Teen charged with threatening school official via MySpace Blog

Article Here


Apprently this teen was venting via his myspace blog, and now the school bored is charging him with a felony.

On top of that, check the following out:

"Starting next year, all students in extracurricular activities in Community High School District 128, which includes Libertyville and Vernon Hills high schools, must sign an agreement that evidence of “illegal or inappropriate” behavior posted on the Internet could be grounds for disciplinary action."



Isn't this going a little bit to far?




I think so.

"We can't control what you're doing at home. Oh, yes we can."

What ever happened to freedom of speech?

This is like the kid who got a 10 day suspension for saying that the school was infringing on his rights on xanga...
http://www.chicagotribune.com/techno...,7235179.story

Where will it stop? Schools are getting more power hungry it seems, when it comes to controlling students.

I believe IMO any type of threat should be taken seriously, the problem with this kid is he publicly put it out there, so damn straight I would hope the authorities take action, and wether it's print or electronic, a threat to life is a threat period...

These personal blogs/myspace et al are breeding grounds for misplaced talking, it's like the person walking through JFK and because he's in a pissy mood about traffic he mentions the word "bomb" half assed jokingly...duh.. guess what happens to this guy next if it's overheard...but he didn't mean it, may take hours to explain downtown...

So inappropriate language of a threatening nature should be investigated, young people have to understand that what they say on the net can be and will be used against them, same with text messaging or nasty threatening emails, it's a signature/proof.(not just young people either, all ages can be at fault).

Now the school board making students sign an agreement is maybe a bit much, as how is the school going to ensure impartiality when it comes time to charge someone in breach of this agreement, anybody can pose as someone on the net, so unless they suspend the entire school, can't really see that working... :rolleyes:

Free speech does not apply to illegal actions (such as making threats). If he threatened a school official, I think he should be liable to discipline at the school and from the police, etc. If the matter at questions involves the school, then they should have some recourse. But if this was a non-school related matter, then the school should not be involved (unless they fetl that he was a threat to other students or faculity).

Bottom line, if it involves the school and the safety of people there, then they have every right to be concerned and discipline him over what he puts on myspace or what he says at McDonald's for that matter.

I don't see the need to have students sign an agreement. Unless this is just for the purpose of warning them of the consequences if they break the law.

I'd like to establish the line between freedom of speech and freedom of fear .... ?

Hi Trevoke,
Could you elaborate on this a bit; I don't understand.

Quote:

---

I'd like to establish the line between freedom of speech and freedom of fear .... ?

---

Freedom of speech implies that one can say absolutely everything that one wants.
This means that I could yell "Fire" in a crowded theater, or other some such nonsense.
There are of course some laws which limit this, in situations where freedom of speech has too much potential to harm people (like yelling "Fire" in a crowded theater).

Freedom of fear is something that I wrote to follow 'freedom of speech', which didn't quite work as well as I hoped it would. It's essentially letting fear run untamed and taking everything seriously.
I can't count the amount of times I told friends I was going to kill them when I was younger, or my brother.
Repressive action is ridiculous. Preventive action, alright.. Or healing action. Fix the problem. Have the youth talk with the person who was threatened -- But make it clear it's not a punishment.

Where do you draw the line? If you take everyone seriously, then a 1984 situation crops up.
If you don't take anyone seriously, those who are serious will do some damage.

Ben Franklin said something pretty neat which adds some dimension to the whole thing (paraphrase) : "Those who are willing to trade freedom for security deserve neither."

So where do you draw the line? Where?

That's all well and good, but what if the person uttering the threats was not joking, and carries through with them..ah well his/her rights are protected but the people he/she just murdered well tough sh*t.

It is better to intervene and hopefully the kid was just kidding, and everyone walks away and forgets about it...hhhmmm what has anyone learned from that? it's okay to tell someone that you are going to kill them and when confronted, they say just kidding and all's well...BS who's to say after the dust has settled the switch in this kid's head goes off and well guess what, he wasn't kidding...people need to accept responsibility for their actions, if you know that what you are going to say or write is inherently wrong, then don't fecking say it..

Your right in that most of everything is taken way too seriously now, things we used to take for granted is being eroded due to political correctness, but it is the times, 20 or 30 yrs ago you could actually get away with saying something stupid at the airport like I want this plane to go to Hawaii, and everyone would laugh, slap ya on the back and carry on, or like you said, it was normal for brothers and sisters to try I mean say things like I'm going to kill you, or even to parents, but with the neurotic times we live in, everything said that may have the potential to do harm is going to be acted on...Let's face it, if today's society is willing to send a 6yr old to jail for kissing another 6 yr old at the playground , then yeah they are going to get upset with death threats...

Society is screwed up for sure.
Instead of chastizing the child, I'd go and look at the parents. I mean, for fsck's sake, who's responsible for the way the child grows up?

Quote:

---

Originally posted here by dalek
That's all well and good, but what if the person uttering the threats was not joking, and carries through with them..ah well his/her rights are protected but the people he/she just murdered well tough sh*t.

It is better to intervene and hopefully the kid was just kidding, and everyone walks away and forgets about it...hhhmmm what has anyone learned from that? it's okay to tell someone that you are going to kill them and when confronted, they say just kidding and all's well...BS who's to say after the dust has settled the switch in this kid's head goes off and well guess what, he wasn't kidding...people need to accept responsibility for their actions, if you know that what you are going to say or write is inherently wrong, then don't fecking say it..

Your right in that most of everything is taken way too seriously now, things we used to take for granted is being eroded due to political correctness, but it is the times, 20 or 30 yrs ago you could actually get away with saying something stupid at the airport like I want this plane to go to Hawaii, and everyone would laugh, slap ya on the back and carry on, or like you said, it was normal for brothers and sisters to try I mean say things like I'm going to kill you, or even to parents, but with the neurotic times we live in, everything said that may have the potential to do harm is going to be acted on...Let's face it, if today's society is willing to send a 6yr old to jail for kissing another 6 yr old at the playground , then yeah they are going to get upset with death threats...

---

How is it better to intervene and hope he was kidding for the kid's sake? He's got a FELONY on his record now! He will have trouble getting a job for the rest of his life. Why don't they try counseling or other such techniques on a FOURTEEN year old. If the person was older, it'd be reasonable to charge and worry later, but to automatically charge a 14 year old with a felony before trying to work things out with him is, in my opinion, absoulutly ridiculous. Do we want to send the message of "shoot first ask questions later" to the youth?

Quote:

---

Originally posted here by The Grunt
How is it better to intervene and hope he was kidding for the kid's sake? He's got a FELONY on his record now! He will have trouble getting a job for the rest of his life. Why don't they try counseling or other such techniques on a FOURTEEN year old. If the person was older, it'd be reasonable to charge and worry later, but to automatically charge a 14 year old with a felony before trying to work things out with him is, in my opinion, absoulutly ridiculous. Do we want to send the message of "shoot first ask questions later" to the youth?

---

Why is it different if your older then 14?..where is the line for when a person can get access or have access to a firearm and is knowledgeable in using it and then carries out the threat. Okay so you don't want this kid to have a record....so what do you do, you counsel him and then what? he may still have a hate on for his intended victim, all you are doing is delaying the inevitable if he wants to carry out his threat......at what point does a person understand that his/her actions have consequences and learns from those and accepts the responsibilities for those consequences?

Quote:

---

Originally posted here by dalek

at what point does a person understand that his/her actions have consequences and learns from those and accepts the responsibilities for those consequences?

---

That's exactly the point. A 14-year-old's mind is not mature yet. Hell, the mind really isn't mature until 25-30 nowadays, but too many mistakes can be made at this point due to society's restrictions, placed on antiquated ages for antiquated reasons.

I don't see why we would want to **** up someone's life like that without trying to help them first. Honestly. Try paying attention to the kids. HEY! THE KEYWORD IS KIDS !
They're not adults. Don't forget that.

There was a case here recently where a teenager put a threat against another student at his school on his myspace account, apparently teachers, students and friends all knew about it. No one did anything, and as it turns out, the poster followed thru on his threat, and the kid who was beaten is now in the hospital, probably going to be a vegetable the rest of his life.

In his case, absolutely action should have been taken. Someone should have done something instead of sitting around with their thumbs up their butts.

Quote:

---

I don't see why we would want to **** up someone's life like that without trying to help them first. Honestly. Try paying attention to the kids. HEY! THE KEYWORD IS KIDS !
They're not adults. Don't forget that.

---

A question? have you any children of your own... kids are not kids in today's world, they are monster's today...and yep we were monster's when I was a kid...I am raising two(not alone).

The difference today, is we have lost site of the fact that children should play (outside).Everything is given to them today, I don't know if that's a result of the parents making up for what they thought they didn't have enough of when they were kids (materialisticly) or what, I am to blame just as much as the next parent (TV's, Playstations,Nintendo all cheap nannies)..

We sugar coat everything for kids today, we try to shield them from the boogeyman, or we instill our fears (Mother do you think they'll drop the bomb) into them.Societies neurosis's are catching up with them..it is a generational thing...when I grew up I was quickly taught the difference between right and wrong, because my parents grew up during a time when discipline was the keyword, nowaday's there is a lack of taught or self discipline...self discipline would have enabled that 14 yr old to keep his thoughts to himself,(wether he still carries it out or not who knows?) instead maybe due to testosterone or the cute chick in his class, he blabbed about offing a teacher.

So regardless of age, a death threat from a 14 year old is still as valid as if it was from a 50 yr old, as to the punishment phase, maybe a felony charge for that age is something that can be reduced to maybe a citation, to follow until he reaches age of consent and then if his record is clean, it gets wiped. But to blow it off because he is so young is not the right message to send to other's, in fact it is his age that should recieve the message loud and clear, that you can't go around spouting off about killing people..(Unless your Pat Robertson...and have lots of pull in the White House...Lol jk)

Quote:

---

Originally posted here by Trevoke
That's exactly the point. A 14-year-old's mind is not mature yet. Hell, the mind really isn't mature until 25-30 nowadays, but too many mistakes can be made at this point due to society's restrictions, placed on antiquated ages for antiquated reasons.

I don't see why we would want to **** up someone's life like that without trying to help them first. Honestly. Try paying attention to the kids. HEY! THE KEYWORD IS KIDS !
They're not adults. Don't forget that.

---

Those that have been injuried or killed by 14 year olds (and younger) might disagree. Obviously maturity is not based on age. On the flip side, many of us had to grow up at a very young age. That might have been helping your mother support the family, both parents killed, or whatever.

In this case, if he didn't not carryout the threat, then a felony is not warranted. There should be some other creative means to serve everyone.

I hope it's not sounding like I'm swaying with the wind. These should be a case by case basis and we should never create only one hard line reactive policy.

cheers

Quote:

---

I hope it's not sounding like I'm swaying with the wind. These should be a case by case basis and we should never create only one hard line reactive policy.

---

Good point. That's why we have courts and judges.

This kid had made a frivilous threat at the beginning of the school year. Most schools are less than 2 weeks from dissmissing--they honestly believe he's going to make good on a blog catharsis now? How deep did they have to dig on his blog to find it? He must post like twice every 9 months.

I'm with Trevoke on this one. The school is over-reacting, grabbing for power beyond their jurisdition. I very much agree with earlier said that Freedom from Fear !> Freedom of Expression.

So i guess a lot of you think that the kid of 7 charged with sexualy assault for kissing his friend in the playground was as guilty as hell. How many of us here can say given the description of the charge we have not commited a felony at least twice in the last year. Then again we are talking about the states where every one is living in a constant threat enviroment which is now changeing to a constant threat socitey.

Quote:

---

This kid had made a frivilous threat

---

Children are so innocent? :rolleyes:


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/1996315.stm


http://www.dagoddess.com/mt/archives/000271.html

Quote:

---

Every year there are tragedies in which children shoot and kill individuals after making threats. When this occurs, everyone asks themselves, "How could this happen?" and "Why didn't we take the threat seriously?"

Most threats made by children or adolescents are not carried out. Many such threats are the child's way of talking "big" or tough, or getting attention. Sometimes these threats are a reaction to a perceived hurt, rejection, or attack.

What threats should be taken seriously?
Examples of potentially dangerous or emergency situations with a child or adolescent include:

* threats or warnings about hurting or killing someone
* threats or warnings about hurting or killing oneself
* threats to run away from home
* threats to damage or destroy property

Child and adolescent psychiatrists and other mental health professionals agree that it is very difficult to predict a child's future behavior with complete accuracy. A person's past behavior, however, is still one of the best predictors of future behavior. For example, a child with a history of violent or assaultive behavior is more likely to carry out his/her threats and be violent.

When is there more risk associated with threats from children and adolescents?
The presence of one or more of the following increases the risk of violent or dangerous behavior:

* past violent or aggressive behavior (including uncontrollable angry outbursts)
* access to guns or other weapons
* bringing a weapon to school
* past suicide attempts or threats
* family history of violent behavior or suicide attempts
* blaming others and/or unwilling to accept responsibility for one's own actions
* recent experience of humiliation, shame, loss, or rejection
* bullying or intimidating peers or younger children
* a pattern of threats
* being a victim of abuse or neglect (physical, sexual, or emotional)
* witnessing abuse or violence in the home
* themes of death or depression repeatedly evident in conversation, written expressions, reading selections, or artwork
* preoccupation with themes and acts of violence in TV shows, movies, music, magazines, comics, books, video games, and Internet sites
* mental illness, such as depression, mania, psychosis, or bipolar disorder
* use of alcohol or illicit drugs
* disciplinary problems at school or in the community (delinquent behavior)
* past destruction of property or vandalism
* cruelty to animals
* firesetting behavior
* poor peer relationships and/or social isolation
* involvement with cults or gangs
* little or no supervision or support from parents or other caring adult

What should be done if parents or others are concerned?
When a child makes a serious threat it should not be dismissed as just idle talk. Parents, teachers, or other adults should immediately talk with the child. If it is determined that the child is at risk and the child refuses to talk, is argumentative, responds defensively, or continues to express violent or dangerous thoughts or plans, arrangements should be made for an immediate evaluation by a mental health professional with experience evaluating children and adolescents. Evaluation of any serious threat must be done in the context of the individual child's past behavior, personality, and current stressors. In an emergency situation or if the child or family refuses help, it may be necessary to contact local police for assistance or take the child to the nearest emergency room for evaluation. Children who have made serious threats must be carefully supervised while awaiting professional intervention. Immediate evaluation and appropriate ongoing treatment of youngsters who make serious threats can help the troubled child and reduce the risk of tragedy.

---

http://www.aacap.org/publications/factsfam/65.htm

If you don't think children are quite capable of carrying out these threats, then you don't know children...

I don't support the felony crap, as it is moot anyways, here in Canada we have the stupid Young Offenders Act, which is basically a free pass for Juvenile Delinquents. Intervention is the answer, but these things such as a death threat should not be taken lightly....

Quote:

---

preoccupation with themes and acts of violence in TV shows, movies, music, magazines, comics, books, video games, and Internet sites

---

I'm not sold on this stuff, as it seems to be a convenient excuse, to lay blame elsewhere, but the majority of what is listed are signals...IMHO the bottom line is the parents need to get a grip on their kids...

Everyone is capable of a crime, that's simple enough. The issue is just the degree and context of which precautions are being taken.

10 years ago a kid would have written this kind of excerpt in a paper bound journal: "Teacher X is a jerk. He treats me like and idiot everyday! Sometimes I wish I could just bash his head in till he shuts up for good."

Today they type it in a digital variant of the journal to share their feelings with their friends. The kid whom wrote that in his paper journal a decade ago graduated and never once came close to doing anything about it. The only difference is now we can read their journals--is it any suprise that teenagers might express something other than a crush? It was an expression taken way out of context.

People talk bulls*** all of the time, especially hormonal teenagers in journals. Livejournals, Xangas, & Myspaces are places were EMO b****ing and melodrama reign supreme. The simple fact that the ENTIRE school year passed without any notice of this treat is a testament to how serious it isn't. This is just overreaction and paranoia at work.

Dalek : no, I don't have any kids of my own, I'm still a little young for that.

I think you've misunderstood me. I didn't say children were innocent, and I didn't say they were unable to carry out threats. I said they were immature. Can they hurt, maim and kill? Oh, sure they can. Using their parents' gun or the rake in the shed. Whatever. Maybe even bare-fisted.

My point is that instead of saying "let's treat kids like adults!" ... We treat them like kids instead. Yeah, kids are monsters, and I still blame the parents for it. Dalek, you're raising kids, you have got to know how important the parents are in the child's mental formation (up to a point of course, then he'll stop listening, yadda yadda). Parents who care and want to raise adults, not children, probably do the best job at it.

Then we can get into the material issue : the incredibly quick change in society due to the rapid advance in technology is probably scarring two or three generations and it'll be a while before we really get used to it.
Back to the kid's death threat, though. As someone else said, it's all contextual, case-by-case.

... I still don't think that putting a felony on the kid's record was all that fair.

To be toataly honest in most of the cases where a kid is involved in a crime I'd stick the parents in the dock. A lot of the out of control kids you see are the result of the dont want to be bothered parents.

Good Evening


Sometimes there's not a darn thing you can do with or about some children. Call them the Bad Seed, the Omen or whatever. However, for the most part you are right on the mark about the parent's neglect in raising their children. I know of many guys that are always taking off to go fishing, golfing, etc., with their buds and not taking their young son with them. And of course, we all have a story....

When I grew up (yep here it comes) we didn't have more than 2 TV channels on the Black & White. We had to grow our own vegetables, chickens, and we traded with our neighbors for milk and fruit. I spent my youth tending to the chicks (fowl types), weeding the corn, and was riding horses before I entered elementary school. My Father was very firm but not unreasonable. He didn't beat us, however we did receive the appropriate correction when needed. As a family, we were together all the time. Whether that was in the field, eating together at the table, talking and watching the few TV shows that were available, and so on. Love and Respect for everyone and everything was ever present. We (my older sister and I) had real parents. Then as my parents started becoming more financially solvent, more children were born in the family and we moved into the city in the 60's. The time spent together as a family began to diminish drastically as other interests became available. As a result, the other children did not learn the same life lessons. What they learned they picked up at school, on TV, Videos etc. Then enter more money and booze. Both parents became alcoholics and in steps the subsitute parents found in the electronic world. Any form of discipline vanished along with Respect. Thus the destruction of the family unit was certain. Divorce transpired and all of the children went their separate ways.

In a nut shell, this parenting stuff begins before birth and ends only when you pass away.

cheers

warning! off-topic!

Quote:

---

Then again we are talking about the states where every one is living in a constant threat enviroment which is now changeing to a constant threat socitey.

---

Whoa-whoa-whoa. Let's stop the pretentious moral high horse for a second. I am getting tired of you and a few other of our non-US AO members, who are supposed to be morally superior, slamming my country every chance you get. Oh yes - Paris is the epitome of safety:

"Arrests linked to Paris attacks": http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/arr...804549422.html

"Silent march follows Paris riots": http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4388536.stm

"Maps: Riots in France": http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/4417096.stm

Yes - I am fully aware that my country is not perfect and that the current administration is faulty at best. Yes, we have a littany of problems to address. However, before you start pointing out my country's faults, and taking delight in them - as you and a few other non-US AO members do, should you not first be concerned with the country you have chosen as your residence?

/off-topic

I actually have no problem with pointing out and trying to deal with the problems in my host country or in Ireland. My posts have nothing to do with a" superior moral stand" it is I see the situtation in the US at the moment. If you look at a lot of my posts i make the point that any country would be doing almost the same as the US in that position. Maybe I do have a problem with how easily the US public are manipulated and also how fast they change their position. Also we are talking about the situation in the US in the posts and not in Europe.
As for your links if you have something to say about things happening outside the US well you can start a thread on it and you will see that I will slam stupidity just as harshly regardless what country it is.

warning - off-topic!

Hello MURACU-

Quote:

---

I actually have no problem with pointing out and trying to deal with the problems in my host country or in Ireland. My posts have nothing to do with a" superior moral stand" it is I see the situtation in the US at the moment. If you look at a lot of my posts i make the point that any country would be doing almost the same as the US in that position. Maybe I do have a problem with how easily the US public are manipulated and also how fast they change their position. Also we are talking about the situation in the US in the posts and not in Europe.
As for your links if you have something to say about things happening outside the US well you can start a thread on it and you will see that I will slam stupidity just as harshly regardless what country it is.

---

Yes. I know you have no problem pointing out problems, as I stated, you and a few select non-US AO members, seem to delight in pointing out the US's problems, while at the same time, I have not seen you taking the time to mention and debate your own country's concerns. I especially like the generalizations made about how the general public in the US is so easily manipulated; that notion I have captured more than once in your posts, and I wonder if you believe that no other populice can be manipulated, or do you just have a special hate for the US? Either way it does not matter, however, I will definitely now check to see if you slam stupidity no matter where it is found. At this point, I believe another thread would not serve a point, either than for us to bicker and not solve anything.

As for my links, I simply wished to point out that your place of current residence, at times is also afflicted with strife. I thought at first that you were trying to take a moral high ground, and at this point, it does not seem so, so I will reliquinsh my discussion point for now.

...
..
.

BTW - Happy Birthday! Hope it was a good one!

/off-topic

thanks for the birthday wishes GenXer from what i can remeber it was a good one :).
Back off topic. who's Bickering this is about one of the most adult discussions about a diiferance of opinions that i have seen on this site. As for the rest i think i answered most of your points in my last post. Just want to get the last word in :D can't do it at home.

And here I thought having a difference of opinion gets you negged off this site ;).

It is refreshing to be able to have a difference of opinion and not have the discussion have a down spiral. I'm at this point believing we have both stated our opinions and as I can't offer any solutions at this point, and I am not sure there are any, but all the same, I look forward to our next difference of opinion! :D

BTW - Adhering to my strict mantra of professionalism... *ahem... wait for ittttt...

Last Word! :p

And yes, I can't get in the last word at home either.

last word - not really :D.
Ok i'll stop here.
P.S sorry for hijacking the thread.

I have some thoughts on school discipline. It's too bad that people
seem to have a "zero tolerance" "all or nothing" attitude about everything.

When I was in High School, some of us decided to bring toy guns to
school to stage a mock battle "to protest against war".
After we had our fun, I was walking down the hall with my gun,
the vice principal came up and said "whatcha got?"
I showed him my water gun. He took it, put it in his pocket
and walked away. "But.. my gun?", I whined. "Run along, you'll be
late for class", he said.

In those days, the doctrine was "in loco parentis". The teachers were
proxies for parents, and acted with parental authority. If they wanted
to search your locker for dope, they didn't need a warrant.
On the other hand, they would not feel obligated to involve
law enforcement, because it was not a public matter.
They would flush your dope and call your parents.

They need to get law enforcement out of the schools, and give broad
disciplinary discretion to the school. Teachers, kids and parents
need to fight it out without cops or lawyers. If they can't agree,
then god help us.
:cool:

Quote:

---

In those days, the doctrine was "in loco parentis". The teachers were
proxies for parents, and acted with parental authority. If they wanted
to search your locker for dope, they didn't need a warrant.
On the other hand, they would not feel obligated to involve
law enforcement, because it was not a public matter.
They would flush your dope and call your parents.

---

Funny how things get turned around, time was a healthy fear of the principal/headmaster usually kept things in check, as they would have the "parents" blessing to get tough if you have to, then along came the liberal 60's and while young adults were getting turned on and tuning out, the system started to change, they accused teachers of being too authoratarian, started to take corporal punishment (cane/strap) out of the schools, started to allow students more liberties/freedoms, all is good, soon parents saw teachers as a way to babysit their offspring, soon all is bad, nil supervision from all parties, teachers are afraid of litigation, won't interfere with a students home life wether that kid is obviously being abused at home or other problems, time was a teacher could tell these things, maybe even alert the authorities, or bring both parents in for a meeting with the principal, and we know as adults nobody likes that meeting... :rolleyes:

the schools want to control mentionof "illegal or inappropriate" activities? There's problems with both of these. Any stupid kid can say, when questioned by his school, "oh no I didn't actually do that graffiti or those drugs or steal thta loaf of bread", and the fact is the schools do not have the resources to spend hours upon hours proving the student did. Once it's been denied it's simply in the realm of "inappropriate", as it is then a lie.

An schools simply can't control inappropriate stuff online. They can't punish a student for use of bad language (pretty petty on the scale of things) or random gossip. Eventually they'll figure out that their lives are a lot easieer if they keep their hands out of students extracurricular life.

it all comes down to the simple fact that if my principle doesn't like the fact that I enjoyed terminator 3: rise of the machines, there's nothing he can do about it.

the schools want to control mentionof "illegal or inappropriate" activities? There's problems with both of these. Any stupid kid can say, when questioned by his school, "oh no I didn't actually do that graffiti or those drugs or steal thta loaf of bread", and the fact is the schools do not have the resources to spend hours upon hours proving the student did. Once it's been denied it's simply in the realm of "inappropriate", as it is then a lie.

An schools simply can't control inappropriate stuff online. They can't punish a student for use of bad language (pretty petty on the scale of things) or random gossip. Eventually they'll figure out that their lives are a lot easieer if they keep their hands out of students extracurricular life.

it all comes down to the simple fact that if my principle doesn't like the fact that I enjoyed terminator 3: rise of the machines, there's nothing he can do about it.

Then again, it's not a good idea to be disrespectful of your superiors too much when online. Many employees have lost their jobs because of their blog postings. If kids are always direspectful online they'll learn their lesson the hard way eventually. The schools can't hope for more than that.