An East Stroudsbury University professor was suspended for a comment she put on Facebook. She claimed she was kidding when she said she had a bad day and wanted to kill some students. The school officials took her comments seriously, and suspended her when a student brought the matter to the attention of the administration. Some say the suspension was a violation of free speech while others claim all threats of this kind even if made in jest should be taken seriously. Read more about the case in Higher Ed Morning, Facebook: Teacher Suspended for Posts, and check some of the comments posted.In another case, a middle school teacher was suspended for some comments she wrote about one of her students on Facebook. Read of that story, Apex Teacher Suspended. Stories of both students and teachers being suspended for Facebook comments are increasing.
How do you feel about the emerging cases of retribution when a member of a school, be it a student or teacher, faces suspension for postings put on Facebook or other social networking venues? Should comments posted on these sites be taken seriously? Need teachers exercise caution? What about comments students post on Facebook, or other public social networking sites, about teachers, school administrators, and other students? As a teacher, what would you do if a student brought to your attention a comment written about her or him by another student that could be interpreted to be mean spirited or threatening? What about the teacher from East Stroudsbury U.? Do you think she should have been suspended? What about the middle school teacher who called her student "Bible boy"?
23 comments:
The East Stroudsbury University professor who was suspended for posting an inappropriate comment on Facebook made a big mistake when he or she posted her "water cooler conversation" on the lunch room wall. Comments once saved for one on one phone calls or small talk over a cup of coffee are now being publicly shared over the internet.
I don't think this professor should have been suspended. But, perhaps the university should offer a course in Manners 101.
I am so very careful in what I will put in email/writing because you never know how someone is going to take it. Teachers definitely have to exercise caution in postings/emails.
Both of these are examples of types of comments teachers have verbally vented about in the past to friends and the would be offended people never knew the comment was made. Now, they are foolishly writing down (as Amy put it) "water cooler conversations" for anyone to see. I do not believe it is proper for teachers to be posting their "letting off steam" thoughts. I am also not sure why either of these teachers are teachers if students can get them this mad. You should not have this much steam to let off. Get a different profession!
I do think comments posted on social networking sites need to be taken seriously. We have a history of people posting bad thoughts and following through with horrific results. Which brings be back to both teachers should have known better than to put in writing such terrible thoughts.
I completely agree with Lori.I remember reading about a case a year or so ago where a student posted something on a blog about wanting to harm some of her teachers. Her comments were reported to administration and she was suspended. If we are going to hold that consequence with students, the same should go for adults. These teachers should've known better, and I believe they rightfully got what they deserved. They should not be making any comments about work in general, nevermind the students.
I agree with Amy, Lori and Meggan on this situation. Of course the teachers comments should be taken seriously, as the article pointed out if a student made a comment like that or a threat we would take it seriously too! A teacher should have the same standards as students if not more! Teachers should not be venting on the internet about their students. Lori makes a good point when she talked about being careful about what you physically write anywhere because it can always come back to haunt you! A few of my friends are police officers and they have completely gotten rid of facebook for this exact reason! Maybe a few teachers should do the same or I know there are private settings on facebook, maybe teachers should look into this so that their students cant find them.
Comments like this teacher put on facebook are completely Inappropriate. I think teachers should control their comments in classroom and other social networking where students can have access.
The internet has brought about a revolutionary change in the way in which we are able to view the world. Unfortunately with the many positives that have accompanied the internet age there have been equally disastrous ramifications of the internet. Social networking sites like twitter, facebook, and MySpace just to name a few are great examples of how one can use the internet to keep in contact with friends and relatives that you may have lost contact with. However, the pictures and posts that you make on these sites become public domain and things said or items posted on the internet are there forever for all to see.
It is for this case that teachers need to be extremely careful about what teachers say especially about students. The teacher who claimed that she had a bad day and felt like killing students should have been suspended even if the comments were made in jest. As teachers we have all been made frustrated by students but to say that we would do them bodily harm in a public forum for that frustration is completely out of line. If you would not say it in the classroom why post it on a site that is more public than a classroom?
In the wake of Columbine and Virginia Tech the public sentiment has been to take threats made by students very seriously. As a byproduct teachers and adults should be and in this case have been held to the same standards as our students. We as teachers are supposed to provide and foster a safe and comfortable environment for our students, threats and "jokes" such as these have no place in the classroom or other public forums.
The issue of freedom of speech is a very controversial one in this manner. While I will defend anyone’s right to free speech it is not without consequence. Talking about openly harming "killing" some students should be grounds for dismissal whether made in the confines of ones classroom or in a post made to a friend online.
The internet has many advantages but can have many pitfalls when good judgment is neglected. As I have said, we have all been frustrated with our jobs at some point and I am sure we have said things we really didn't mean; however, to post those frustrations in a public forum for all to see shows a lapse in judgment that deserves an investigation and if deemed serious firing and if it shows that it was "harmless" frustration then suspension is in order. We are all accountable for our words and our actions.
I agree with all statements that have been made regarding the suspension of this teacher. As human beings we must be held accountable for what we say and do, which Bryan mentioned in his post. How very true this is. There are times when teachers become frustrated and may vent to a colleague behind closed doors, however sharing this frustration online for the world to see is extreme. I am especially bothered by the fact that she asked if anyone knew an undercover hit man. This is disturbing. How could a teacher post something like this online? Where is her common sense? Especially in the profession she is in, how could she believe this to be acceptable?
Regarding the post, if you do not want the whole world to see it, don't post it. It's a very simple concept. The society in which we live requires all accusations that insinuate harming another person to be taken seriously. This example is no exception. She should be suspended. I agree with Meggan in that just as students are held accountable for their poor behavior so should teachers. If I had a child whose teacher/ professor posted this online, I would be extremely upset and would want some kind of action taken. The fact that this teacher was so upset that she had to post this inappropriate comment online shows lack of professionalism, poor judgment, and stupidity. I would not want my child educated by someone lacking these qualities. I also question whether or not she is mentally fit for the teaching profession. It is one thing to be frustrated, it is another when a teacher finds the need to post her extreme frustration for the whole world to read. What does this say about the kind of person she is?
What she did was completely inappropriate. Her credibility not only as a teacher, but as a person has been compromised. She used extremely poor judgment and most likely will never be able to redeem herself.
I believe that the school district did the right thing by suspending the teacher who made that post on Facebook. What people and teachers need to remember is that they are making post to a public domain. Your thoughts, ideas, and pictures are now a part of cyber space and you will be judged on that. I am a firm believer in the "six degrees of seperation" theory. Basically, nothing is private. There is always somebody who knows somebody who knows sombody. If your life is on a public site your life is private. As teachers we are role models for our students and we are in the face of the community. I agree with Bryan in that we have all had frustrating moments in our jobs but teachers need to use good judgement because what your write on a public site is public. Checking the private box means nothing.
Just playing devils advocate for a moment; has anyone else heard of the ratemyteacher.com website? On this website students can rate their teacher and leave comments so that other students can decide what teachers to take and what teacher to avoid. I haven't been on the site in years but I remember that students use to leave some pretty rough comments on the site. How does this compare to teachers comments about students on sites like facebook?
I have to say that I agree with Kylie..I remember seeing ratemyteacher.com in high school and some of the things students wrote were extreme. I dont think that the teacher should have been suspended at all for the facebook post. Teachers should not accept friend requests from their students or even co-workers at their school in my opinion. Teachers should either use their social networking account for work or personal use not both
I have to disagree with Jessica. No matter what public forum comments are made on, they are just that, public. I had never heard of ratemyteacher.com but checked it out this morning. I was not listed (yeah). While some teachers were rated low, there were no comments (that I read) about how awful a teacher was that they should be killed. If someone is so frustrated with something during the day, they can say mean things without the ramifications of it being seen as threatening. In this day and age the teacher should have known better. Being a teacher, she should never have thought such a thing and really needs to rethink her choice of profession.
I have mixed feelings about this article. First of all I think it was very unprofessional of the teachers to talk about their students on an open network. Teachers should only discuss students with other professionals when needed (i.e. trying to make accomadations to improve student performance). I also think that teachers shouldn't be friends with their students on Facebook. It just sets the teacher up for trouble. If they want to communicate with their students they should have a class blog. On the other hand I find it very unfair that students can say what they want on Facebook about teachers and not get into trouble. In particular I am thinking about a Flordia student that talked about how horrible a teacher was, slandering the teacher. When the teacher tried to retaliate the courts ruled that it is freedom of speech. If it is freedom of speech, it should be ruled that way for teachers as well (even though they are supposed to be the role model).
I agree with the school board in suspending this teacher. People on social networking sites need to use care when posting comments. If you think about it from the student or parent perspective, what would you do if a teacher wrote it about you or your son/daughter? It is definately not a professional way to conduct yourself. The internet is not private. Unfortunately many people think that it is. We recently had a cyber bullying program at the high school where I work. Students were reminded that hurting people with words can have devastating consequences. This teacher should have known better.
I don't feel bad for the professor. If I were the parent of that student I would have felt completely offended and angry. You can't find a more public place than the internet to discuss thoughts/ideas. She made a bad choice. I think it is unprofessional to discuss any work related issues on the internet no matter what profession you are in. Work should be seperate and not shared on a social networking site. Use the phone instead if you need to vent to a friend!
After reading the article, Apex Teacher Suspended, all I could think about was - is this teacher tentured already? Besides the fact that work and social lives should be kept separate from one another, as Jenny stated in her comment, this teacher should absolutely keep those kinds of comments to herself.
In the article, the teacher suspended said, "I'm still mad at that bible boy!" Teachers are supposed to be a valued and repected member of the community. By acting out in a way that is unprofessional and down right rude, this teacher's job should be reconsidered. Imagine if this teacher was tenured... would they ever fire her? Probably not, which is the scariest part of this all!
-Shannan
I am so glad that I do not have a face book page for this reason alone. People don’t realize that once something is on the internet it is there for a long time, if not forever. This professor should be aware that they should not post something that is inappropriate on face book or even become friends with their students and or work partners. We are the student’s role models and need to act in such a way of respect and be held in the highest regards.
Of course a teacher should take caution when making comments on facebook or other social networks. I am a big believer in "free speech" but as a teacher, you should know better...c'mon! I've had bad days at work and only share my personal comments with my close friends (via conversation or phone call). I also disagree with the suspension of the teacher. Could the school have developed a different disciplinary action?
I completely understand the necessity for teachers to have to follow strict moral and ethical behaviors in their school and communities. However, I feel that the attention that educators have to put to their every moves and uttterances has gone too far sometimes and even too
"politically correct". The standards are so high that mishaps can happen where innocent jokes become blown out of proportion.
Reading this article I'm thinking to myself,what was this professor being subjected to in the classroom? The actions taken by the university was the most appropriate one. Feeling a sense of relief the students must have felt when their professor was fired. Too many incidents at schools and universities has occured to take this matter lightly.
I feel the teacher from East Stroudsbury was rightfully suspended. Those comments should never be said, especially on a site where the world can see it. I don’t think what we put up Facebook should be taken seriously the majority of the time. Its grown to become a way for people to let out their frustrations to the world. As for the middle school teacher, that person should have been spoken to about the consequences of posting up something of that nature online.
Nowadays, anyone has access to the computer. And Facebook especially is something people really need to be careful with, especially teachers. If privacy settings are not set, students can go online and find pictures of the teacher behaving inappropriate. The teacher can also be suspended. I have heard stories on the news about people being fired from various jobs, or even not get a job because of what is posted up on their Facebook. Teachers need to be aware that students can access their site and delete anything that is unsuitable. If not, people need to be aware of the privacy settings and change them as soon as possible. In general people just need to watch what they say on the internet, because it gets around pretty quickly….
People definitely have strong opinions when it comes to what we are able to post on Facebook that is deemed appropriate or something we can lose a job over. Obviously the intent of the East Strousburg professor was to post what she thought were some humorous innocent comments, but talking about "killing students" after having a bad day should have never been posted as a student could take it in the wrong light.
Because Facebook is a public forum it is important not to post anything that can be misconstrued or misinterpreted by anyone. The middle school teacher should have known better than to label somebody "bible boy" - how insulting!! All teachers have bad days or may have trouble with a certain student, but that does not give them the right to express their feelings so that anyone and everyone can read it.
Two interesting points:
1)As a parent of two teenage daughters, I have told them repeatedly about being careful what they post on Facebook, the language they use and the photos they download. College admissions and prospective employers could potentially make decisions about a candidate based on their Facebook. How sad to be turned down for a job just because you decided to vent. I have the password to both my kids' Facebooks and therefore have access to also see what their friends write. I do not feel this is invasion of privacy and if their friends parents only know what they are writing about......
2) The recent case in this area of the Windsor Locks superintendent that decided to post about his first day on the job. Essentially it said his first day consisted of getting up late, looking on the computer and counseling an administrator to leave his job or risk being terminated - he stated if all his days were like this, this job will be great. Let's just say the Windsor Locks parents were extremely upset and this man's job was done before it even started.
All of us especially teachers need to realize that the public forum of Facebook makes us accountable as well it should.
It seems that there is a general consensus on the subject and I agree, as well. Any professional, doctor, lawyer, accountant, etc. ranting about their client/patient/student seems wildly inappropriate and immature. I do not have a facebook page and feel that it would be inappropriate for me to have one, certainly one that included anyone I am not very close with. Situations like this marginalize teaching as a profession. I am all for free speech, but I wish people did not use it to make fools of themselves.
There is definitely a need for boundaries between teacher or professor and student. Anything posted on the internet will remain available for the public to view. I agree with legal experts and many others who have commented on this posting. Using the internet and using facebook or any other social media site may involve some professional risks. Prevention is the best remedy for the possible consequences of the potential risks of using facebook or any other social media on the internet. There are other ways to use technology in a more private manner that is appropriate for student and teacher interaction.
Teachers absolutely have to be careful when posting anything on the Internet. How can a teacher teach about a digital footprint without using caution themselves? The point is that everyone has to be careful about they do online because it can really come back to haunt you.
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