There is another controversy raising the increasing assertion of authority of school officials over pictures and statements made by students outside of school. In Massachusetts, Jamie Pereira was suspended from school after a photo of her and her boyfriend, Tito Velez, both 16, holding Airsoft rifles was posted on Facebook. A caption beneath the photograph read: “Homecoming 2014.” The picture looks like a new American Gothic for some and a threat to others. However, the controversy again raises the limits and discretion of school officials in monitoring speech outside of school for students and teachers alike. There was good reason to be concerned but the punishment was due to the disruption caused rather than an actual threat from the picture.
The admitted mistake of the teenage couple was to put “Homecoming” at the bottom of the picture. School officials were legitimately concerned but this was not a preventative step but a disciplinary action. There is no suggestion of an actual threat intended by the picture. I fail to see why such problems cannot be addressed with a reprimand and calling in the parents. Both students have been suspended for an unknown length of time.
Superintendent Richard Gross insists that punishment is appropriate and will reflect the disruption caused when the picture was circulated by other students. Notably, the picture was posted hours after a Washington state teen shot five fellow students inside his high school before taking his own life. However, Gross insisted that “This is about the tumult created by their online activity.”
The teens were apparently just trying to come up with something different for their pre-dance photos. The photo was later removed.
Velez, who could not be reached for comment early Wednesday, reportedly said he and his girlfriend simply wanted to “do something unique and different” instead of taking typical pre-dance photographs.
I have previously written about the increasing monitoring and discipline of teachers for conduct in their private lives. We have seen teachers face discipline over social media pictures holding a weapon. Even a picture of a teacher holding a glass of a drink is enough to trigger discipline.
Once again, there is clearly a need for officials to act upon any threat. However, there remains a dangerous ambiguity over the scope and use of such authority. Given the ludicrous application of “zero tolerance” rules, officials commonly impose extreme punishments rather than exercise judgment (and expose themselves to the risk of criticism) over the handling of such controversies.
We have seen a steady erosion of the free speech rights of students in the last decade. The Supreme Court accelerated that trend in its Morse decision. Former JDHS Principal Deb Morse suspended Frederick in 2002 during the Olympic Torch Relay for holding up a 14-foot banner across from the high school that read “Bong Hits 4 Jesus.” The case ultimately led to the Supreme Court which ruled in Morse v. Frederick ruling in 2007 for the Board — a decision that I strongly disagreed with and one that has encouraged over-reaching by school officials into protected areas.
For a copy of the Morse decision, click here.
Civil libertarians hoped that Obama would appoint someone with a strong commitment to free speech and student rights. I was very concerned over the appointment of Sonia Sotomayor because of her role in the Donniger case where she ruled against high school student Avery Doninger who contested her punishment for posting an objectionable message on an Internet site about Lewis Mills High School. When she objected to the cancellation of a school event in vulgar terms, school officials barred her from running for Senior Class secretary. In Doninger v. Niehoff, the Second Circuit upheld the right of school officials to punish students for out-of–school speech in a major blow to both the first amendment and student rights.
This case has obviously different and more compelling facts for actions. However, this remains a picture taken outside of school with two airsoft guns. It would seem an appropriate cause for a telephone call and not some open-ended suspension in my opinion.
Source: Taunton Gazette
Elaine, you nailed it! Coulter’s caterwauling sets my teeth on edge.
Nick:
Mandatory sentencing laws were not a “liberal” proposal. The first laws had overwhelming bipartisan support and were directed at the “menace” of marijuana amid the then common, and erroneous, belief that it was a “gateway” drug. Increasingly harsh drug sentencing laws followed in due course and, as we know, accomplished nothing of societal value.
Annie:
Must be the US Army shirt, I bet.
DBQ, As we WELL know, one can stay away from insane asylums and still have to deal w/ crazies. LOL!! But, some embrace crazies. Maybe it’s pity? Maybe it is because they are also crazy, or maybe it is because it makes them feel more sane? Whatever the motivation, I just marvel @ it, as I’m sure you do as well.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/08/21/article-2398952-1B61CC67000005DC-507_306x378.jpg
I’m betting there are people who find this teen to be threatening while they think the homecoming couple are cute.
Annie what do you mean by that statement regarding the vine picture of the kid holding the sighted assault rifle?
A Terse Verse about Ann Coulter:
Ann Coulter?
Somebody bolt ‘er
mouth shut…
or stitch it up with catgut…
or gag her with a soiled sock.
I can’t bear to hear her squawk!
Reblogged this on The Grey Enigma.
@Max-1
Ah yes, the panic over ebola. Ann Coulter has a great new post about that!
Here is the link to the rest of the article:
http://www.anncoulter.com/columns/2014-10-29.html
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
Yet hysterics call for shunning Wayne LaPierre who’s has never eaten a dog
and Barack Obama smiles that you can still eat dogs as he fondly remembers doing as a young man in Indonesia.
Annie:
Here’s an enlightening video on the psychology of dogs:
Breitbart is no doubt more to your taste, DBQ.
In my research on dogs, I found that engaging a naughty one is what they actually want. So it’s punishment or behavior modification (whatever you prefer) to ignore them until they come around or go away. Either way it’s good. Classic win-win.
Thank you mespo for answering my question.
More Americans die from gun related deaths daily, than have died from Ebola…
… Yet hysterics call for a quarantine of a nurse who’s NOT infected and Wayne LaPierre smiles that you can still eat dogs.
http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2014/10/27/3584626/it-is-still-legal-to-breed-dogs-for-human-consumption-in-pennsylvania-thanks-to-the-nra/
DBQ:
Diaries are individual blog posts by Daily Kos users.
Mespo, I actually like dogs too, but they need a strong hand and need to know who is Alpha. I’ll try to ignore the poor cur slinking about looking for a bone.
If there are paid trolls here they are getting paid way too much even if they are paid a nickel a day. Just sayn’
Read Daily Kos, it’ll be self explanatory.
I’d rather not. I try to stay out of the insane asylums. Thanks.
Read Daily Kos, it’ll be self explanatory.
Annie:
They do and they find the most peculiar things interesting like shiny bugs. I like them though because they are very loyal and they really are trying to help you in most circumstances, even if they are naughty. It’s just their nature. Maybe it wasn’t such a good analogy after all but the point is that I don’t let the guests at the party ruin my time or my conversations with interesting people like you.