Comments on: Police blotter: Student sues over IM-related suspension

New York school suspends a student due to allegedly "threatening" instant-messaging icon naming a teacher.

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School Out of line
by Stormspace July 3, 2006 7:25 AM PDT: I've had a problem with Schools stepping out of line recently. Specifically schools trying to police it's students outside of the classroom. In our area schools have suspended students for MySpace postings as well and it's the same thing.

I don't think anyone would have a problem if he had created this Icon at school on a government owned PC or any other kid posting to MySpace from school. The problem here is that the PC the content was on was at his/their homes.

The school district has no jusidiction over what goes on in a private residence and as such should stay out of peoples business. If the individual or school has a problem with a students behavior outside of school and feel threatened, then by all means contact the police. They are the ones that have the jusrisdiction. Let them make the determination.

This school did this and when the police didn't do what they wanted they retaliated against the child and suspended him. It should have ended when the police found no cause for worry. Instead we end up with a power mad organization wanting to insinuate it's control into our homes, and not being content to let the police do it's job.; Like this Reply to this comment

Be smart about it
by GrigoJoe July 3, 2006 10:16 AM PDT: Ok, so we've got the argument that it could be art or it could be a threat. Either way, if he didn't want to get in trouble, he should have written it in a journal. I'm still a college student, with plenty of teachers that aren't on my a-list, and if I've got a problem with them, I certainly don't say I would like for them to die, and especially not on the internet. If you want to be seen and heard, the internet is where to go. It's his fault that he's too stupid to understand that if you put it on the internet, people will see it, and it can come back to haunt you. If he made that doodle in a journal or even talked about it, thats one thing. One can at least understand that act. But putting it on the internet is like putting up a big neon sign saying NAIL ME TO THE WALL! No, this kid directly threatened a teacher in a way that the teacher could see and make evidence of, and the courts had already established that if it was a threat, it wasn't protected.; Like this Reply to this comment

An opportunity to teach
by hscohen July 3, 2006 12:16 PM PDT: Ideally, schools should view every circumstance as an opportunity to teach. In the case of this icon, the school had an opportunity to teach the student and his peers about the impact of the icon and the differences between saying "Kill soandso" in conversation and publishing it.
My impression is that the severe suspension sacrificed that teaching opportunity in favor of the currently popular "zero tolerance" canard.
On the other hand, given that U.S. students do commit murder in schools, the teacher certainly had reason to be anxious and the school certainly had reason to demand that the icon be removed.; Like this Reply to this comment

Where's the immediacy?
by TheOnlyRealPerson July 3, 2006 1:19 PM PDT: I'm not a lawyer (although I am a law student), I really fail to see the "immediacy" of the threat. The icon is not advocating any immediate violence whatsoever, it is not putting the teacher in any immediate risk of personal harm. The district court judge is right in saying that the student's ability or intent is not the issue - but he doesn't get it right on what he does measure it against. The statement (or in this case icon) needs to be measured against the effect on the listener that may perpetrate the harm. Not the effect on the speaker - or the target.

Bad decision, and it should be overturned on appeal. I hope.; Like this Reply to this comment

bullsh*t
by kurtcroc July 4, 2006 3:41 AM PDT: your country your laws and u ppl are all bullsh*t... grew up america u bloody sue over everything.. freedom this and freedom that.. ur just a bunch of wank*rs.... The world dont give a sh*t about you!!!; Like this Reply to this comment

bullsh*t
by kurtcroc July 4, 2006 3:43 AM PDT: your country your laws and u ppl are all bullsh*t... grew up america u bloody sue over everything.. freedom this and freedom that.. ur just a bunch of wank*rs.... The world dont give a sh*t about you!!!; Like this Reply to this comment

bullsh**
by kurtcroc July 4, 2006 3:43 AM PDT: your country your laws and u ppl are all bullsh*t... grew up america u bloody sue over everything.. freedom this and freedom that.. ur just a bunch of wank*rs.... The world dont give a sh*t about you!!!; Like this Reply to this comment