High School Girl Faces Felony Charges For Yearbook Prank

from the bullying-gone-legal dept

Let's start this off with the obvious: bullying sucks. In particular, when the bullies and the bullied are students, it sucks extra hard. That said, we've talked before about how overreacting to bullying situations ends up with everyone looking silly. And when the prosecutors and lawyers decide to get involved, all the more so.

Which brings us to Columbia, Missouri, where a 17-year-old high school student is staring down felony charges for changing a student's last name in the school's year book to something as unfunny as it was inappropriate.
A Columbia high school student faces a possible felony charge after her arrest for changing a classmate's name in the school yearbook to a sexually suggestive term. The 17-year-old Hickman High School junior was arrested May 14 after she allegedly changed a student's last name from Mastain to "masturbate" in the 100th edition of the Hickman Cresset yearbook. She could be charged with first-degree property damage, a felony, and harassment.
My first reaction to this was to be thankful that I didn't have any access to my high school's year book files. If I had, the overwhelming likelihood is that I'd still be serving time in a federal pen, with a teardrop tattoo or two on my face and a strong fear of showers. My second thought was, roughly: what the hell? Felony charges? I get that the school is probably annoyed, but this just screams of an over-reaction to suspected bullying. Hell, the victim of the prank doesn't even seem to think it's a big deal.
Raigan Mastain said although she wasn't happy about what happened, she also "wasn't devastated."

"I was kind of annoyed. It was stupid, but I wasn't that upset," she said.
Elsewhere, she pointed out that she didn't even know the girl that well, so the whole thing was strange to her.
Both Acopolis and the girl whose name was changed, Raigan Mastain, an aspiring graphic designer, called the last-minute change by another yearbook staff member as an act of immaturity, not malice. "I hardly knew her at all," said Mastain, who graduated from Hickman last week. "I barely worked with her. We weren't friends. But I didn't think I had any problems with her."
Still, given all that, Mastain went on to suggest that the charges would be warranted because "it's bullying" and "there needs to be consequences" while also noting that the damage to school property was immense. However, considering she's already graduated and didn't even know any of this had happened until a friend discovered the prank and sent her a text message, how much personal harm was actually done? And for all the talk about property damage, the school decided not to even reprint the year books, instead covering up the naughty word with a sticker. What does a sticker cost? $1? $700 worth of cost, plus a mildly annoyed fellow student, equates to felony charges?

As with so many of these stories, it's likely that emotions ran high and the school and community thought they needed to be seen doing something about so-called bullying. The end result, however, will be a young woman living the rest of her life with a felony on her record for what was a silly and stupid high school prank. That seems entirely unreasonable.
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Filed Under: felonies, hickman high school, high school, pranks, yearbooks


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  • icon
    That One Guy (profile), 29 May 2013 @ 4:22am

    Three possibilities:

    1) Felonies are becoming so widespread, and used so often, that people are no longer seeing them as the serious charges they are meant to represent.

    or

    2) Those involved have no freakin' clue what they are doing, or what a felony on the record actually means for those charged with one, but just though it 'sounded about right' for what was for all intents and purposes a slightly annoying, stupid prank.

    or

    3) Both of the above.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 29 May 2013 @ 5:52am

      Re: Three possibilities:

      4) everyone becomes a felon, thus no one has any of the rights of non felons

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Ninja (profile), 29 May 2013 @ 8:05am

      Re: Three possibilities:

      1) Felonies are becoming so widespread, and used so often, that people are no longer seeing them as the serious charges they are meant to represent.

      This. A law has as much force as the level of understanding and respect the society has towards it.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        Anonymously Brave, 29 May 2013 @ 10:57am

        Re: Re: Three possibilities:

        Eventually a felony record will be like a tattoo...pretty much everyone will have one and they won't be considered a big deal anymore.

        link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 29 May 2013 @ 3:18pm

      Re: Three possibilities:

      If anyone deserves a felony it's the dumb mother fucker that thought it was okay to let a student have access to change names in the yearbook.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        Anonymous Coward, 29 May 2013 @ 3:21pm

        Re: Re: Three possibilities:

        Furthermore if it were me back in the day "yes I was a fucking asshole back then" I would have completely destroyed every single teachers name plus a few people that I did not see eye to eye with back then.

        link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Ninja (profile), 29 May 2013 @ 4:26am

    Punishment that fits the crime. Make her pay for reprinting the Yearbook, give her a wrist slap and let her live on.

    By absurdly ramping up the punishment of some petty crime you are generating ill-will towards the law (along with lack of respect) and generating tons of people that are prevented from getting decent jobs and many other things a felony charge does. Often this person will need to resort to crime to survive decently. Is that what the US want? Seems so.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Bryan (profile), 29 May 2013 @ 9:11am

      Re:

      Punishment that fits the crime. Make her pay for reprinting the Yearbook, give her a wrist slap and let her live on.


      Way overthinking it. Make her pay for the stickers and actually stick them in place. Doesn't involve the police AND is the equivalent of writing on the chalkboard "I will never change Mastain to Masturbate again" 100 times.

      Bryan

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Disgusted, 29 May 2013 @ 5:36am

    I read a SciFi short story several decades ago where, because of overpopulation and crowding, the enforcement of law had gotten to the point where EVERYTHING was regarded as a felony, punishable by death...jaywalking, traffic violations, spitting on the sidewalk, you name it. Seems like we're getting there pretty damn quick. Not to mention "1984" happening as we speak.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      madasahatter (profile), 29 May 2013 @ 6:42am

      Re:

      Larry Niven has a series of stories based on organ farming and transplantation. One the elements is to ensure a supply of organs for transplantation almost all crimes had to be mandatory capital offenses including jaywalking.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    droozilla (profile), 29 May 2013 @ 5:41am

    Seems like this Mastain girl....

    *glasses on*

    ...is a real jerk-off.

    (yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah)

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 29 May 2013 @ 5:44am

    Corrective Action.

    Sack the current administration, and employ people who actually understand and know how to deal with teenagers.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      gorehound (profile), 29 May 2013 @ 10:14am

      Re: Corrective Action.

      Good idea ! I was just thinking on how we did many pranks in the Early 70's.Amongst those was the traditional set a fire in a wastebasket in the men's bathroom or the flush an M-80 down a toilet.
      Guess those dumb and stupid pranks get you Felony for life plus twenty years in the slammer.

      Kids do dumb things.They are kids.Felony for life is bullshit.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • icon
        Ophelia Millais (profile), 29 May 2013 @ 3:31pm

        Re: Re: Corrective Action.

        That kind of stuff continued through the mid-'80s where I lived. All the students in our (small-ish) high school were on guard for it, too; they even protected, across social and class divides, the kids who were acting out. No one was trying to "terrorize" or "bully" anyone. Everyone eventually grew up and became successful in adulthood; no one had to be taught a lesson or locked up for decades to send a message.

        Our yearbook staff conspired to sneak things past the faculty advisor (or so we thought, who knows what she really knew), writing risqué captions, creating fake students, swapping in embarrassing photos of kids doing things they weren't supposed to be doing ... it was all just silly fun. Now it would be "bullying" and someone have to pay with a felony record, I guess.

        link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 29 May 2013 @ 5:45am

    Please, shelter kids more.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    jedipunk (profile), 29 May 2013 @ 5:47am

    $50 book * 2,100 students

    From the article:
    --No charges had been filed against the teenager as of Tuesday afternoon.
    --The school estimated the costs of reprinting 720 yearbooks at $41,000.
    --She could be charged with first-degree property damage, a felony, and harassment.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      jedipunk (profile), 29 May 2013 @ 5:48am

      Ignore the title.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Zem, 29 May 2013 @ 5:56am

      Re: $50 book * 2,100 students

      So like wow,

      sack the school board for paying $30-$40 more for each year book than they should have in the first place.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        Anonymous Coward, 29 May 2013 @ 7:55am

        Re: Re: $50 book * 2,100 students

        I don't know how much it is to buy them but most of the schools in my area sell them for at least $55.

        link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Anonymous Howard (profile), 29 May 2013 @ 6:02am

      Re: $50 book * 2,100 students

      700$ is the price of stickers the school used to cover the name.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 29 May 2013 @ 5:56am

    That's real hilarious. She's 17, why is she using primary school humour?

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    dennis deems (profile), 29 May 2013 @ 6:04am

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    out_of_the_stew, 29 May 2013 @ 6:39am

    Personally, I blame Microsoft.

    This is clearly another case of someone taking the "auto-correct" suggestions of Office without the appropriate grain of salt.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Sheogorath (profile), 29 May 2013 @ 6:41am

    Stupid expense

    What does a sticker cost? $1? $400 [total]?
    If that's what it's costing them, then they're shopping at the wrong store. Where I live, stickers cost about 20p for one, and the price comes down for bulk buying; the more you buy, the less each sticker costs.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      dennis deems (profile), 29 May 2013 @ 7:02am

      Re: Stupid expense

      It's not a situation in which any old sticker will do. It has to match the rest of the page, it has to have the correct name printed on it, and it has to fit exactly over the misprinted name. Oh, and someone has to spend their time placing the sticker.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • icon
        Atkray (profile), 29 May 2013 @ 7:31am

        Re: Re: Stupid expense

        I'm thinking that having to place all those stickers herself would be an appropriate punishment.

        link to this | view in chronology ]

        • identicon
          Anonymous Coward, 29 May 2013 @ 8:33am

          Re: Re: Re: Stupid expense

          I imagine her quality of work would not be up to standards.

          link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Alt0, 29 May 2013 @ 6:47am

    I would just blame auto-correct.
    Mastain to Masturbate is not too much of a stretch.

    Dear Auto-Correct,
    Duck You

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    spodula, 29 May 2013 @ 6:55am

    Zero tolerance?

    Usually loved by administrators because it usually ends up as a euphemism for "Zero thaught required"

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 29 May 2013 @ 6:59am

      Re: Zero tolerance?

      Zero tolerance = zero toleration of jokes, mistakes and cultural differences.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        Anonymous Coward, 29 May 2013 @ 7:05am

        Re: Re: Zero tolerance?

        Where do you fit $41G worth of property damage into that array?

        link to this | view in chronology ]

        • identicon
          Anonymous Coward, 29 May 2013 @ 7:13am

          Re: Re: Re: Zero tolerance?

          Acceptable loss.

          link to this | view in chronology ]

          • identicon
            Anonymous Coward, 29 May 2013 @ 8:38am

            Re: Re: Re: Re: Zero tolerance?

            First repay the loss plus some punitive damages. Perhaps period of community service cleaning highways and the like. Not being allowed to graduate with her class is about the max punishment that seems appropriate.

            If a DA takes this to court he should be removed by the voters. Wasting the time of the court and resources of the prison is just plain over reacting. Zero Tolerance is just a sign of zero intelligence.

            link to this | view in chronology ]

        • identicon
          Anonymous Coward, 29 May 2013 @ 7:13am

          Re: Re: Re: Zero tolerance?

          Teenagers and pranks go together, so take care with the obvious targets such as year books, like proof read on an isolated laptop before submitting to the printer.

          link to this | view in chronology ]

        • icon
          PaulT (profile), 29 May 2013 @ 7:58am

          Re: Re: Re: Zero tolerance?

          "Where do you fit $41G worth of property damage into that array?"

          In the same fictional universe where her actions require a felony charge? (FTFA, the school would only have incurred that if they had decided to reprint everything - they didn't so it's the cost of printing and applying the stickers at best)

          Let this be a lesson to the school that pranks can be played, and kids don't always see the consequences of their actions. Yes, she should have been more mature and not abused a position of relative authority to play a joke on a fellow student - but this isn't a felony.

          Hire a teacher to proofread everything before the send it to the printer next time rather than shipping the girl off to the cops. It makes more sense and saves everyone money (the idiotic investigation and prosecution of this girl will almost certainly cost the taxpayer more than her prank would have cost the school).

          link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 29 May 2013 @ 8:27am

      Re: Zero tolerance?

      In our litigious society, administrators fall back on zero tolerance because any nuanced interpretation of rules or subjectivity of any kind can result in a lawsuit from a parent.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Bengie, 29 May 2013 @ 7:02am

    Hypocrisy

    Lets fight bullying with more bullying!

    Silly me, and here I thought our system was about justice and not revenge or "making an example".

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 29 May 2013 @ 7:03am

      Re: Hypocrisy

      It's not about bullying or revenge, that's just the lowest-common-denominator gloss applied by Geigner.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it
    identicon
    out_of_the_blue, 29 May 2013 @ 7:08am

    Yes, kids, $700 IS felony level of damages.

    At some level, "pranks" aren't acceptable to adults, you just haven't learned that yet. Don't toss water balloons at cops. Don't go into closets and "liberate" data as Aaron Schwartz did. Don't hack into AT&T computers with scripts and get personal info even if you believe that anyone could do it by changing numbers. Don't base your business on infringed content (too many to list!). In short, if it ain't yours, LEAVE IT ALONE. That's common law and common morality.

    By the way, another name beginning with "Mas" should occur to you fanboys, but I suppose you're too busy masnicking to recall it.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      dennis deems (profile), 29 May 2013 @ 7:12am

      Re: Yes, kids, $700 IS felony level of damages.

      It makes me sad that in your mind all these actions are equivalent.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Dark Helmet (profile), 29 May 2013 @ 7:36am

      Re: Yes, kids, $700 IS felony level of damages.

      "At some level, "pranks" aren't acceptable to adults, you just haven't learned that yet."

      This post isn't about adults, it's about children. You also must have missed where I called the prank stupid. That you did miss that surprises me the same way I'm surprised when the sun comes up every morning, which is to say that it doesn't.

      "By the way, another name beginning with "Mas" should occur to you fanboys, but I suppose you're too busy masnicking to recall it."

      So...the prank isn't acceptable, but you'll just point to how it can apply to Mike? Does your hypocrisy know no bounds?

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Rick Smith (profile), 29 May 2013 @ 7:59am

      Re: Yes, kids, $700 IS felony level of damages.

      Not specifically about the article but just had a thought.

      I know that states can set their own amount that constitutes felony damage so its different by your location. I don't typically go around damaging anything regardless of how much I would like to sometimes, so I don't really know the specifics of where I live, but from what little I do know, I can not ever remember the amounts being raised to keep pace with inflation.

      So does this mean that as a kid I could have effectively destroyed more property than kids today?

      Can't seem to shake the question, if the above is true, how long until someone who grabs a McDonald's hamburger from your tray can be arrested for a felony theft?

      Are we, by mere oversight, creating a population of convicted felons?

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      The Groove Tiger (profile), 29 May 2013 @ 8:00am

      Re: Yes, kids, $700 IS felony level of damages.

      What a jerk-off. No wonder he's all out_of_the_lube.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      PaulT (profile), 29 May 2013 @ 8:20am

      Re: Yes, kids, $700 IS felony level of damages.

      So, name calling, lies, deflection and no attempt to defend the actions being taken. You missed the entire point of the article (which is that while the prank was stupid, the response is far stupider) and then attack people for saying things they actually said. You then whine about someone not related to the article at the end. Trying desperately to tie this into hacking is moronic even for you.

      Does it tire you when you can't write anything about the article and so have to resort to lies and deflection in order to write anything at all? Not writing anything is still a viable option if it does, and that comes with the bonus of everyone not pointing out what a tosser you are on every thread.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      art guerrilla (profile), 29 May 2013 @ 8:27am

      Re: Yes, kids, $700 IS felony level of damages.

      shorter li'l boy blue:
      don't do anything to piss off Empire, kiddies!
      now, have a nice life!

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Atkray (profile), 29 May 2013 @ 7:37am

    So they had a 17 year old in charge of the final edit of the yearbook?

    Maybe a demonstration of responsibility from the "adult" that was supposed to be overseeing the yearbook.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 29 May 2013 @ 10:02am

      Re:

      First of all not all 17-year-olds would do something like. And second of all nothing in the story says she was in charge of the yearbook. It's possible she broke in the computer of the yearbook editor or something else along that line.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        Anonymous Coward, 29 May 2013 @ 11:12am

        Re: Re:

        "And second of all nothing in the story says she was in charge of the yearbook. It's possible she broke in the computer of the yearbook editor or something else along that line."

        From the article:

        "Both Acopolis and the girl whose name was changed, Raigan Mastain, an aspiring graphic designer, called the last-minute change by another yearbook staff member as an act of immaturity, not malice."

        So she was on the yearbook committee. Since she was authorized make changes to the yearbook, I question whether any charges based on property damage are appropriate.

        link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 29 May 2013 @ 7:41am

    instead of schools wasting time on this sort of ridiculousness and law enforcement doing the same, isn't it about time that schools got on with teaching and teachers remembered what it was like when they were young and the stunts they pulled? i'm pretty sure that law enforcement have some serious police work to do, rather than going after someone over this sort of thing.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Mr. Applegate, 29 May 2013 @ 7:43am

    What should have happened.

    The student who changed the Yearbook should have to pay the cost to correct the 'mis-spelling'. In other words pay for the stickers and postage... to see that they are delivered to every person who purchased a year book.

    If you really thought it was bullying, rather than a prank make her write an apology note and send it with the sticker (copy costs... paid by her).

    Common sense really isn't all that common any more.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 29 May 2013 @ 7:52am

    Stickers are better than reprinting because yearbooks typically get signed and personalized. Easier to cover up the name than to give everyone a fresh yearbook and require them to get it signed and personalized again.

    Make the girl pay for the stickers and for school time spent addressing the issue and write and publish (at her expense) a public apology in the local paper and do some community service work (preferably that exposes her to people suffering the consequences of stupid pranks intended to belittle someone else (which is a form of bullying). That's punishment that fits the crime and might actually teach her something. (Which is why the education system could never do something like that.)

    @spodula: zero tolerance = zero thought required -- I like that and may steal it. :)

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 29 May 2013 @ 9:14am

    It's good to know police/prosecutors have their priorities in order

    According to http://www.neighborhoodscout.com/mo/columbia/crime/ Columbia has a crime rate higher than 87% of the other cities/towns in the country of similar size.

    Of course now that this highly dangerous young woman has been dealt with, perhaps that'll only be 86% now.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 29 May 2013 @ 10:14am

      Re: It's good to know police/prosecutors have their priorities in order

      Maybe the crime rate is so high exactly because of situations like this, where anything and everything is criminalized.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 29 May 2013 @ 9:16am

    It was mean but this is just silly.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Greggore, 29 May 2013 @ 9:24am

    Where is the exit door from this world?

    Really, I want a reboot, this build of Humans 2.0 sucks.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      lucidrenegade (profile), 29 May 2013 @ 9:42am

      Re: Where is the exit door from this world?

      "I say we take off and nuke the entire site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure."

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Greenzrx (profile), 29 May 2013 @ 9:46am

    "Mastain" sounds like it could be a contraction of Masturbation and Abstain. Where is Rich Hall and his sniglets when you need him...

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 29 May 2013 @ 11:14am

    Why is it that these so called "adults" complain that my generation (80's-2k's) seem to be dumb and brainless when they are the ones who can't seem to remember anything from before they were 35?
    Zero tolerance... more like zero chance. Almost all do something stupid as a teenager and sometimes it can be high on the scale of stupidity, but it used to be that you could get over it at some point... now they just brand you for good and move on to the next.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Rekrul, 29 May 2013 @ 11:32am

    "Mastain" sounds like it could be a contraction of Masturbation and Abstain. Where is Rich Hall and his sniglets when you need him...

    He's busy tramemblamemblamating. :)

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Rekrul, 29 May 2013 @ 11:32am

    I pulled enough crap in high school that I probably would have gotten the death penalty under today's rules.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 29 May 2013 @ 11:50am

    Arrested without a charge?

    "The 17-year-old Hickman High School junior was arrested May 14"

    "No charges had been filed against the teenager as of Tuesday afternoon."

    Arrested and no charges have been filed after 2 weeks? In a case like this there's no reason why they couldn't arrest her AFTER they figure out what to charge her with. There's no threat to public safety that would require them to get her off the streets, and she isn't likely to be on another yearbook committee for another year or so.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 29 May 2013 @ 12:23pm

    Under that logic....

    Wouldn't anyone responsible for typing transcripts be in one hell of a liability trap? Make a typo in the closed captioning and you're a felon. No if ands or buts about it. I wouldn't want to be a programmer in Google's project Gutenberg as they'd be held liable for all the damages from indirect mistakes of indirect property damage. *shudders*

    I personally suspect that this sort of bullshit is due to minors being second class citizens with the 'benefit' of a system that gives the promised of shortened sentences in exchange for being the star of a show trial.

    It is deeply messed up even /before/ the myriad perverse incentives of a private prison system. (See the infamous Pennsylvania "Kids for Cash" incident.)

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 29 May 2013 @ 5:01pm

    US Citizens are extremely religious, so an OLD testament punishment is appropiate

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    bjg, 29 May 2013 @ 6:49pm

    article

    I was bullied in high school and it was no joke. It still upsets me 30 years later. I don't feel there is any room in society for the "MEAN GIRL" syndrome. Its outdated and if your school has a no bullying policy like ours then charges are exactly what are prescribed here. Maybe after this "Mean Girls" parents pay out thousands of dollars for her court fees, lawyers fees and fines they will take a more serious interest in what their "MEAN GIRL" is doing. I think a few months in jail with some real mean girls might just be what this teen needs to turn her life around and start being a "NICE GIRL". Once you are in your teens that little "I'm sorry" doesn't fly anymore. You know better than to do something like this to someone. Its not mean its hateful and just an awful thing to do. If I were her parents I would be so ashamed! This "MEAN GIRL" needs to do some jail time. I give the girl she did this to a lot of credit for being able to rise above this hateful girls actions but still there is cause for action to let others know this kind of behavior will not be tolerated and allowed in schools today. If she did this to my daughter she would be slapped with a whopping lawsuit!

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      That One Guy (profile), 30 May 2013 @ 4:33am

      Re: article

      Congratulations, you just provided a perfect example of the 'has no idea what a felony charge/jail time even means, but liked the sound of it anyway' crowd. I'd wish you jail time just so you could see how bad such a 'minor' punishment actually is, but unlike you I realize what a horrible thing that would be to put someone through for no reason beyond 'being mean'.

      Also, and I'm going to be blunt here because I feel it's important, if you're still getting worked up over bullying 30 years afterwards, that is not a healthy thing, and you should see someone to deal with it and enable you to move on.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      PaulT (profile), 30 May 2013 @ 4:59am

      Re: article

      "I think a few months in jail with some real mean girls might just be what this teen needs to turn her life around"

      You think that sending a girl to a criminal facility, surrounded by hardened criminals, leaving with a felony on her record (with all the employment and other options that removes) will "turn her life around"? For jokingly changing a name in a book that should have been proofread before it ever went to print, and which even the "victim" doesn't seem too bothered about?

      This is idiotic. Get with reality, please. Oh, and I'm with That One Guy. I was bullied at school, as were many people. It doesn't directly affect my adult life. If it's still directly affecting you 30 years later, seriously get some help. There are 25 year olds who have gotten over their bullying in the time since you left school.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Jay Kusnetz, 30 May 2013 @ 5:45am

    Free Stickers

    There is a good chance that the stickers were provided for free. When I was involved with a yearbook a few years ago, Lifetouch provided free stickers to correct some typos. At the most the student could be responsible for a few hours of a teacher's time spent supervising a few students placing the stickers.
    Also, if the student is charged, then the yearbook teacher should also be charged, as it is the teacher's responsibility to approve any pages for publication (the Lifetouch software had the option to limit that privilege to teachers)

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 31 May 2013 @ 2:46am

    Bond

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Tales of the 4th Grade Nothing, 31 May 2013 @ 11:29am

    She should have changed it to "Man Stain."

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Marie, 4 Jun 2013 @ 12:08pm

    Unreasonable??? Are you serious you think that this kid should be able to walk around and continue her life with no consequence for what she's done... WRONG... everything we do has a consequence.. it was a prank for her but not for the girl that it was done to her..

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      PaulT (profile), 5 Jun 2013 @ 12:36am

      Re:

      Wow, you're both late to the party *and* completely wrong...

      "you think that this kid should be able to walk around and continue her life with no consequence for what she's done"

      Nobody's suggested that, only that the proposed punishment is way out of proportion.

      "it was a prank for her but not for the girl that it was done to her.."

      Wrong. read the article:

      "Raigan Mastain said although she wasn't happy about what happened, she also "wasn't devastated."

      "I was kind of annoyed. It was stupid, but I wasn't that upset," she said."

      Take your self-righteousness elsewhere.

      link to this | view in chronology ]


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