Teacher suspended for facebook slam against student

[SWTXBelle]

FWIW - I never ask to "friend" a student or a student's parent on facebook. I do accept requests if they ask. I always make my posts keeping in mind that I don't want to write anything that anyone I know might find offensive. As always, it's best to bear in mind ANYTHING YOU POST IN A PUBLIC FORUM, EVEN IF YOU THINK IT'S PRIVATE, IS PUBLIC.

I have a problem student who I've discovered has been talking about how "bad" I am to the teacher I replaced on facebook. Not a smart move, brainiac. And I've had college students post they were going to Corpus Christi when they were supposed to be in class - again, um, not the smartest thing to do if you plan to plead illness for your absence.

[UGAalum94]

I have an annual befriending bonaza right after graduation. I won't be a facebook friend to students while they are still in school, but I'll be a facebook friend once one graduates. And I'll even initiate the contact since I don't care that much about risking rejections and I try to have my privacy settings cranked way up to be hard to find.

This had considerably more novelty before facebooks became common in people my age. Now, becoming my facebook friend is about as cool as friending your mom.

(Not that it was ever really cool, but it's even less cool than it was a couple of years ago. )

[WinniBug]

Originally Posted by Ooh La La

When I was in high school, I had a lot of teachers try to friend me. I personally found it creepy and ignored them.

You had teachers sending YOU requests??? That's a bit much!

I never requested my students, but I'd accept if they sent me one.
Last week, we had a situation where a kid was missing school and it was on her page and another students' why, and it upset me to know what was going on and why she was absent (to go to the other girl's pageant prep stuff), so I just deleted all my students!

[FHwku]

Originally Posted by WRAL.com

Hussain, who began working for the school district in August 2006, was suspended with pay under a school district policy, Thomas said.

The policy states the highest standards of honesty, integrity and fairness must be exhibited by each employee.

seems like the school district isn't adhering to its standard of integrity or fairness.

her suspension probably had more to do with her friends' comments after her post.

Originally Posted by http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/02/23/353604/eighth-graders-get-a-new-teacher.html

Hussain wrote on the social-networking site that it was a "hate crime" that students anonymously left a Bible on her desk, and she told how she "was able to shame the kids" over the incident.

Her Facebook page included comments from friends about "ignorant southern rednecks," and one commenter suggested that Hussain retaliate by bringing a Dale Earnhardt Jr. poster to class with a swastika drawn on the NASCAR driver's forehead."

[deepimpact2]

Yet another instance of a school system getting upset over something insignificant while failing to adequately handle the problems and issues that are SIGNIFICANT.

Whether or not she should have said it, at some point people should be allowed to have "privacy" on Facebook. I say privacy in the sense that lines should be drawn when it comes to punishing people for what they write on these public forums.

And I agree that it was probably more about the comments under her post than anything else. What she wrote was harmless. And there was nothing illegal or unethical about it.