Teen suspended for showing....

[Shangri-laschild]

It sounds like the concern was that she created a fake facebook page with the names of real students leaving the harassing comments. But since she left disclaimers, this is a huge HUGE overreaction. The school principle has become the bully here.

I think I missed where it said that she used real names for the mean comments. If that's the case, then it's more than just an issue of TOS violation. It could possibly get into allegation territory as well. If the kids were actually bullies I'm not saying she didn't have a right to report that but I can see how there might be some serious issues with that . It would also explain how the parent found the page. If she used real names then she didn't just create one fake facebook page, she created multiple accounts, most of which were created under real names. If a parent is searching for their kid's page or a friend of their kid it could have come up. By using real names, this is almost as much calling specific kids out as it is raising awareness and I'd say it probably was not the best idea as far as the calling students out part. More in how she did it rather than that she did it. If she had used fake names I'm betting that there wouldn't be this much of an issue about it. Also, making the pages private until she had shown her teacher probably would have been a good idea.

[Jaden]

The teen on the other hand should hold onto that video and put it in a portfolio when she graduates. I can see any number of media outlets wanting to hire her.

She should fix all the spelling and grammatical errors before putting into a portfolio. Most employers want an employee who can spell

[Rageaholic]

I think I missed where it said that she used real names for the mean comments. If that's the case, then it's more than just an issue of TOS violation. It could possibly get into allegation territory as well. If the kids were actually bullies I'm not saying she didn't have a right to report that but I can see how there might be some serious issues with that . It would also explain how the parent found the page. If she used real names then she didn't just create one fake facebook page, she created multiple accounts, most of which were created under real names. If a parent is searching for their kid's page or a friend of their kid it could have come up. By using real names, this is almost as much calling specific kids out as it is raising awareness and I'd say it probably was not the best idea as far as the calling students out part. More in how she did it rather than that she did it. If she had used fake names I'm betting that there wouldn't be this much of an issue about it. Also, making the pages private until she had shown her teacher probably would have been a good idea.

That's where I'm confused. How would she use the names of real students? Did she have access to their account or did she put their posts on their wall? (I rarely use facebook so I'm not sure how it works).

[MadMike]

I think the Facebook page was a bit too much; Facebook does not allow ficticious pages.

But how is that any of the school's business? That's between her and Facebook.

[Lace Neil Singer]

The fact that she used existing student's names? Had she just made up the names, there wouldn't have been an issue apart from the TOS violation.

[Seifer]

I'm gonna go out on a limb here, but I'm guessing the parent who called the police concerning the facebook page didn't actually READ anything on it. The video itself had two warnings that it was fake, so I can only assume the facebook page did, as well. Also, why exactly did this incident constitute the girl getting suspended and threatened with jail time? Is her principal a moron?

I think I missed where it said that she used real names for the mean comments. If that's the case, then it's more than just an issue of TOS violation. It could possibly get into allegation territory as well.

I didn't see the facebook page (I don't go on facebook ;D), but what I'm assuming happened is that the girl got her friends or other kids at the school to post hateful messages in order to make the page seem more realistic. It would have shown how other students can be cruel and actually feed the problem instead of help solve it. In that case, the other students would have been on board with the project and weren't posting anything they actually believed, but were instead playing along.

Like I said at the beginning of this post, if she had disclaimers on the page that it was not real and was meant as a project on bullying, there is NO REASON for someone to take it seriously and 1. call the police, or 2. suspend her.

[MadMike]

The fact that she used existing student's names?

And that's between the student and the other students. It wasn't done on school property, so it's none of their business.

[Nyoibo]

If she used other students names by making multiple facebook accounts with their names, that's a no no, if she got them to friend the page and post the messages, there's nothing wrong with that.

[MadMike]

If she used other students names by making multiple facebook accounts with their names, that's a no no, if she got them to friend the page and post the messages, there's nothing wrong with that.

But again, that has nothing to do with the school. That's between the student and Facebook and/or the other students. The school is not the police, even though they seem to want to be the police lately.

[Andara Bledin]

The video itself had two warnings that it was fake, so I can only assume the facebook page did, as well.

No assumption necessary; at least one of the reports states that there were disclaimers at the top and bottom of the Facebook page because she wanted to raise awareness, not cause distress.

Honestly, the girl herself caused hardly a ripple, really, but the over-reaction out of the school has made the entire thing blow up and go viral, so now it's a huge media storm and is actually a disruption, with other kids acting to support her.

^-.-^

[PepperElf]

i haven't watched the video and i probably won't right now but...

i too have to wonder, where the school has any jurisdiction here. youtube and Facebook are not on school property.

The most they can do is file a copyright injection for the video (i think that's the terminology but i could be getting it wrong) if it was filmed on school property. It's something I learned from my boyfriend when it comes to publishing images - not only do you need release forms for the subjects (say, models) but... the owners of the location you shoot at.. they have the legal ability to put a cease-and-desist on the publication.

so that's the only thing i think the school really has any power over - if it was filmed on their property. but if she filmed it elsewhere it's not their business.