A very serious discussion

[GametagAeonFlux]

If you do not plan on taking this topic seriously and maturely, please leave the thread right now. I want honest opinions on the matter, and don't want to have to clean the thread out every 2 posts.

Alright, so a teacher at our school had sexual relations with a student (she was 18, so it was technically legal, but morally wrong and such), got fired/resigned. Nothing out of the ordinary with that...but to take it a step further, a friend of mine made this:

http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/9281/gmanmayoriq1.jpg

It was all in good fun with no intent to be shown outside of a few fellow students (it's not offensive to the teacher). One of the students decided to show it to another in class...and another teacher saw it. From what I gather, the teacher who saw it got very angry for some reason, interrogated the students, and found out that my friend made it. A few minutes ago, this conversation occurred (screennames changed to protect privacy):

*Dunnavunt is our principal/administrator/chief head dude. Garvey is the last name of the teacher who was fired/resigned for the sexual relations.

Friend: ROFL ROFL
Friend: 5 DAYS ISS
Me: ...?
Friend: that mayor graphic I showed you
Me: You got 5 days ISS for that shit?
Friend: yeah
Me: Wow, our school can't take a fucking joke.
Friend: yeah
Me: I say we fight Dunnavunt.
Me: Let's make this way blown out of proportion.
Me: I guarantee you if we say this challenges freedom of speech or something, we will get at least 30 people to fight for us.
Friend: yeah
Friend: I'm talking to her tomorrow morning
Friend: by my request
Friend: if I get 5 days iss
Friend: then yes, we will fight
Me: We should make this way blown out of proportion and take it to court and shit.
Friend: yeah
Friend: they also tried to tell me that the graphic is school property, since I viewed it on a school computer
Me: rofl
Friend: I informed them otherwise
Friend: I should have threatened to sue for copyright infringement
Friend: they threatened me with court action
Me: rofl what?!
Friend: tomorrow I'm asking them if they were referring to me sueing them or not
Me: You probably can't sue, but I think you can appeal to court for them violating your rights or something.
Friend: yea
Friend: if I told my mom
Friend: she would threaten them with media attention
Me: =o
Friend: as she used to work for the paper
Friend: and she does public relations now
Me: Make our school even broker.
Friend: in a flick of her fingers she'd get it in the paper
Friend: yeah
Friend: yaddayadda
Friend: and considering the reason garvey is away
Friend: that hasn't made it to the news
Friend: d-d-d-d-angerous
Me: Well there isn't anything illegal about what he did.
Friend: yeah
Me: It's just morally wrong.
Friend: bad publicity
Friend: that's what it is
Friend: news reports when a cat can't stop farting
Me: >_______>
Friend: guess this ruins my chances of doing a right wing comic strip for the school paper
Me: >_>
Friend: the graphic didn't make it out of the class though
Friend: except in Dunnavunt's hands
Me: There's nothing wrong with the graphic.
Me: At all.
Me: It contains no vulgarity.
Friend: yeah
Friend: I know
Friend: it's really fucked up
Me: Hell, if you showed it to someone at another school, they'd just be like...so he's running for mayor? Cool.

Well, after reading all that, what are your views? Obviously we're being pretty jocular in regards to going to court, but if you were in the administrator's position, would you give the student ISS? Feel free to talk about whatever, just keep it on topic and we'll be alright.

[shadowkhas]

Fight the system. I'll elaborate later, I'm in a hurry right now.

[Pyroman]

Wow...that graphic looks suprisingly good. Yea the school is blowing it way outta porportion. It was just a joke...no harm on anyone...

Yea one time a somebody at our school waved a rubber chicken at the principal and got a 5 day suspension...No sense of humor...

[RaVNzCRoFT]

While I agree that making the graphic was the wrong decision, I don't think your friend should have gotten ISS. This is pure freedom of speech, no matter what way you look at it.

ISS=In-School Suspension, so nobody asks. >_>

[Ar5eNiC]

While I don't see any issue with the graphic, I can see someone getting bent out of shape over it. Is it in school suspension worthy? Hell no. If your friend is suspended, do anything and everything you can to fight it. Legal action might not be the best idea, but would probably scare them into changing their mind.

[Ombre]

They can't give you 5 days of ISS for practicing your freedom of speech rights. If it had some kind of vulgarity, such as curse words, or something of that nature, they could use that as a excuse. It doesn't even directly mention the incident of why he got fired. I see anti-bush signs that are much worse all the time.

[MasterChief2829]

Almost the same situation here. Our school board fired a teacher for no reason, the students and parents protested, we got media coverage [newspaper, tv, and online], but they still didn't explain why he was fired. [url] That teacher used to babysit my sister and I when we were little. [He was a teenager then, not a teacher] Rumor says that he was fired for having sexual relations with students WHO HAVE GRADUATED. Now they are installing cameras everywhere in our school and our FOODS teacher said even in the bathroom.

Anyways, I think your friend's situation is bull as well. You guys should fight it. That is just plain wrong. The sign was made outside of school, you have a right to free-speech, etc. They have no reason to give you ISS. 5 Days even for that matter.

[Darco]

they cant legally install cameras in the bathroom. you guys should definitely try to fight it, ISS is horribly boring. and he didn't do anything wrong.

Actually, they can as long as those using the facilities are informed of it. But seriously guys, try not to compare this with current situations and get off topic. I don't want to sound selfish, but I don't intend on gaining sympathy through similar situations. ~GTAF

[1nevitablEnd]

I see anti-bush signs that are much worse all the time.

yeah but those are made by adults and people think that adults are the only people that have rights. i say dont take it to court but argue to the school board that the punishment for something as such is outrageous. one of those "crime does not fit the punishment" things, im not saying its a crime but thats the best analogy i could make. your just fluctuating your First amendment right, their is no shame in that.

final verdict:
take to school district board, but not to court. court is for something like that teacher actually molested you or something, but i wouldn't waste the courts time with something so.... trivial.

[RaVNzCRoFT]

There's no need to take this matter into legal hands. Any decent judge would throw this case out by frivolous litigation. No offense. Say Mr. Garvey had seen the graphic himself and physically or verbally assaulted your friend because of it. Then you'd have yourself a decent lawsuit. But as the case stands, the best thing you can do it complain to the school board.

[GametagAeonFlux]

Any decent judge would throw this case out by frivolous litigation. No offense. But as the case stands, the best thing you can do it complain to the school board.

As I said, we weren't really serious about taking it to court.

[noscottno]

There's nothing wrong with making a compliation of pixels that criticizes someones view, and that ISS for five days is way to extensive. As for the teacher who had sex with the student, I don't see anything wrong with it, except for the fact that it's a teacher who had sex with a student (moral yada yada).

[Ketchup_Bomb]

Your friend was being kind of mean, but there's nothing wrong with that.

Tell your school administration to, "Go take a chill pill you uptight bastards."
Then make this face: :3

[1nevitablEnd]

Your friend was being kind of mean, but there's nothing wrong with that.

Tell your school administration to, "Go take a chill pill you uptight bastards."
Then make this face: :3

If you do not plan on taking this topic seriously and maturely, please leave the thread right now

[FReAK]

You cannot say that this is infringement of your freedom of speech, because it doesn't matter in this case. While on a school campus, your civil rights are suspended. School is not a democracy, it's a DICTATORSHIP. Unless you have a REALLY good case, you're not going to get anything done. You're more likely to get a 5 day ISS yourself than to get his punishment lifted.

[latinomodder]

I say go for media attention, You did nothing wrong, same in my case I made a website COMPLETLY outside of the school and then they come and say I broke school rules. FUCK the system, your friend did nothing wrong.

[FReAK]

Alright, after reading up a little more, I've found out a few things that the school can bust you for.

Falsification of Information - Saying that the teacher was running for Mayor

Misuse of Facilities and/or Equipment - Using the school computer to view the image. The image has no educational content whatsoever, and therefore should not be viewed in school.

You say that the image is not offensive to the Teacher. Is that your opinion, or is that fact? Your opinion does not matter in this case. Garvey could very well be offended by the picture.

You state that he "Makes Wrong Decisions The Right Way." What decision did he make that wasn't right? Having sexual relations with an 18 year old student isn't a wrong decision at all. If the girl gave consent, and she is of legal age, there are no problems. Morals are simply opinions; ideas. They hold no weight in a Court of Law, or anywhere.

You were simply out of line in creating the image, and especially out of line when it was shown during class.

You need to learn to show respect for your elders. You're still in Highschool, simply a student. You have no voice, yet. Good luck trying to convince the Administration otherwise, It's doubtful that you will.

Even though I do believe your friend deserves the punishment, I still hope that you guys get out of it, or at least get the punishment lessened. I'd love to see you guys "Stick it to the man". Good luck trying, though.

[shadowkhas]

Ok, I'm back.

Take it to the school board. Courts, like you said, aren't very viable, but the school board is a more open option. Combine that with a media campaign, and the support of the people WILL get you where you want to be with this issue.

You need to learn to show respect for your elders. You're still in Hichschool, simply a student. You have no voice, yet. Good luck trying to convince the Administration otherwise, It's doubtful that you will.

That's the problem. This mindset of people HAS to be changed. Who cares if you're just a student? You are a person, capable of speaking out in what is YOUR opinion.
Regarding the Falsification of Information: I see no writing that says it is endorsed or approved by a political entity, corporation, or anyone, so I think your argument is moot on that. I can make a sign that says "BUSH IN 2008 DUE TO OVERRULING OF AMENDMENT XXII," but that doesn't make it true...if it was approved by George Bush, then yes, that'd be room for concern.

[Haxxzor1]

It was all in good fun with no intent to be shown outside of a few fellow students (it's not offensive to the teacher). One of the students decided to show it to another in class...and another teacher saw it. From what I gather, the teacher who saw it got very angry for some reason, interrogated the students, and found out that my friend made it. A few minutes ago, this conversation occurred (screennames changed to protect privacy):

Now, You say that it was not "Displayed" or strung anywhere correct?

Well, If she "Interrogated" students to find out more about it, why is she mad? I can see if you put it up about the school everywhere, but thats not the case.

And it IS true that Teenagers are not taken seriously. A lot of it I think is the stupid ignorant decisions we make. So, Adults don't think are mind is capable of reasoning. I Recommend trying to get your Judgment to the Board, but as far as lifting punishment, Good Luck.

[gh0570fchurch]

While I agree that making the graphic was the wrong decision, I don't think your friend should have gotten ISS. This is pure freedom of speech, no matter what way you look at it.

With you 100%. Bad choice, but nothing that the school should be able to do about it. The school blew it way out of proportion, so you should threaten to do even worse in their faces, and they will back down.