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OzzyKP's on the case again: Detention for a MySpace Blog Entry?

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  • #16
    In loco parentis authority of school boards has been upheld to an embarrassing extent in other cases, so there's no guarantee that common sense will prevail.

    This is in a neighboring school district to ours (Libertyville and Vernon Hills High Schools). What was shocking and upsetting was that only ONE parent voiced any opposition at the school board meeting, and the measure was passed in rubber-stamp fashion (shown on the evening news here). The kids are, of course, up in arms over free speech rights. The school board *claims* they won't be trolling the Web for violators, but no one believes that.

    Generally, HS kids are, in fact, perfectly aware of the nature of the Web. They need education in intelligent (safe) surfing/posting, not threats of detention for posting pix and opinions the school board doesn't like. It's hard to imagine that it won't be used like tax laws, as a way to nail known troublemakers when the authorities lack evidence to make a case on the "real" offenses.

    This measure is a bald-faced attempt to censor and censure, not to protect against online predators. But unless it's challenged, it will stand.

    Where is the ACLU?
    Apolyton's Grim Reaper 2008, 2010 & 2011
    RIP lest we forget... SG (2) and LaFayette -- Civ2 Succession Games Brothers-in-Arms

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    • #17
      I think I'll be calling the Illinois ACLU today to see what their take on it is. Also I'll be trying to see if I can find some contacts at the Liberyville High School (ironic name) to start a NYRA chapter.

      But yea, this is total bull****.

      ABC ripped me off though, I went down to the studio on Monday and did a bit of an interview but they never (to my knowledge) used any of the footage in the broadcast. They did of course use one of my quotes in the online article. Oh well

      Unfortunately I think this policy may hold up in court. The courts have been very anti-youth rights in the last 20-30 years. But then again, I don't think the ACLU uses the right approach when arguing youth rights cases. I think they are too timid. But we'll see how it turns out.
      Captain of Team Apolyton - ISDG 2012

      When I was younger I thought curfews were silly, but now as the daughter of a young woman, I appreciate them. - Rah

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      • #18
        Originally posted by Lorizael
        Ignoring the youth rights issue here, I really think what the school district is doing here is very wrong. "Inappropriate" conduct or whatever the wording was is very nebulous and open to abuse. Also, talking about something online does not equate to doing it. Also, talking about something online that you've done in real life doesn't mean you're not lying through your teeth because it's cool to talk about naughty things on myspace.
        Exactly. Furthermore if they see a picture of you online with a beer can how do they know its not empty? Or you are with your parents? Or you are in Italy where its legal? Or its a doctored photo?

        The crux of the issue in my opinion is this. A school's purpose is education and policing what they do outside of school has no bearing whatsoever on their education and thus should be outside of the school's jurisdiction.

        If however the schools want to act like police (as they increasingly are) then they should be required to follow the same procedural safe guards that police do.

        Right now schools exist in a hazy, scary gray area where they assume all the powers of police and none of the responsibilities. They expel students on hearsay and scant evidence, do random searches, etc.

        Just like if an adult had a website up with a picture of them smoking a joint, the police couldn't arrest him on the basis of that alone. Yet a school apparently can punish students for nothing more than that.

        Finally, you just know that the school is going to abuse this power no matter what they say. Just the other day NYRA took in a student complaint from New Jersey where a student simply said the school was a "fascist dictatorship" and got detention for it (ironic, eh?). Another case where a school caught wind of a student's sexual orientation (gay) and informed his parents and classmates about it. There are other cases where students have criticized their administration on personal websites and gotten punished at school for it. "Inappropriate behavior" is very broad and very open to interpretation.

        Its just a very Orwellian policy. Not only are schools controlling your behavior every minute while at school, now they have claimed jurisdiction over 100% of your life in and out of school.
        Captain of Team Apolyton - ISDG 2012

        When I was younger I thought curfews were silly, but now as the daughter of a young woman, I appreciate them. - Rah

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        • #19
          Perhaps I can see disciplining a student who posts threats against other students. That's understandable. However, drinking or smoking or 'sexually suggestive' pictures?! WTF? Since when did the school board become the cops? If they really dislike drinking or smoking pics, tell the cops about it. 'Sexually suggestive' pictures ban are total BS though.
          “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
          - John 13:34-35 (NRSV)

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          • #20
            Ozzy, I hope you kick some serious ass over this.

            my last 2 or 3 years at High School, I had a principle that did alot of the same as stuff you brought up. OOOh I didn't like her. People like her shouldn't be in charge of impressionable minds.
            Resident Filipina Lady Boy Expert.

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            • #21
              My school implemented a somewhat similar policy about a month ago. It only lasted a couple of weeks until restrictions were lessened due to a huge student opposition.

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              • #22
                Originally posted by Ninot
                Ozzy, I hope you kick some serious ass over this.

                my last 2 or 3 years at High School, I had a principle that did alot of the same as stuff you brought up. OOOh I didn't like her. People like her shouldn't be in charge of impressionable minds.
                Thanks
                Captain of Team Apolyton - ISDG 2012

                When I was younger I thought curfews were silly, but now as the daughter of a young woman, I appreciate them. - Rah

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                • #23
                  Now this is something that I like Ozzy doing. Much better then trying to reduce the age of consent.

                  Go Ozzy.
                  Scouse Git (2) La Fayette Adam Smith Solomwi and Loinburger will not be forgotten.
                  "Remember the night we broke the windows in this old house? This is what I wished for..."
                  2015 APOLYTON FANTASY FOOTBALL CHAMPION!

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                  • #24
                    Yep, totally agree. Like Imran, I could see taking issue with posting threats to other students (threats of violence). Other than that, no ****in' way. This is definitely a step too far.

                    -Arrian
                    grog want tank...Grog Want Tank... GROG WANT TANK!

                    The trick isn't to break some eggs to make an omelette, it's convincing the eggs to break themselves in order to aspire to omelettehood.

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                    • #25
                      You could at least have plugged 'poly as a site suitable for all ages while you were there.

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                      • #26
                        @ op
                        In Soviet Russia, Fake borises YOU.

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                        • #27
                          Seems like a sure-fire case against the school board.
                          "The issue is there are still many people out there that use religion as a crutch for bigotry and hate. Like Ben."
                          Ben Kenobi: "That means I'm doing something right. "

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                          • #28
                            Originally posted by notyoueither


                            Don't American states have laws regarding the guardianship of minors?
                            This is the biggest thing. It's the PARENTS/GUARDIANS job to be the nanny, not the state. A school only has the right to disipline a student for stuff in school, school sports, or school sponsered extracurricular activities.

                            This goes into a similar "bad precedent" catagory as that company that doesn't let it's employees smoke at home, an uncalled for intrusion into people's non-working life (and in this case the rights of parents as well).

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                            • #29
                              The school board should be ****ing shot.

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                              • #30
                                Originally posted by Lorizael
                                The thing is, anyone that participates in extracurricular activities for a school signs an agreement saying that they will not do anything that has a negative impact on the school or on the school's team. Supposed to be a good representative, or somesuch thing.
                                Where on Earth did you go to school? I have never heard of anything like that - "anything that has a negative impact."

                                On the other hand, CFHS does have a policy that requires all students who (1) drive to school or (2) are in an extracurricular activity to take a drug test, if their name gets pulled out of the hat*. I had to do it, and while personally I didn't mind, it seemed kind of questionable to me (although lately lots of things seem questionable). If a student refuses to take the test, they pretty much get test results back that say "FAILED" which are mailed to their parents and they're barred from all the extracurricular activities.

                                Besides, I got free Gatorade out of it! They had all the lucky testees go into a room and drink until they could pee. I had already had milk and a bottle of water that morning but hey, when am I going to turn down free Gatorade...a couple bottles later I was finally ready if I had to go. I think the guy from the school district central office caught on to my plan.

                                Somehow they usually pull the people that definitely or at least maybe aren't doing drugs. Sometimes I wonder how that happens "randomly" in a school like mine. As far as I know the one student who ever actually tested positive for a drug got to go on a big trip with his extracurricular group anyway, so, it's not something I would likely ever be worried about. (He did end up serving a suspension for the positive test, after the trip.)

                                But we're one in a million. Most of the time when school districts start "questionable" policies they put teeth in them and kids get burned.

                                *They don't actually pull names out of a real hat, we're not that backward. They send all the names on the list off to some place far away that is supposed to be totally random in their selection, and then they send names, legal paperwork, etc. back here.
                                meet the new boss, same as the old boss

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