Dozens of students suspended for Facebook cyberbullying

pwnageforu said on April 30, 2010 at 4:21 PM

Congratulate the school? All this school does is try to get every student they can suspend suspended. Some students don't do anything at all, but the vice- principle just says a bunch of students said you did something. Later, you ask the student if they said anything and they reply, "No." Very nice job McClure.

songla7 said on April 1, 2010 at 12:14 AM

I congratulate the school for taking immediate action to stop the cyberbulling and hand out some type of discipline to the bullies. Bullies always have an excuse when they are caught instead on immediately expressing true regrect for their behaviors. Cyberbulling harms and hurts vulnerable kids. It is like a pack of angry dogs bitting at the heels of the victim constantly until the victim crumbles. I hope the parent of the bullies stop making excuses for their kids and learn their lesson. Otherwise instead of saving money for future college they should start saving money for future jail bail outs of their children. They also need to be hold accountable for their lack of parenting and supervision of their children.

i_love_you124 said on January 30, 2010 at 6:34 PM

i got suspended from this. the news did not put the whole story about this issue. when i joined this group the group was JUST the childs name and i got a offer to join it, i just accepted. later on it became i hate ______ but i didnt know until the day of the suspensions i got a text from my friend saying "your getting suspended because she had gotten suspended. i didnt know why until they called all the kids who joined the group into the lunch room and told us why we were suspended and they gave us forms and we went through the rest of the day.i know brodie george (the boy who got interviewed) and he sayed that he thought it was stupid people got suspended but on the news he sayed something totally different. i told my mom why i got suspended and i told her how at first the group only had been the childs name. i got suspended for two days and i think it was wrong for the news to get into our schools business. so for all these people commenting. i just told you the complete story.

lstfdyngbrd said on January 26, 2010 at 4:21 AM

there is no evidence that the bullying had carried over to the actual school site and was anything more than kids, probably with too much time on their hands, being kids (yes making fun of people is a part of being a kid and it is a part that your PARENTS teach you to grow out of, but lets face it most of us never do, we almost all make fun of other people if only with our close friends in private, kids just have the integrity to do it to a person's face or in a public forum where anyone can join and respond and with out anonymity), for if there were evidence that the "bullying" had carried onto campus I'm sure that would have been a part of the story and that would have been the reason the kids were suspended not the facebook page, I can guarantee you that there WILL be bullying on campus now and that bullying will probably be joined in by kids who had no problem with the kid until now. Admin has just made this kid's life worse than a bully alone ever could have.

lstfdyngbrd said on January 26, 2010 at 4:09 AM

for certain actions of students between the time they leave campus and returning home and as such do have the legal authority and sometimes obligation to reprimand certain actions during this period. The problem here is that the students were already home when this, so called, bullying occurred. Second, can we all just stop this "slippery slope" / "sky is falling" rationale. Seriously, we all knew, personally, both bullies and those that were bullied (unless you were home schooled). I'd wager though, that very few of us know anyone personally who has killed someone, and almost none of us know anyone who has killed someone because they were bullied or because their antisocial bullying behavior went unchecked for so long that their condition deteriorated to a point where murder was the next inevitable step. Columbine and incidents like it are the exception and generally are results of negligent parents and psychotic disorders, not the failure of school administrators. Finally, while

lstfdyngbrd said on January 26, 2010 at 3:52 AM

My personal belief is that the school is way out of line in this instance and were it my child (whether bullying or being bullied) I'd rather the information be brought to my attention and that I be allowed to deal with it with my child. It seems to me both sides of this have been stated repeatedly, so I'll just add these few thoughts. First, having taken the time to read the WAC page posted earlier I'd have to conclude that just about all of those guidelines are limited to functions on the school's site or school sanctioned events (dances, field trips etc.) otherwise many of the rules make no functional sense. So the idea that the school was legally obliged to do something sounds more like rationalizing the belief that they should have done something or that the decisions made were the correct ones. With that, schools are technically the legal custodians of their students from the time they arrive at school until they get home (at least in California). So the schools are responsible

watanabe said on January 25, 2010 at 6:04 PM

I would like to point out that the longest suspension for this was in fact 10 days. Another thing is that the school never told the victim. A third thing is that the kid apologized to some of the kids when he finally found out no thanks to the school.

nothemesiah said on January 19, 2010 at 2:38 PM

I am not saying anything about tolerating it, just should not the parents be allowed to parent their children? Could the school not have notified the parents and let them deal with this? Maybe the school can punish them if they look at inapropriate web pages also? Where does this intrusion end?

rolemodel said on January 18, 2010 at 5:33 PM

The common denominator, the reason why the law is appropriate, is the because the children are connected through attending the same school. They might not know each other or spend anytime with each other if it weren't for their school connection. They see each other and spend time with each other during school hours. There's no randomness to it. They gang up on a fellow student outside of school hours, but they are doing so because it is convenient and under the radar so to speak. To tolerate this behavior just because it isn't happening during school hours or on school computers is to say "well, it doesn't matter to the school as long as it doesn't happen when a teacher is around to see it."

brad98409 said on January 18, 2010 at 12:18 PM

What those kids did was not "IN school" so what business is it of the school to do anything. Isn't it the job of parents to take care of kids outside of school? If what the kids did was so wrong then the police should handle it not the school.

dapper123 said on January 18, 2010 at 10:38 AM

Although many make a valid point about the school ruling outside its jurisdiction, you have to realize that bullying is not a small matter. In some cases, yes it may be...but there have been instances where it has led to serious depression and even death. Last year, a girl was beaten up by several girls from her school inside a home and was videotaped. Was it wrong for the school to step in since it wasn't on school grounds? Sure this case doesn't involve any physical abuse...YET. However, emotional/verbal abuse is just as damaging to a person. It may not show right away but it can be very traumatizing, especially for a child/teenager and progress as they grow. I am glad that the school took action on the students involved and I truly hope that the victim can overcome this as stronger person rather than becoming more insecure. We are no better if we sit here passing judgment on others and/or ridiculing the victim. It is a harsh world out there but it doesn't justify anything.

godwillbheresoon said on January 18, 2010 at 12:21 AM

Very soon, God is going to make an offer the wicked can't refuse. That will put an end to the bullying, ect...,ect... This state allowing sex exibiitions at the Seattle Center where little kids used to go along with Boeing hiring guided missle engineers who have sex with Arabian horses until they die means you have a sick society here. How can you believe that the rest of the planet want's your society building already underengineered aircraft for them with this going on. Too much evil all the way down to your kids going on here to be given such responsibility. Just F.Y.I.

nothemesiah said on January 17, 2010 at 6:26 PM

Well if the school was aware of "covert bullyng" at school that would be a whole different issue. Since there is no mention of this however I refuse to jump to conclusions or make assumptons that may or may not be true, which it seems the school might be guilty of. Remember Columbine seems to be the war cry of the administration's effort to take parenting away from parents. Let us not forget that suspensions from schools can be factors when applying for college. Unless of course the students who are involved in this do not deserve the ability to choose what schools they attend due to their cyberbullying. Why would it have been so inapropriate for the school to have notified the parents and let them deal with this. Where will the next intrusion on our civil liberties come? Let kids be kids and parents be parents.

luvpnw said on January 17, 2010 at 6:02 PM

For opusxcellent: "My problem with this is that the school is out of there jurisdiction. (unless there posting on Facebook on school property (which should be blocked anyway)) How can the school suspend someone for doing something in there own home?" {Grammatical Error: THEIR not THERE} The common denominator in this scenario is the classroom/school. If 20 children have "ganged up" against an individual [who they know through their school] by using Facebook, it stands to reason that the same individuals have been covertly bullying the individual during mandated school hours. Once the "evidence" has been uncovered (on Facebook in this instance), it is imperative that school authorities take necessary measures to stop it. Effecting zero-tolerance for such behavior calls for measures such as suspension from school. It is overwhelmingly simplistic to tell a child (and a lot of adults) to simply shrug off being singled out for unwarranted attacks. Remember Columbine?

nothemesiah said on January 17, 2010 at 8:23 AM

So let's try and get some perspective here, Daisydog let's say I create an "I hate daisydog" facebook page and 20 people join my web page. Now I am an adult and granted this would not be very adult behavior but did I break a law? Are the facebook cops coming to drag me off to facebook jail? Maybe the state could pass some stupid WAC to enable them to arrest me. If I as an adult who should know better can't be arrested or put on double secret probation for this, why on earth can we go arround bullying kids who do this? I am not saying the kids were right, just the school is so far off base and has cross a line than enters way to far into our personal lives that it is scary. Maybe you would like them to get child protective services involved here, take the kids away from their parents and place them in foster care, charge the parents with neglect. I think you could imprison them for that. I know you are going to think this is extreme, but where does it stop?

daisydog said on January 17, 2010 at 7:10 AM

Again: this makes it school business, whenever, whereever: This makes it the school jurisdiction: WAC (Washington Administrative code) 148-120-100 Discusses just how this is the schools business: Article 4 in particular: (4) Disruption. Disorderly, intimidating or abusive behavior which interferes with the rights of others, school, or school-sponsored activities; obstructing the free movement of people or vehicles; inciting others to engage in prohibited conduct; or threatening disruption. Article 19 also addresses this issue: (19) Malicious harassment. There have been many cases through a number of states in which parents have gone to court to argue against any number of type of suspensions--- some of which have involved off school property, after hours conduct, and the courts (all the way to state supreme courts) have consistently voted in favor of the suspensions. Cut and paste the link below to go to the web site: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=148-120-100

cyberspace said on January 17, 2010 at 6:12 AM

For many of you who think the school is responsible. The school has outstepped its boundries in this case. So by agreeing that the school has the right to suspend the student in a public forum outside the school , you now have made the school resonsible. Now ANY type of action taken by a student on the internet whether it be face book or any other site on or off campus leaves the school open to lawsuits because the school did not take corrective steps in monitoring every students actions if they are at school or in their home. This should have been reffered to the parents, and at which time those kids that made comments of cyberbulling should be solved by the parents. For those of you who think the school is responsible, Please check your kids Iphone for internet history while they were surfing while at school ? Guess what - your school is now responsible for looking at your familys call records !. Our schools are already underfunded - lets not make it worse,

beez8987 said on January 17, 2010 at 3:52 AM

I certainly hope that Ms. George was misquoted, if not I think she needs to join her children in english class. We are raising little babies these days. This is just a bunch of waa waa waa. I think your right D Adams thin skinned.

leprekhaun said on January 16, 2010 at 7:12 PM

This is completely unconstitutional ( if anybody even cares about our freedoms these days ). Its not the States job to watch over our children and monitor their out of school activities. This "cyberbullying" is just another attack apon our fastly disapearing civil liberties. The idea behind cyberbullying may have been with the best intentions, but we need to draw a line where and when the schools ( STATE ) have any kind of control over our children. Its like we are teaching them to live in a society without free speech, free expression, and privacy. If they can 'suspend' a child for joining a group on facebook, whats to stop them from pressing charges and having your child arrested for something he/she said after school on the internet? Its not the schools job to monitor and make sure our kids behave. Its the parents.

masterblaster said on January 16, 2010 at 3:46 PM

1. Not the school's jurisdiction.. Ice Crystal put it best. 2. The reason for bullying being out of hand is the so called "zero tolerance" policies. The victims need to be able to smack a few of the low life bully cowards and the bullying will soon stop. Don't suggest the victim run to the teacher. That makes the bullying worse. 3. Statements like "liberals don't believe in the constitution" are disingenuous; I don't see any evidence that conservatives believe in it either. It's all a matter of which parts of the constitution they choose to ignore.

washingtonskier said on January 16, 2010 at 2:47 PM

and for those of you saying dont go to the site that isnt the right idea i have "freinds" on face book who bullie my constantly and i despize them but i have them as "freinds" because then i can see those kind of groups and see them talking trash about me and make sure that they stop because if you dont go to the site and no one does anything the kids will start beliving what they say about you and will move to a higher lvl because they start to belive that you are an enemy you are terrible.... its like the nazis hitler kept saying things about the jewish and people started to belive him and follow his orders because in their minds it was fact but it was just lies..... its is the hate speach that is said about one group or person that causes violence i know hitler and some preteens on facebook are very dinfrent but there was 1 thing incomon im glad that the kids didnt get to the lvl were they beat up what they have taught themselves to hate

washingtonskier said on January 16, 2010 at 1:28 PM

the biggest problems because the bullies cant beat you up insult you threaten you and you get punished

washingtonskier said on January 16, 2010 at 1:27 PM

daisydog it may just be my school but another problem is that when the kid getting bullied reports it he may get in trouble and if a bully fights a smaller kid and the smaller kid scared for his life beat the bully senseless the smaller kid gets it harder punishment wise then the kid who came at him threating him it happened to my brother who is 5' 90lbs and a 5' 10" 240lbs came at him he was scared and beat the kid senseless because the last time it happened and he tryd to get away the kid tackled him on concrete the bigger kid still ost but he knew if he didnt make completely sure the kid would be hurting to much to caome back at him that hed throw him down the stairs... the bigger kid got a black eye and a head ache my brother got a bloody nose and bloody fat lip and because my brother threw a punch back he got 5 days suspension and he didnt even say anything mean to the other kid... the kid who started it got 3 days inhouse....... he got punished for protecting himself thats one of

daisydog said on January 16, 2010 at 1:18 PM

Why the rise in bullying? More of it is being reported, and more of the students lives are pure chaos outside the classroom. Some kids grown up thinking their name is "sit down" or "shut up", many are busy taking care of younger siblings, because their parents are working two jobs to pay the bills. Educators are required by law to provide a safe environment for the students. Yes, you do have the freedom of speech, but when that freedom has a negative effect on a individual to such a degree that the students education is affected, then Laws must be adhered to.

washingtonskier said on January 16, 2010 at 11:32 AM

works alot better then suspension because they see you are no coward and they dont want to bully a non cowrd

washingtonskier said on January 16, 2010 at 11:31 AM

kimmiee12 i never said it was right that the kids joined its just i have gone through the same thing except i went back to school confronted the other kids and said "say that to my face if you want to say that" most kids were cowards and said they were extremly sorry and they wont do it again and the other ones have completely ignored me since then..... its never been better when you confront the problem and fight your own battles because when ive gone to a staff member and they punish the kids then it makes things worse but if you call the kids out and have the bullied one do this it scares the bullies most of the time and they will stop because they see you arent an easy target but when the staff does the work the see you as an easy target and a coward....... i still go to school i know what bullys are and the way that works the best is try nd figure out why then tell them "are youtrying to cover up your own homsexuality?" or "are you trying to make up for the beatings your dad gives

deniseh1006 said on January 16, 2010 at 10:55 AM

It's not that the kids have "thin skin" these days. Bullying is getting way out of hand and parents need to start teaching their kids at a young age how to get along with others. Public schools need to pay attention to this. Kids die every year as a result of bullying, whether it is the bully killing someone, the kid being bullied killing, or the child being bullied killing themseves. If someone can't teach their kids to not bully others then they should take parenting classes or not have kids.

badfrog said on January 16, 2010 at 10:23 AM

FREEDOM OF SPEECH It's in the Constitution...OOPS my mistake...liberals don't believe in the constitution, and most that I know who are working inthe education field are the minds full of mush liberals. There are three things that made this country what is was or should I say was..GOD guns and guts... liberals want to take all three away. The schools are teaching these kids to be wimps. I pity this kid if he ever tries to join the military SEMPER FI

kimmiee12 said on January 16, 2010 at 7:01 AM

Well as I see it, if parents were doing there job then the school would not have to. Today parents do not care what there kids are doing as long as they are not bothering them, also parents are not active in thier childs life, do not know who thier friends are, or what they are doing. I kept my boys so active in sports, boy scouts, church and family life, they did not have the time to get in to trouble. As for the comment that kids join because others do, I will ask what my parents would ask me. " JUST BECAUSE SOMEONE ELSE JUMPS OFF THE BRIDGE ARE YOU GOING TO DO IT." I do not by that they do it just because, some may but not all. Parents need to get back to the basics with thier kids. " DO UNTO OTHERS, AS YOU WOULD HAVE DONE UNTO YOU!!!!!!!!"

washingtonskier said on January 16, 2010 at 2:55 AM

ok im sure some one must have found the group name by now what is the name thats gotten all these kids in trouble? and most kids joining a group on facebook join because every one else is doing it not because they dont lke the kid

collegeguy said on January 16, 2010 at 1:06 AM

Davidadams, your last post I completely agree with. However, these kids did something that was wrong and should be punished. These kids may not have the parents needed to teach them right from wrong, so if not the school taking action, where do you purpose that they gets this education, in jail after they have killed someone? Beaten someone? The school is a far better first step to curb malicious activity than just throwing these kids in jail because they were not taugh by the parents to be respectful of others. As the one student posted, many of the kids probably did not think about it and joined because their friends did and may not have even know the victim. At that age, kids are susceptible to that negative influance more so than us adults. I really do not like seeing columbine repeated in any school and if that means we have to take action when the parents will not or do not, we have to do so. So think your post through a little more and see want I am trying to get you to see.

happiness4all said on January 16, 2010 at 12:29 AM

We live in a nation that rewards cheats, bails out irresponsible corporations, glorifies headonistic behavior, and as evidenced by the ganging up on David has no tolerance for opposing views. Kids should be taught right compassion at home, and it shoul reinforced in school. Dialogue is the most critical component here. An assembly should address the topic, Adults aware of the situation should have the fan page pulled, and families should engage in discussions that explore compassion, approaching this from the bullies', the victim's and the bystander's view. It is not okay to bully others. Accountability for ones actions lies ultimately within ones self. This is an opportunity to build character, at all levels and is a teaching opportunity. Bullying is age old. The electronic era just provides us with a permanent record of words, that are easily traced. Suspension is meaningless without engaging the minds in higher thought. COMPASSION PEOPLE.... COMPASSION!

bearz said on January 15, 2010 at 10:51 PM

Oh and in response to yougotabekiddnme i am guessing the majority of these kids were actually not underage. on myspace as long as you say that you are under 18 that is all they care about ( I just newly signed up). And on facebook im pretty sure it is 13 and over which is middle school age. And to all of you people who think it is the parents fault. as a teenager myself, trust me unless you take your kids cell phone itouches and computers away there is nothing you can do it about it, just teach your kid but by the age of 10 i already knew how to delete my history and by the age of 11-12 i could hide anything i was doing on the computer. and its getting younger and younger. Just saying.

bearz said on January 15, 2010 at 10:45 PM

I Just graduated from this school last year, and let me say i am pretty appalled by this and completely torn at the same time. At one side i have a feeling i know these kids unless they were 6th graders of course, and so i believe that the school should have stayed out of it. Unless of course it was affecting school life, and if was not then i don't know if i think they should punish them. But otherwise, i trust Ms.Pritchett's and the administrators judgment on this one they have good heads on their shoulder and i wouldn't be suprised if the reason they decided to interfere was that the people in the group were repeat offenders. If that is the case i think these guys should have gotten harsher punishment.

nothemesiah said on January 15, 2010 at 10:22 PM

Well I must say we live in a world today that is far removed from the one I grew up in. Kids getting kicked out of school for cyberbullying? People concerned that the kid who was "bullied" might snap and come back to school with a gun and shoot his bulies? I might be way off base here but are they not just kids? If I remember correctly kids are at times less than adult. Hell adults don't allways act like adults. When I was growing up there was a saying " sticks and stones will break my bones but NAMES will NEVER hurt me." Now they teach that names do hurt you, and I guess if you let them they do. What the kids did was not right, heaven forbid they should, at the age of 13, be above childish behavior. You can quote W.A.C.'s all day for all I care, I did not understand that as children we as adults hold them to a higher standard than we were held to. Did the kids do this act of terrorism (I am suprised no one has called it that yet), using school computers or on school time? get over it

rsaunder said on January 15, 2010 at 9:04 PM

At the supper table, our kids chuckled at the students, parents and administration. Sounds like a pretty normal bunch of kids who are growing up in a public school where parents imagine an idealized world or are trying to right all childhood wrongs by using excessive suspensions. Talk about rude, excessive (AKA bullying) and harassing comments, folks, we are all about rude in today’s society – well, at least in this reader board. My experience at McClure showed that the routine for the adults (AKA– teachers, disciplinary officers, school board members, their legal advisor and this inexperienced principal) was to coach these impressionable kids in how to use their position of power to engage in excessive and inappropriate behaviors (AKA harassment and bullying). A couple examples: • Teaching students that sex and drugs are part of American culture • Classroom discussions about books in which foul behavior is ignored – think the rape scene in a Clockwork Orange

davidadams said on January 15, 2010 at 8:32 PM

Sorry College, danc and dawn.. it's the PARENT'S job to raise their children.. NOT the school system..NOT the police..and NOT the Internet. If emotionally taunted kid goes to school with dad's gun and blows the place away, it's the failure of the PARENTS.. all this whinging about 'I don't know what my child is up to' or 'what websites they go to' blah blah.. it's your JOB to know. And don't give me the excuses and sob stories.. YOU had the children..YOU need to raise them. They make condoms for a reason. YOU need to get involved and know what/where/with whom they are. YOU need to foster the sense of self-respect and reason in your child so that a crowd of pinhead kids and their website doesn't bruise Jr's fragile ego. YOU choose to let the Internet babysit your child.. and see what happens. NO EXCUSES for bad parenting.

daisydog said on January 15, 2010 at 7:59 PM

This makes it the school jurisdiction: WAC (Washington Administrative code) 148-120-100 Discusses just how this is the schools business: Article 4 in particular: (4) Disruption. Disorderly, intimidating or abusive behavior which interferes with the rights of others, school, or school-sponsored activities; obstructing the free movement of people or vehicles; inciting others to engage in prohibited conduct; or threatening disruption. Article 19 also addresses this issue: (19) Malicious harassment. There have been many cases through a number of states in which parents have gone to court to argue against any number of type of suspensions--- some of which have involved off school property, after hours conduct, and the courts (all the way to state supreme courts) have consistently voted in favor of the suspensions. Cut and paste the link below to go to the web site: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=148-120-100

yougotabekiddnme said on January 15, 2010 at 4:41 PM

graysblog...The internet can be a great resource, but FB and MySpace have minimum age requirements for good reason. Why do you think parental blocks were created? Have you never googled something and come across inappropriate content inadvertently? If parents allow it they had better supervise well. If You grew up on the internet I hope you did not use it to inflict pain to others.

graysblog said on January 15, 2010 at 4:33 PM

@graham: Way to be ignorant, thanks for throwing dirt on my first name here.. :/ @yougotabekiddnme: Wow, that's incredibly ignorant. I grew up with the internet and social networking was a large part of the learning experience in my life. Thanks to the internet & self-education, I have a job & technical skills to build my life on.

graysblog said on January 15, 2010 at 4:31 PM

@graham: Put the brats in jail? Thanks for putting dirt on my name man your clearly sympathetic to kids. @yougotabekiddnme: Fining people for using the internet? I'm all for kids using the internet, it was one of my greatest learning tools growing up and social networking was a big part of that. You have got to be one of the single most ignorant people posting in here.

yougotabekiddnme said on January 15, 2010 at 3:51 PM

My daughter asked me why all these underage kids are allowed on FB and MySpace. I told her it was the parent's fault. So...how about a very pricey fine, say $2,000.00 when a minor is caught using one of these sites, and $5,000.00 for each recurrent offense? This would GREATLY INCREASE parental supervision, and help keep kids safer in general. After all, there are lots of ways to get into trouble online. The money could go to some good cause.

friendofjohn said on January 15, 2010 at 3:12 PM

i am a student who goes to mcclure and i am also a friend of the cyberbullying victim i had a chance to talk to some of these students on why they were to join a group such as this and they simply replied "i don't know." i belive that the 2 day suspension was not enough but any hate or rude groups on facebook should definatly be reported.

moondawn said on January 15, 2010 at 3:04 PM

davidadams you seem a bit thin-skinned to me. Parents aren't always aware of what their children are up to particularly on the internet. I can't control what my child does when he isn't using my computer and there are many places to get access without my knowledge. Personally I don't have a computer at home becasue I don't want the risk of my child accessing inappropriate material and the little bugger is sharp, he can get around parental controls. So, minimized exposure equals minimized risk. I think the school had to make a very clear statement that this kind of thing is not OK and won't be tolerated. I think the world would be a better place if more people reacted with a strong message of condemnation and less said it's no bg deal. Just my 2 cents.

tinkers526 said on January 15, 2010 at 2:46 PM

To all of you who don't get how the school can suspend the kids when they aren't even at school.....it's just like if they went to a party and were on a sports team and were caught drinking...non-school activity but they still get busted for it. It's about time the schools started doing something. Obviously there was talk around "School" otherwise the principal wouldn't have caught on....so I commend the school for taking the actions they did. Kids need to be taught at an early age not to be bully's. Everyone is different and we need to educate these kids on how they would feel if they were in this kids shoes.

yougotabekiddnme said on January 15, 2010 at 2:21 PM

I'm glad the school took action. However, a suspension is not much of a punishment to a child. Aw, man...no school for days? And while they are suspended they are texting one another. Our school district gives the principal the right to have the kids do community service. I would like to see that done. Hopefully some hard work would be more of a deterrent.

collegeguy said on January 15, 2010 at 2:14 PM

wow davidadams, you seriously are ingnorant aren't you. How many people have to tell you that you are wrong for you to see how ignorant you are? This kid has to go to school with these people and regardless of the fact that it is posted on facebook, their friends tell them about it and then that kid feels like everyone hates them, that kid may or may not have social issues already and it could possibly cause them to shoot those other kids and/or commit suicide. We did not do anything to prove your point, you are just in denial that you are wrong. The school has every right to suspend these students. Yeah, you have to be able to brush insults off that doesn't make it right and doesn't mean you have to tolerate the treatment that others are giving you.

deanr3000 said on January 15, 2010 at 1:53 PM

With a son in elementary school, I completely agree with the principal's actions in this. I think it is completely appropriate to punish and teach the effects of bullying in whatever form it takes. This is not acceptable behavior, no matter the content or medium in which the bullying takes place. Period.

shoreline said on January 15, 2010 at 1:53 PM

Another vote for the school handling things correctly. I know that in many Jr. High and High Schools, kids can be suspended and kicked off sports teams if they are caught drinking or using drugs regardless of where it happens. Clearly there are kids who are not being supervised and/or disciplined by thier "parents". A lot of schools also have kids (and parents) sign a piece of paper saying that they read and understand the school's "code of conduct". I'd wager a guess bullying is something that is covered extensively.

sam11 said on January 15, 2010 at 12:34 PM

Good discussion thus far about keeping kids accountable for their actions yet drawing a line at some point. davidadams, you're the EXACT kind of person who was probably a bully in high school and even now, so I don't think anyone else should really spend their time trying to persuade someone who isn't here for intelligent and respectful discussion of opposing viewpoints. As for the people who say the administrators have no right to discipline the kids unless they used school computers- not true...though it seems it would be. Schools are LEGALLY responsible for addressing any kind of harassment or violence that results from something that started at school. Chances are that this bullying started at school and was continued and amplified over the net. Whether the school likes it or not, they had to address it.

wannadanc said on January 15, 2010 at 11:36 AM

Organdonor - you finally said what I was looking for - thank you!!! Do we have to revisit Columbine for the likes of the Davidadams type folks out there to "get" what happens when kids are bullied!!!! We didn't grow up in the world of cyber and all of that. We cannot know what it is like to sustain this. I would not have to visit the offensive page in order to be stung by the slings and arrows. The school did the right thing - because no one else will.

musicfreak said on January 15, 2010 at 11:25 AM

You can get fired from a job for things you post on FB, Twitter or MySpace, and yes, kids can and should be suspended for things on any social networking site that is detrimental to another student or the school. Would you argue about kids getting suspended for posting about how they want to blow up their school when they're not AT school? No, I doubt you would. Bravo to the school for doing what was right and teaching these kids a lesson. And why in the world aren't the parents watching what their kids are doing on the internet? My kid is in 8th grade and he's not allowed to have a FB or MS page, because it's against FB and MS rules AND it's friggen DANGEROUS.

organdonor said on January 15, 2010 at 11:25 AM

The problem is davidadams, this can lead to the said kid coming to school with a gun and standing up for himself. Then let me guess, you'd be the one to say throw away the key because the kid killed a few dozen classmates standing up for himself.

coug85 said on January 15, 2010 at 11:18 AM

Does Anybody really know the details of this page? Cause i would be really interested to know what constitutes 'Cyberbullying" in this case. The school should have no jurisdiction to suspend the kids for posting something on a website away from school. Oh no my kid join a anti-Obama group that is bullying the president should i suspend him?? I do agree that something should have been done, but not by the school. Notify the parents and let them take the discipline action and still have your "Assemblies to tell the kids what is right and wrong.

raygrinn said on January 15, 2010 at 11:17 AM

I dont thin'k it is so much that they are doing it away from school so they should'nt be punished. I think there are peices to the story that we are missing. There is a lot of things that are probably carrying over into school. And if the school found out about the website i'm sure there was probably a trace of it somewhere in the school hints the reason why they suspended the students in the first place. And davidadams our job as parents is not to teach our kids that the world is cold deal with it and suck it up; it is our job to protect them. They do not understand that it is not the end of the world just yet they are only children. Understanding that comes with maturity!

yougotabekiddnme said on January 15, 2010 at 10:58 AM

Anyone who thinks the school should not discipline the kids does not realize the victim has to attend school with these creeps. You bet there is enough tension in the air you could cut it with a knife. Not an atmosphere conducive to education. Most times the victim will not want to attend school anymore because it is so miserable to be there. But if the victim leaves, the bullies win. Leave your child in an environment like this and they soon become depressed and suicidal. If you have a shred of decency you will understand bullying cannot be allowed. I can gaurantee you there was one child who conceived the FB page, and led others there. And her parents will say repeatedly that it was just a joke, until others actually begin to believe that. A few parents will be screaming that they will bring their lawyers if their little precious is disciplined, because, of course, princess can do no wrong. You can only hope they are in for the ride of their lives when she is sixteen.

yougotabekiddnme said on January 15, 2010 at 10:50 AM

Anyone who thinks the school should not discipline the kids does not realize the victim has to attend school with these creeps. You bet there is enough tension in the air you could cut it with a knife. Not an atmosphere conducive to education. Most times the victim will not want to attend school anymore because it is so miserable to be there. But if the victim leaves, the bullies win. Leave your child in an environment like this and they soon become depressed and suicidal. If you have a shred of decency you will understand bullying cannot be allowed. I can gaurantee you there was one child who conceived the FB page, and led others there. And her parents will say repeatedly that it was just a joke, until others actually begin to believe that. A few parents will be screaming that they will bring their lawyers if their little precious is disciplined, because, of course, princess can do no wrong. You can only hope they are in for the ride of their lives when she is sixteen

yougotabekiddnme said on January 15, 2010 at 10:33 AM

You are naive if you think the parents will discipline their kids. The parents of the ringleader will do nothing. The child will continue to use FB and probably Myspace too, without any restrictions from the parents. It takes work to raise a child properly, and many parents out there are lazy and overindulgent. It is easier to send the child to their room with a cell phone than to actually interact with them. Permissive parents are what created this problem in the first place. There will be some parents of the 20-30 kids suspended that will be shocked and they will discipline their children. I hope what happens here is that the real creep, the child who started the whole thing, is shunned by his or her peers. But I don't think that will happen until they are much older and the kids begin to realize what occured. I would also put money down that a girl was the ringleader. Boys don't bully in this manner, not like girls will.

davenwa said on January 15, 2010 at 10:22 AM

I've got to tell you, I think the school has NO business in this unless school computers were being used. If this is really such a bad thing, turn it over to police. What's next? Students get suspended for not doing their chores at home, stealing from the collection plate at church, sneaking out of the house at night, etc.???

graham said on January 15, 2010 at 10:15 AM

Put the brats in jail

lilredcv said on January 15, 2010 at 9:55 AM

For those against the school stepping in on this matter? I think you're naive to think that the bullying is just stopping at the website! Odds are, many of the kids who joined that FB group are busy making snide comments about the student to his/her face during school hours too. Not only that, there's all the rumors and innuendo's going around that can crush a young man/woman and you can bet your wordly possessions it's NOT just on the internet!! Websites dedicated to such callousness are just a stepping stone to those who are inclined to such malicious behavior!

icecrystal23 said on January 15, 2010 at 9:35 AM

When I read the article, I thought the school's action was appropriate. However, many readers have pointed out that the school seems to be acting outside of their jurisdiction. This seems to be a valid point. Perhaps it would have been best if the school had just informed Facebook (to remove the page) and the parents (to discipline as they wish).

davidadams said on January 15, 2010 at 9:20 AM

Some of you choads are making my point for me.. especially you, collegeguy.. 'Cyberbullying'? come on.. a bunch of kids posting things on a WEBSITE about one kid in particular? SO WHAT? it's an easy fix.. DON'T GO TO THE WEBSITE.. People think the Internet is this safe, warm and fuzzy place..It's not.. This is teaching kids that anytime their fragile egos are bruised, that others will fight their battles for them...way to raise weak children. But..then again..if it's all the parents know, they're just passing on their own baggage. The kid should be taught to buck up and brush it off.. no one is hurting him... and the story certainly doesn't suggest the kid is being harmed at school. ---Also.. and I'm sure the irony has missed the mentally slower of you, but a comment is posted...and a bunch of people..on a website..come out of the woodwork to gang up on one poster...all in DEFENSE of punishment for a bunch of people ganging up on one person...you all make me laugh with your hypocrisy

brewster said on January 15, 2010 at 8:27 AM

A week away from school probably isn't much of a punishment for most kids!

wittyname said on January 15, 2010 at 8:23 AM

They need a where are they now show for bullies. Most of the time bullies end up worse off in life than those they bullied. Hmmm, how is your life DavidAdams? Anyway, this is good that they would crack down on the students involved in this. School is for education. It is hard to learn if you are dealing with mean spirited peers constantly.

opusxcellent said on January 15, 2010 at 8:18 AM

My problem with this is that the school is out of there jurisdiction. (unless there posting on Facebook on school property (which should be blocked anyway)) How can the school suspend someone for doing something in there own home? and what keep the kids home so they have all day to keep posting. If they wanted to inform the parents of what was going on that would of been fine, but now that this kid got 20 of his peers suspended for cyberbullying he'll probably get real bullied now, welcome to hell, as if middle school wasn't bad enough. Also hasn't this kid ever heard of block button you don't have to see anything you don't want to on Facebook.

louisa said on January 15, 2010 at 8:01 AM

Good. I went to McClure a looooong time ago, and even then time the bullying was horrible. Many female students were afraid to even go to the bathroom. At that time, we had one female Phys Ed teacher who went around kicking in the doors of the restroom stalls looking for smokers whether there were girls smoking in the stalls or not. Bravo to this principal for being so proactive. Apparently, this davidadams has no kids of his own, or he would probably have a different take on this issue. I hope the parents of these kid disapline them too. noskills, while this incident took place away from off of school grounds, it is still a school related incident.

fleetkanani said on January 15, 2010 at 7:01 AM

Davidadams. Thin skinned is not the issue,, bulling is never acceptable, under ANY circumstances. .. I am very glad that something is being done about it..

noskills said on January 15, 2010 at 6:58 AM

I'm torn on this. While I don't like what those kids did I also don't like the idea of the school being able to suspend people for things they did away from school. Now if they went to facebook and joined that fan site while at school then sure suspend them but things you do away from school should be up to your parents to discipline not the school.

r3ddy said on January 15, 2010 at 6:34 AM

davidadams - do you really think someone having over 20 of his peers bully him is "thin-skinned?" instead of seeing it as teaching our kids to be thin-skinned, how about seeing it as demonstrating to them that ganging up on one kid is unacceptable behavior. being respectful to other people, whether or not you like them, is important. being bullied is terrible, and to have a web page devoted to how much people don't like you is awful - that's out there for anyone to see.

mochamia said on January 15, 2010 at 6:10 AM

The principal is to be commended! It is so important that people understand the harm that is done by bullies! Hopefully, those suspended will realize what they have done- they should know 'it'( bullying) could happen to them!

jenasal said on January 15, 2010 at 1:53 AM

Good for Mcclure! Children need to learn how to get along with fellow students and if they cant at least show some respect and dont intentionally go after them and hurt their feelings. Someday these kids will be adults and have to look themselves in a mirror, knowing what they did! Im glad the parents are standing by the school and not attacking their decisions!!!!!!!!

davidadams said on January 15, 2010 at 12:17 AM

Wow, we're teaching our children to have thin skins these days..

seattle1111 said on January 14, 2010 at 11:19 PM

they deserve worse than 2 or 8 day suspensions.not cool