Quick Poll: Do You Think Schools Should be Able to Discipline Students for Hurtful Facebook Pages?

Article posted by Justin W. Patchin in February 25, 2010 at 11:24 am.
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We’ve had quite a bit of feedback regarding our recent post that discussed whether or not schools can discipline students for creating a Facebook page that is critical of, or harassing toward, a staff member.  The courts have given their perspective on a few different cases, but I thought I would post this simple poll for readers to weigh in themselves regarding their personal beliefs about what should or should not be allowed. Feel free to add the justification for your answer as a comment.

(if you don’t see a poll below, please try again later…we have been having trouble with the polling software)



Related posts:

  1. Can Schools Discipline Students for Creating a Mean Facebook Page About a Teacher?
  2. Is it Ok for Educators to Connect with Students on Facebook?
  3. Student-Teacher Interaction Online – Another Perspective
  4. Cell Phones in the Classroom
  5. Public schools, Facebook, and the FCC
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(13) comments
  • Faith Paton

    If a person is stating their opinion and plainly states "in my opinion",or "I think" then no, discipline is not in order. Everyone should be free to state their opinion;even teenagers, even if its negative. This is what makes America such a great country to live in- freedom of speech,guaranteed by the Constitution. If one crosses the line to defamation,rumor- mongering,or otherwise posts things that will make running the school or doing the persons job impossible, then yes, punishment is in order as all children have the right to be in a school environment where learning is not impeded by anyone for any reason.This is my opinion.

  • Faith Paton

    I can't answer the poll "yes" or "no", because "it depends" on what was posted;the words used and the idea behind the posting-were they trying to start trouble or cause a problem in the teaching ability of the teacher or just venting? Ratemyprofessor.com has some pretty bad comments about university teachers. I have found, more often than not,the comments are dead on about a professors ability to teach.I used the website to choose most of my professors. It helps students weed out "bad" teachers and try to avoid them. We all know of teachers who shouldn't be teachers-even in the University system. If postings are just a way to say "avoid this teacher if you can-they are horrible", then students have a right to post those thoughts. Public school teachers are too quickly given "tenure" which makes it almost impossible to get rid of bad teachers. This practice needs to be either abolished or seriously updated. Part of the problem lies not only with the students but with the system.

  • http://www.myspace.com/HELPPASSINTERNETLAWS JOYCE ELAINE REAVES

    This is a very hard one. I think the parents should be shown whatever the child posted but if they wrote it from their home how is it the school should have any say?

    What children do at home should be punished by the parents or the law. I think they should NEVER be allowed to go onto social sites at school so therefore it is not the school that should do anything.

    If the child wrote horrible stuff about anybody not just a teacher the law or dhr should take care of it.

  • Becky

    This is tough. If we want to get technical, freedom of speech is limited to that said about the government. That means when you're saying something hurtful about another person, it does not fall under freedom of speech. Secondly, anyone under 18 really has no rights protected under the Constitution. Third of all, we have to protect the victims of cyberbullying, teachers and students alike. Cyberbullying is worse than traditional bullying because it becomes a public forum and quickly turns to the gang mentality. I think we need to be VERY CAREFUL when dealing with cyberbullying that we don't extend rights to kids that they absolutely should not have!!!

  • Faith Paton

    It is absolutely incorrect that anyone under 18 has no rights under the Constitution of the United States. The United States Supreme Court has ruled many times on minors rights and they are protected under the Constitution. Also, freedom of speech is not limited to saying things about the government. This is why profanity, opinions,and obscene speech are all protected under the Constitution. Kids should and do have rights and it is up to us, the adults meant to protect the children, to see their rights are recognized and upheld.

  • ATJ

    Its not the schools job if it doesn't happen in school the parent should be the punisher on this one

  • riotgrrrl

    This one just caught up with me. Someone made an incredibly generalized statement on a facebook autism awareness page, under my account. Apparently my school found out and some things about harrassment have been said. (A) How is that cyber bullying? Nothing about a specific group or person was said, just a generalized statement about making fun of them. (B) Why am I being held responsible in school when nothing involved had to do with someone at school? It's ridiculous and needs to stop.

  • Chadrick

    I don't see how teachers can punish us (students)for doing something that is out of their jurisdiction. if it was something they did on the computers at school i can see how that would connect. But for them to punish someone for doing that from there home is like a New York cop going to Russia and arresting one of their citizens for cursing. (thats exaggerated i know. but a relate-able simile)

  • Hank

    Personally As a student, I feel this is the schools way of making us be quiet like they do in school. They think they can control us, honestly, they can't if I am at home and I want to say Mr. So&So, is a prick, I CAN, why can't I i am at HOME doing it on MY Computer on MY TIME. So I say bring it on because when my school dares say someting to me its the last thing they wish they would say. So I say NO we shouldn't be punished.

  • Hank

    Personally As a student, I feel this is the schools way of making us be quiet like they do in school. They think they can control us, honestly, they can't if I am at home and I want to say Mr. So&So, is a prick, I CAN, why can't I i am at HOME doing it on MY Computer on MY TIME. So I say bring it on because when my school dares say someting to me its the last thing they wish they would say. So I say NO we shouldn't be punished, this isnt fair!

    • Acdc

      WAAAAAAHHH!!!!!! Heaven forbid you should be held responsible for what you say. And what kind of english is this anyway?

  • Fred

    If it has anything to do for school, especially if the school has some kind of magnet program (congregating kids together that normally wouldn’t have known each other), then I believe it becomes the schools responsibility to enact disciplinary reactions. If it weren’t for the school itself, the kids would have never met and there wouldn’t be a disciplinary issue. As a result, the school should take responsibility. Especially in specific school related pages, websites, etc. I’ve seen this policy implemented at a magnet school in my area, and I agree with it completely.

  • Sam

    Of course kid have rights…just not as many. That’s why public schools get to tell me what clothes I have to buy so my child can attend school. But, even with their rights limited by schools for “safety”, what they do at home is none of the school’s concern. If the school officials don’t like what they read, they have the RIGHT to not read it. Facebook bullying is not like normal bullying. Kids have to go to school. They do not HAVE To log onto Facebook.