School suspension over sexy photographs leads to lawsuit

[Boozy]

Story found here.

Some girls were suspended from their extracurricular activites at their high school for some sexy photos they published on their MySpace pages. These photos have nothing to do with their school work, were not taken during school hours, and they did not use the school computers. These were taken on their own time using their own cameras, published using their own computers.

The most disgusting part? Principal Douchebag oh-so-magnanimously told them that they could participate in some activities if they apologized to a panel of head coaches. Apologize for what, exactly? Doing as they wished with their own bodies?

[MaggieTheCat]

I think it sounds pretty absurd. They weren't even showing any genitalia or bare breasts, right? It said the pictures were of the girls pretending to kiss, licking a lollipop, and wearing lingerie with dollar bills sticking out of the straps. And to get back into their sports, not only do they have to apologize to the coaches, they each have to take three individual counseling sessions! Personally, I think that's even worse than having to apologize (which I think is also out of line.) What do they need counseling for? Playing dress-up and having a bit of fun? It was an all-girls sleep-over party and they did it in good humor as a joke, not to promote themselves as prostitutes.

[Peppergirl]

Holy shit! If they suspended some of the teens I know around here for their myspace pics, the schools would be ghost-towns.

That's fucking ridiculous.

[jackfaire]

Oh hey sure you can come into my home and tell my kid how to act in the privacy of our own home while your at it can you make sure they get to bed on time. Oh and so you know little Suzy is gonna need braces so if you could cut a check please do.

[gremcint]

I don't think it's any of his business but technically he has that power. My Highschool had a catchall clause for suspension and expulsion, something about damaging the morality of the school (it's been 6 years don't expect an exact quote)

[Greenday]

To be honest, I'm surprised it got as far as the principal. Back home, the coaches would have kicked players off of the team without a second thought for stuff like that. They also called your home on important nights to make sure you were home and not out. Athletic programs are extremely strict at many schools. And I'm sure if the coach didn't approve, it wouldn't have happened.

[jackfaire]

Unless it is a private school I don't see how they should have the right to regulate their idea of morality.

You can't be on the team as long as you do what we feel you shouldn't be doing. Not playing at games can hurt your chances at scholarships etc.

What is next suspending them from school all together for acting "immoral". If your a private school I feel it's your right to have whatever rules you want and then the parents can decide if they like them or not.

What this school's behavior is telling me is that they feel that their idea of how my child should act trumps mine.

Here is a very real possible scenario. Say a kid is gay and there are pictures on this child's Myspace, Facebook, etc The pictures are kid standing there his boyfriend hugging him from behind kissing his cheek. If it was a guy and a girl the administrator doesn't think twice but as he thinks being gay is immoral he suspends the boy from sports.

They are regulating morality. They are holding children accountable for behavior outside of school that is the place of the parents to determine good or bad. They are telling my child she must have their morals not mine.

http://abcnews.go.com/2020/GiveMeABr...&page=1&page=1


It doesn't just happen to kids either. No one should be able to determine what I do in the privacy of my own home. As long as what I am doing is not illegal and does not negatively impact my work it is no one's business.

EDIT

Oh and small point if it took someone with access to the photos to show them it means that the girls had their profiles set to friends only and unless they added you then you couldn't just randomly view the photos so if no one had pointed this out to the principal he never would have known.

[Boozy]

Oh and small point if it took someone with access to the photos to show them it means that the girls had their profiles set to friends only...

Exactly. Which means that the principal's concern about the girls making the school look bad is bullshit. The photos were not available to the public at large. No one had heard of this school until this guy decided to make a federal case out of it.

This is about villainizing women's sexuality and controlling women's sexual choices.

[Talon]

What a crock of shit. I haven't anything to add beyond what Boozy said.

Except this. That forced apology? I hope the girls took their cues from this man

[Greenday]

This is about villainizing women's sexuality and controlling women's sexual choices.

I'd like to point out that these girls aren't women. They aren't adults. While I don't agree with schools over-regulating what kids do out of school, the act of irresponsibility pushes me to not associate them with mature people. This is the kind of stuff that will keep them from getting jobs and such. So they lost out on a PRIVILEGE. Big deal. Athletics aren't a right.

[lordlundar]

Wouldn't surprise me if their star athletes are doing illegal stuff and the staff know about it (or even encouraging it).

[jackfaire]

I'd like to point out that these girls aren't women. They aren't adults. While I don't agree with schools over-regulating what kids do out of school, the act of irresponsibility pushes me to not associate them with mature people.

I know adult, and yes mature, women who would do things like this and also take photos for only their friends to see.

They didn't post pictures in a way that just anyone could have seen.

I fail to see how this is irresponsible? Perhaps they should be a better judge of their friends to know when one is going to try and get them into trouble, however I don't feel what they did had anything to do with not being responsible.

[DesignFox]

While I think what the girls did was irresponsible, I think it is up to the parents to punish their children or not.

I know in my high school, all the athletic programs had stict rules of conduct that applied even outside of school. If the kids were caught drinking alcohol or doing drugs, they were banned from participating.

It's a tough call with this, because technically those girls are underage. I'm not sure of the legality of teens posting photos of themselves and their friends...for themselves and their friends. But you know if an 18 year old guy took and posted those photos, or was known to be viewing those photos, he could be labelled as a sex offender? Am I wrong?

Perhaps the concern regarding the behavior had something to do with that...I don't know.

I really think the principal may have gone overboard. I think a discussion with the parents was definitely in order, though. If that were my daughter, I'd smack her upside the head, that's for sure. My father NEVER would have allowed that shit when I was a kid.

If these girls were 18 or older...totally different story. At that point, you're a legal adult, you can do whatever you want.

[Greenday]

I know adult, and yes mature, women who would do things like this and also take photos for only their friends to see.

They didn't post pictures in a way that just anyone could have seen.

I fail to see how this is irresponsible? Perhaps they should be a better judge of their friends to know when one is going to try and get them into trouble, however I don't feel what they did had anything to do with not being responsible.

I have a feeling that the two pictures shown weren't the only ones. I have a feeling there are other pictures that could not be shown on their website. But seeing as they are teenagers and they are not adults, I have a feeling they don't have an idea as to how this could have come back to bite them in the ass. That is irresponsibility.

Besides, it's the internet. If it's on the internet, it will get out. That's a given these days. So yes, I think that shows a lack of judgment and responsibility on their part.

[Boozy]

The only reason these things come back to bite people in the ass is because of people like Principal Douchebag. There is nothing wrong with what these girls did. These pictures harmed no one. Is the argument that because the world may in the future judge them harshly, the school must prepare them for that by judging them harshly? I'm sorry, but that seems all wrong to me.

There's is nothing inherently wrong about sexuality, female sexuality, or even teen sexuality. That might make people uncomfortable, but it's a fact, and not a particularly troublesome one for reasonable people. I'm glad that the ACLU is taking this case.