When does 'free speech' become slander? what do you think o

16 years ago

"Teens suspended over Face book parody."

they apparently uploaded a high school teachers picture that they got off the districts web site.. they uploaded it to face book and said that he was a member of the North American Man/Boy love association. They got suspended from schoo for 90 days l, and they and their parents are suing the school district. They said it was just a parody. And the school has no right to discipline them outside of school hours.

they have possibly ruined this man's life, career......

Here is a link that might be useful: teens suspended

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Comments (13)

czech_chick
16 years ago
IMO, these kids are in the wrong.

From what I can remember from my college law classes, slander is defamation of a person's character - a falsehood presented as true - which could harm the reputation of a person.

A civil lawsuit can be brought against someone who is accused of slander.

As a former HS teacher, if this happened to me, I'd go after the kids with the best legal team I could put together!

~ Carol ~
mariend
16 years ago
Poor judgement yes! Parents think it is cute but I wonder if it was them how would they feel??? Also how would the boys feel if their pictures showed up as---whatever? Yes they should be suspended and if I were a teacher I would not allow any of the boys to be in my classroom. Yes they can do that.
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minnie_tx
16 years ago
That's what is wrong parents who don't get it anymore IMHO
pattico_gw
16 years ago
I think the students were in the wrong...

Even my son who is not all that old (20s) and remembers how much trouble he used to get into thinks they were wrong.

patti
colleenoz
16 years ago
The teenagers are totally wrong. Parody does not have to involve slanderous statements- in fact, it would have been amusing if they had made up some totally fictitious and innocuous information. Potentially runing a teacher's career is NOT in the least amusing.
As for the parents who are backing these little "baskets", I believe that's what is wrong with society today. Too many parents defend every bad and stupid thing their little darlings do, instead of teaching them to be responsible.
adoptedbyhounds
16 years ago
After seeing how the parents reacted to the imposition of a reasonable consequence, I think it's even more important that these students be kept away from the classroom the full 90 days. The school can provide homebound academic instruction, but this isn't just about academics. It's about the proper socialization of young adults, and the failure of their own parents to recognize and label malicious behavior.

The teacher has been harmed by their "parody" in ways we cannot know. 90 days of out of school suspension is tame, compared to what these teens actually deserve.
kittiemom
16 years ago
It's only too bad there isn't a more severe punishment for these kids. And their parents.... I don't even know what to say about parents that would defend their kids in something like this. Saying that someone is a pedophile isn't parody; it's slander. Who knows what damage they've caused to this man's life, yet they're whining about being suspended. I wonder if the parents would feel the same way about the "parody" if the entry had been created about one of them. I hate it when people do malicious things like this & then try to hide behind free speech.
liz
16 years ago
These kids were wrong...no ifs ands or buts...and the parents are wrong for backing them up...they need their heads examined for thinkin their kids did no wrong...
deemarie5500
16 years ago
I just heard a group discussion last week about how it is next to impossible to "take something back" once it hits the internet. How many students dowloaded that horrible lie?

What if that surfaces 10 years from now when that man is trying to get a job? He may not be able to defend himself if he's just rejected without being told why.

Those kids absolutely knew it was wrong and should be punished. And their parents should be thrown out of a court where THEY are suing. Please......

If I were that man, I would sue the lot of them for slander!
junkyardgirl
16 years ago
Accusing a teacher of being a pedophile is a lot worse than a joke or a parody. It's not only slander, but libel since it appeared in print.

I'm with the teacher.
Happy_Go_Lucky_Gayle
16 years ago
I don't think that the punishment for the Teens was severe enough. They should have community service hours picking up garbage on the side of the highway or cleaning out dog pens at the SPCA. 100 hours!

I watch Judge Judy!

Gayle
kframe19
16 years ago
Parody is a lot easier to get away with if the person is a well-known figure.

Some years ago Hustler did a rather nasty parody piece on Jerry Falwell. He sued for slander and libel, and lost. The courts said, IIRC, that the piece was so outrageous that it was obviously parody given Falwell's well-known views on many of the subjects covered in the article.

The teacher probably isn't a public figure under the Supreme Court's definition.

The teacher should probably sue the students and their parents for libel and ask for pretty tidy sums.
socks
16 years ago
I agree with everyone here. It's disgusting to see parents sue when the teens are so obviously wrong. Some parents cannot accept that their little darlings are in the wrong.

When does 'free speech' become slander? what do you think o

Comments (13)

czech_chick

mariend

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