OK, did you hear a few weeks ago about all of the kids in Eden Prairie who got in trouble after school officials saw Facebook pics of them with alcoholic beverages? No, you say, you did not hear about his story?? Or the new story that came out today? Well, let me summarize it for you here.
Earlier this month-January 10th- 13 students from Eden Prairie High School were punished when pictures of them drinking and partying were taken from someone's Facebook and given to school officials anonymously on a disc. The school has not revealed what the punishments were.
Since this story a few things have happened:
1. Walk-out 16-year-old Nick Laurent staged a walk out of Eden Prairie High School Thursday to protest the school's punishment of students seen partying on Facebook pages. More than a dozen students joined him. The students said school administrators overreacted to the perception that students in the photos were drinking. "It's the loudest thing we could do," said Laurent, who organized the walkout but said he wasn't one of the students in the photos. "The situation was so old, those pictures were two to four years old," said one student at the walkout. "It's off school grounds and it isn't anything to do with school at all. It shouldn't be anything you should really care about," said another student. Laurent tried to make his point by passing out red plastic cups that were similar to those seen in some of the photos. He noted that it was impossible to see what was inside the cups, so administrators couldn't prove that students were drinking. Laurent agreed that athletes and other students who sign a code of conduct to be involved in activities should face consequences if they break the rule against drinking alcohol. But he said the punishments were too harsh. "They don't have (the) support of the students to hand out arbitrary punishments and punishments that don't fit the crime," he said. Laurent and other students said they knew of classmates who were banned from their sports teams for five weeks. While some students walked out, others are using the Internet to voice their side. The controversy that started online continues online, as a new group created a Facebook page titled, "Eden Prairie High School did not go too far." On the group page one student writes, "These people had it coming.Get a clue. I agree wholly with what the administration is doing."
2. 4 students at Woodbury High are facing discipline for partying pictures of them taken from Facebook. A student took pictures off the website, used them in a powerpoint on drinking, showed the powerpoint in health class and now the kids in the pics are in trouble. 12 students were talked to, 4 received an undisclosed discipline. In a letter sent to parents on Monday, the principal explains that "because the photos were brought into our building, it is our obligation to address any violations of school rules they might depict." Reaction to the student who brought them to class vary. "I've heard some people say that they support what he did but then I've heard a lot say they don't support what he did," said Potter. "It's kind of like invading privacy even though it's a on a public Internet site," said Richter.
What many young people may not realize is the long term consequences of those networking sites. "It's an electronic trail right now. And it can be found by college administrators, by potential employers, by friends, by grandparents, by people who you don't want to see some of the mistakes you've made," Media Specialist John Rash.
It's becoming increasingly common for schools or potential employers to check social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace, and to penalize kids or other people for what they find, said William McGeveran, a professor at the University of Minnesota Law School and expert on data privacy.
"Facebook is largely a public space. Users don't always perceive it that way, but that's what it is," McGeveran said.
What do you think? Should kids be punished for Facebook pics that emerge? Is it a public space used by many to gather info?? Who do you agree or disagree with in the stories above?
31 comments:
There is supposed to be a separation between school and home.. right? Facebook isn't allowed in most schools and if the kids want to put pictures like that on their, it's for the site or the authorities to taken upon them. It doesn't seem like the schools place to be getting in the middle of it. They didn't see it happen so how do they know anything about it and what went on.. Taking this upon a schools shoulders opens up several doors of crossing school/home.. Things will have to change.
I think the students should have thought about the consequences of putting pictures of themselves partying on a public website. They were drinking while underage what did they expect when the school found out about it. That the school would approve of it.
I think that is a bunch of crap...If you cannot see what is inside of a cup, even if it does look like a party you cannot punish them for what you dont know. They could be drinking juice or something else. If it is proven then yes give them some type of punishment, but according to this it doesnt say that it was proven. Just some plastic red cups. Besides kids can easily photo crop picturesif they really wanted to. I agree with Genny on how they werent there and didnt see anything that went on or happened
I don't think the school should be able to assume that the kids were drinking if the kids were not given a minor consumption ticket. What proof do they have that the kids were drinking alcohol? However in the cases that alcohol was obvious, where is it the schools right to interfere with their personal lives and with something that happened that they obviously had no knowledge of until they go looking for them. It's like school officials are looking to get these kids in trouble... Are they not supposed to be more worried about the students graduating rather than one weekend?
this is a bunch of BS the kids should not be punished from sports or school because the pitcher is and old pitcher
i think what kids do out of school is not the schools business! they should not be able to punish kids at school for something they did out of school!
I think people are dumbbb puttin pictures of them partying on their facebook. Obviously your moret hen likely gunna get caught if there is a picture of you holding a beer in YOUR hand. If you dont want people to know you drink then dont put of pictures of yourself doing it. And if you get caught i am just guna laugh at you
If you can't actually prove that it was alcohol that was being consumed, the school shouldn't be able to do anything. But if it's able to be proved, the kids should definitely be punished. It's their own fault that they put their pictures up on a public site. Are they really that stupid to think that they can't be punished for something illegal?
Like gen said i thought Face book wasnt allowed in school. One kid said that the pics were taken 3-4 years ago why are they trying to punish them now... And the school doesnt not know if it was a party.. I dont think that the school should be getting involved because they have no idea what really want on. I think that is would make it hard to punish them right. if it didnt happeend in school they it shouldnt matter let the parents or guardians deal with it .
If you can not see what is inside the cup then you cant punish them. It may look like a party but you dont know that for a fact. If it was proven that it was a party, then they should be punished. One of the kids said these pics. were 3-4 years old and now their trying to do something about this. That is not right. If the kid(s) were not givin a minor then the school should not be able to do anything about it.
I think if you are stupid enough to put your drinking pictures on your account you deserve the consequences. Yes schools and boss's should be able to see your account. You can tell alot about someone by there accounts. And if you dont want people knowing about it dont put them on there. If you werent proud of them you wouldnt be putting them on there.
Students have to be responsible for their actions. According to the MSHSL rules, any student even associated with alcohol and stuff, will be punished. If there wasnt any of that kind of stuff in the picture, then there should not be any punishment, even if the kids looked drunk or high. But if there was even a beer bottle in the background, then the students in the picture should be punished. They took a RISK!
hmmm. this is kinda funny. once again the educational system needs to put their nose in other peoples business. I understand red cups and what they usually have in them but does the school. probably but thats not the point. the point is there is no evidence that they had any illegal substance in the cups. so they dont deserve punishment. the whole getting these pics on a disk anonymously seems a bit shady as well. probably some loser trying to get some kids in trouble. oh and once you have put something on the net anyone can see it and it never dissapears. this kind of stuff needs to stop though. im sure that i could easily photoshop a beer in say charlies hand and put his body in a party setting. that could get him in trouble. its all crap and school sucks balls.
i was kidding about school sucking balls school is nice. the people that run the school suck balls.
im kidding about that as well no one sucks balls please give me a good grade mrs. berg
I think that if pictures are brought into the school building kids should be punished. I don't necessarily agree with what happened in Eden Prairie. If they couldn't prove what was in the cups, then the kids should not be punished. I think that kids are stupid to put pictures of themselves doing any sort of drinking or smoking on a website. Of course the wrong person could see the pictures and it could put your job, sports career, or academic standing in jeopardy. Facebook is a great resource for employers, colleges, and schools to do background checks. I agree with the administrator at Woodbury High School, once pictures are brought into the school building, it is the schools job to punish those kids. Kids should not get so worked up about this. If they put themselves in a position where they are drinking, they should be smart enough to not put pictures of it all over a website. I don't feel bad for the kids who got caught, they need to use more common sense.
Logey Loge--Did you or did not NOT read the welcome blog? And the line about appropriate language???? I know you have a goal for this quarter-and I fully support you in that goal-but, seriously, you can express yourself better than this.
I have difficulty believing there isn't some greater evidence suggesting these students were consuming alcohol. Guilt by association is out, so if the school administration is really only taking disciplinary action based on pictures of students with cups, then it should reconsider its actions.
If the school can prove that these students were drinking alcohol, they have every right to do what is necessary. After all, underage drinking is illegal, no matter if it was on or off school campus. On the other hand, if the school is just assuming that they were alcoholic beverages, they can tuck their tails between their legs and go home.
Well, if the kids are dumb enough to put pictures of themselves wasted on Facebook then they deserve what's coming to them. If you don't wanna get caught drinking, then don't publicize it by plastering pictures of yourself everywhere. It doesn't take much to not post the pictures. Figure it out. also, drinking is bad
I think that kids shouldn’t even put those pictures on the internet in the first place. I don’t agree with how the administrative went about with the pictures on facebook in the first story. The administrator shouldn’t have just assumed that those kids were drinking. Just because they had red plastic cups doesn’t mean they were drinking alcohol. That’s like going up to the principal and telling them they saw someone drinking when really they probably weren’t. Although Facebook may be private, it is easily accessible to people who you don’t want looking at things. The second story I thought was pretty dumb by the student who used the photos. Obviously you don’t use photos of your own classmates for a story on drinking. That’s just mean. I think that facebook is a good way to communicate with your friends and family, but you don’t need to put pictures of yourself doing bad things on it. You’re just asking for trouble.
I must say i am enraged by this. The school has no right using out of school materials to punish kids. I think that the action the school took was wrong and the sutdents should never have been punished. In fact, the school should have never been worried about what students are doing out side of school. I really like the red cup idea ah yes, the good ol ' red cup, you never can tell what what is in the cup. Maybe they were trying to look sophisticated? Drink with your pinky up! Another thing that upsets me is that I personally know of all sorts of poor behaviors made by school staff and board members and im willing to bet even if i had brought it to the attention of greater authorities nothing would have been done. -Jameson P
First of all you can go to a party and not drink...even if you were in the pictures and there is a beer bottle in the backround doesnt mean you are drinking...you are not guilty by association...you have to be caught doing it. You could be going to pick up a friend from the party or whatever it is, and you get put into the picture. Either way I agree that you are not to be on facebook or myspace in the school...and once again yes you can photo shop very easily things into and out of a picture...but yes i also agree with others on how you should be punished if it is proven, but if not stop putting your business in with other peoples this is ridiculous
and another thing...the people that are posting some of this stuff on how oh you shouldnt be drink because its bad and stupid...well in fact probably half of you do or have drank yourself
Okay, number one yeah the kids who posted the pictures are idiots but you can't punish students on an assumption. There is no proof that alcohol is in the cups but most likely it was but there is no guaranteed evidence to support it so I really don't understand how the school district gets off with this. And for the other kid who put the pictures in a powerpoint, does he not want friends? Would you ever trust a kid who would put those pictures of you into a presentation even though you were stupid enough to put them on the internet in the first place. Most schools block facebook and myspace etc, and therefore I don't believe them to be legitimate sources for a school project.
ok all kids at some time in their life make dumd descions. and sometimes they do stuff that is illegle at the time and drink and stuff. but unless they get caught bye the cops or caught by teachers red handed i dont think they should be punshied for pics of them with beer in their hands or what not who know maybe their were just holding it and their is no crime for holding a beer
I agree with those of you who say that the people who post these pictures deserve the punishment of such dumb actions. I person must not be too concerned with what others may think of them if they post these pics. On the other hand, I do not think it is right for school authorities to assume that there was alcohol in the cups, because that just isnt right. Either way, both sides are kind of dumb.
The punishments that were given to these students are dumb. The School should not punish them for posting pictures on their facebook that are allegedly of students "drinking alcohol" if the schol can prove what they are accusing the students of doing then let them punish them, but if the school is going on some accusation that cannot be proven then they should just mind their own business.
Where's the evidence that it was alcohol, you don't know it's the truth what they say on facebook. it's the parents job to punish them not the schools.
I think that these students should be held accountable for what they put on their accounts, if they dont want every body to see it dont posted. I think that it is pathetic that people would post these kinds of things and I think schools and bosses have every right to look at them so thats that
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