School Pays Up To Student Who Was Suspended Over His Web Site
from the money,-money,-money dept
A couple weeks ago, the net was buzzing with the story of a high school in New Jersey that was banning all blogging activity, claiming that this was necessary to protect the kids. Perhaps the folks at that school should take a look at the news coming out today in their home state. Two years ago, a New Jersey middle school suspended a kid for his website, which criticized the school. The student fought back, claiming his right to free speech was violated, since he had built the website completely outside of school. Now, the school has decided to settle the case and pay out $117,500 to the student for his troubles. While the school that banned blogging is a private Catholic school, which makes the case much less clear, you can bet some of the students at the school might be emboldened by this result to challenge the blogging ban (and maybe pay for some college tuition at the same time).
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No Subject Given
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Re: No Subject Given
Oh well.
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I don't see the Problem
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Re: I don't see the Problem
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Re: I don't see the Problem
As a parent, I allow my children to use blogs, and I have no problem with it. However, I warn them: It's stupid to write ANYTHING that can be used against you at any time, whether you delete it or not. You have no control over what people will quote, where it will be copied or cached. Things you post in haste today may haunt you in a few years when you are looking for a job and they decide to "google" your name and find out what you've been up to.
I think that this is a perfectly reasonable stance to take, and having been active on the Internet for quite a while, I think my decision is well-informed.
Now, if my kids' school turns around and trumps MY decision over MY kids' behavior in MY house, I will let that school know in no uncertain terms that they are infringing on MY rights as a parent. They have NO jurisdiction over the Internet.
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Re: I don't see the Problem
#2: As a parent, I would NEVER let my minor child blog. While I respect your right to let your children blog, I find that children too often include details in their blogs that make it easy for predators to target them. Until they are old enough to be responsible for their own protection, they have no right to use MY equipment and MY internet connection to post their musings online.
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Re: I don't see the Problem
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Re: I don't see the Problem
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Re: I don't see the Problem
These kids DID write their blogs outside of the Private school's "jurisdiction" (for lack of a better term), but they all had previously signed (along with their parents) an agreement that prevented them from engaging in the activities in question. The question is not wether they broke an agreement or law, it's wether the agreement is legally enforcable. As ridiculous as I think the whole situation is, I'd bet that they remain in hot water.
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Re: I don't see the Problem
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Re: I don't see the Problem
"The school isn't saying the kids can't use the sites outside of school, right?"
Actually they are. They school is banning the students from maintaining personal blogs anywhere, from any computer at any time. Even if they use their own computer at home and never visit the site from school.
That's generally the problem with things like this. The school thinks that they control the actions of their students even when they aren't in school or doing anything that is connected to the school. A good rule of thumb is that the schools authority over a child's behaviour extends no further than the school grounds.
Since this is a _private_ school. The school isn't acting as the government, and the parents sign a contract and pay for their kids to be there. If they don't like the policy, they are free to pull their kids from the school. Doesn't make it any better, just more legal.
Just my $0.02 (Canadian, before taxes)
someone247356
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Re: I don't see the Problem
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No Subject Given
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No Subject Given
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Re: No Subject Given
Isn't that the point of being affiliated with a religion? To obey the rules that they set forth? And worshipping everything the Church says? The only thing the Church says to "worship" is God.
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writing...
Way to go. (No sarcasm intended.
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Blogging
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Banning Blogs
I'm at a different school this year where blogs are banned. In the previous school, blogs have been banned. Why? "Because there's bad stuff on there, you know!" was the reason I was given when I fought the ban last year. Well we don't lock the library so students don't see the bad books! Before long there will be no point to having Internet access in schools because everything will be blocked in an effort to "protect" our students.
I'm seriously considering voting no on the next tech levy in the district I live in and sending a letter telling them why. Computers need to be used for more than just Microsoft Office. As a teacher who strives to use a variety of technologies to reach my students, I'm having my hands tied over and over again by people who are NOT teachers and have no business making decisions that impact teaching and learning without teacher input.
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Watch out for laws protecting business methods
players, and self crippled CD-ROMish discs, don't forget the ability of
corporate dollars to make any such technological self-help illegal.
Sony can install a root-kit in your PC and it's all good, but try to
back up your kids Disney DVD and you just might find yourself in prison.
You have to agree to the EULA before you can use the game, but if you
disagree good luck getting your money back.
Rest assured, if it isn't simply illegal to defective the RFID tags in
your retail merchandise, it will void your warranty, and render it
nonreturnables, even if defective.
Think about it, the US feds have suggested adding an optically scanned
key to read the RFID data in your new improved passport. Umm, if they
need to optically scan it anyway, why does it need to be RFID? (Make
sure your tinfoil hat is properly fastened with the shinny side out
before contemplating that one. )
Just my $0.02 (Canadian, before taxes)
someone247356
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Re: Watch out for laws protecting business methods
Should have been:
"Letting Technology Solve RFID Privacy Problems"
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Leave US ALONE
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School Pays Up To Student Who Was Suspended Over H
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School Pays Up To Student Who Was Suspended Over H
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