allowing her attorney to be present. The School. County City and State all should be sued. This is a perfect case for the ACLU or a Civil rights Attorney. Let them take away one right and soon all of the others will follow.

[AZBorderDude]

The issue is about the Fourth Amendment right granted to all persons to be free from search of their persons, papers and homes by government officials. The dicipline for this should be heaped upon the school administrator and the local Deputy Sheriff that was at the meeting with the child. The Amenedment does not place a minimum age upon illegal searches. Thus the middle school age child's Constutional Rights were violated. Every Police Officer learns that in the early days at the police academy. Schools have gotten so far ingrained into the idea they are loco-perentis authority (authority like a parent) they forget the bounds they are under. One post said it well. This did not happen on school property or when using school property; therefore, the school had no authority to even discipline the child when she refused to obey an unlawful command by the administrator. Since the Deptuy was involved then it lends the appearance of a criminalo investigation and she should have been advised of the children version of the Miranda Warning. That version requires the child must clearly state they do understand each phrase of the adult version before going on to the next phrase. That is usually given to children under seventeen. As for termination of employment, let's leave that up to the district administration or the Sheriff to handle. The court may suggest that as well. But, it is not ours to demand. I am sure the court will eventually find suitible punishment to those who did offend. Their pocketbooks would be the best place to start.

[Tinman1957]

First of all, a school cannot legally make policies on any internet related activities when NOT on school property. Neither can they force or coerce any passwords/logins from a student, EVEN WITH A WARRANT, unless it's on a school owned computer.

We live in a Nanny Police State now, thanks to our idiot politicians and the idiots that don't vote (and even some that do). And as long as the sheeple let it slide, it will only get worse.
And yes, "Big Brother IS Watching you."

[JTF243]

This is another example of the dictatorial control that bureaucrats and other "government officials" exceed their authority. The problem is that, all too often they get away with it and, as long as they do, they will continue, to the detriment of our rights (not just privacy)! >

The question is: when will the American people get fed up with the invasion of privacy, the virtual strip searches, the lack of consequences for the violators?
When?

When?

Maybe when the "hot place" gets cold? Maybe not even then.

[JTF243]

JeffAHayes, on 18 March 2012 - 12:53 PM, said:

Even HOMELAND SECURITY doesn't have this level of "authority."
Jeff Hayes

Unfortunately Mr. Hayes, I'm afraid you are wrong in that facet.

If employers are forcing people to surrender their login info as a part of their job interview, you can count on the various "authorities" to figure out ways in to the accounts. And probably without benefit of any kind of warrant. After all, they are the "800 pound gorilla in the room"!

Look at the TSA and the way they have been throwing their weight around for 10 years! Is H.S. any less intrusive? Not bloody likely!

This post has been edited by JTF243: 18 March 2012 - 06:09 PM

[JTF243]

double post - "computer glitch"

This post has been edited by JTF243: 18 March 2012 - 06:07 PM

[QUADICON]

Whther she should have had a Facebook account isn't the issue. As a United States citizen, she as a right to express her feelings, as long as they are in a non-threatening way.

Saying she didn't liek a staff person at her school is her right, even if she expressed it publicly. It would be no different if she expressed it in the school. I told my teachers to their face plenty of times how I didn't like them, even cursing one out. She had no right to put her hands on me as I was not her child and I refused to apologize for it. I wasn't the one wrong. I was wrongfully suspended and thus my parents went to the Board.

What the did wrong was talk her into giving information that was private and they did so without a warrant. They didn't call the parents either. They broke the law. No matter what she did, it wasn't nearly as bad as what they did.

The lawsuit is right and someone shoudl get fired. Fire the Priciple, the staff member in question and whatever law enforcment that was there too.

[QUADICON]

michael1213, on 18 March 2012 - 10:59 AM, said:

On the face of it the school made the wrong decision. On the face of it your over reacting far more than the school did by calling for someone to be fired over this before you really know what happened.

I hope you get fired over that comment. Obviously tough-in-cheek but hopefully you get the point.

Read more, speak less. You obviously didn't read the article and you are 100% wrog, even if it si your opinion.

[TheOldTopkick]

BadBob, on 18 March 2012 - 12:51 PM, said:

TheOldTopkick, on 18 March 2012 - 10:57 AM, said:

I have never had a high opinion of the ACLU but this has struck a new low.

I'm sorry, but did you read the article??

I read the article. Something that stupid should never been allowed into our court systems. Since I have heard nothing about any settlement or the court throwing it out, I can finally say something good about the ACLU.