Students suspended for liking racist photos on Instagram

Link

A California school district suspended a high school student after racist images that included nooses drawn around the necks of a black student and coach appeared on his social media site.

Freedom of _____?

But a federal lawsuit says the district went too far when it also disciplined students who indicated they "liked" the posts on the Instagram account. The suit – filed Monday in San Francisco on behalf of four students– accuses the Albany Unified School District of violating students' free speech rights and says the district did not have the authority to suspend the students because the offensive posts were on a private account that had no connection with any official school activity or school account.

Good point

"'Likes' are ambiguous in that they could be saying, 'This is funny,' 'I agree with it,' or 'I don't agree, but I want to stand up for your right to say it,"' said Eugene Volokh, who teaches free speech law at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Infringed?

One of the students said "yep" to another comment, according to the lawsuit. Another student commented that the account "is only targeting black people."

The other two students "liked" a few of the images posted on the account.

Freedom of expression

The lawsuit claims the district brought suspended students before the student body at a "public shaming" session during which they were cursed and jeered.

At a meeting later the same day, two suspended students were injured by an angry protester, according to the suit.

Another good point

"In my own view, students are entitled to speak just like everyone else when they are off campus," Caplan said. "The school should not say, 'You engaged in free speech over the weekend on your own time, but we will punish you because your speech has ripple effects that we don't like.' "

For what it's worth

Albany is an affluent community adjacent to Berkeley, a city that prides itself on its liberalism and political correctness.

Censorship will only breed more censorship, where does it start and where does it end? I always said context shouldn't matter because free speech does not and should not discriminate. When you start to let different situations and circumstances dictate your view on free speech, that's when the lines start to become blurry and creates room for bias and partisanship. Freedom of speech should be absolute, especially in the safety of your own home.

a reply to: knowledgehunter0986

Leftists don't like free speech.

Sure, maybe not ALL leftists are book-burning censors, but this appears to be a growing trend.

It's Orwellian.

a reply to: DBCowboy

“When fascism comes to America it will be called anti-fascism.”
- Huey Long
supposedly

Went beyond freedom of expression. Death threats against people for skin color, religion, class, whatever.

Might be okay when police or US military do it, but not little people.

This kind of thing is only a problem when a minority is offended.

Education system reform- something to add to the list.


Education is completely broken in this country.

So is healthcare, business, taxation, government in general...


There's a breaking point somewhere, here... but they've completely corrupted every aspect of the country over such a long period that new generations grow up tempered in it... I don't know if the citizens will ever see what's happening.

a reply to: knowledgehunter0986

Wonder how long before students will be suspended for retweeting Trump tweets.

It would suck to be a kid in high school now.

Liking racism likeing terrorism. There is no smoke with out fire all. Bet these are real dangerous racist scums.
Hope this morons name put on criminal list and never able to get a job or lead normal life.

a reply to: Pandaram

So they should be punished for life for expressing their thoughts.

a reply to: intrptr

Only one student made a "death threat". That's not the problem here.

"the district went too far when it also disciplined students who indicated they "liked" the posts on the Instagram account"

"Likes' are ambiguous in that they could be saying, 'This is funny,' 'I agree with it,' or 'I don't agree, but I want to stand up for your right to say it,"

You should go read the OP again.

originally posted by: IAMTAT
a reply to: knowledgehunter0986

Wonder how long before students will be suspended for retweeting Trump tweets.

Or stating that you disagree with socialism.

a reply to: Pandaram

What smoke?

What if I decided to draw a black person living in the jungle within a bunch of apes in my own bedroom?

Should I never be able to get a job?

Great way to prank a school kid. Borrow his phone and LIKE something the school finds offensive.

a reply to: DBCowboy

not only that but you should vent all your hatred on these scum
cover them in honey and have attack bees molest them
rub salt in their eyes and have wild geese peck their shins
then
take them out back and shoot them in the head behind the chemical sheds

a reply to: knowledgehunter0986

The establishment trying to manipulate the minds of our students via belligerent suspension of those that do not share there politically correct opinion.

Who would have thought that would ever happen??? LoL

Should probobly add i don't share the same opinion but i accept that freedom of speech and expression is there to protect us all, even the possible racists of our world, without such liberty to express opinion the world will be a far more draconian environment in which to exist.

originally posted by: Pandaram
Liking racism likeing terrorism. There is no smoke with out fire all. Bet these are real dangerous racist scums.
Hope this morons name put on criminal list and never able to get a job or lead normal life.

Do you apply the same standards to young black kids in the inner cities?
Do you think they should never be able to shake the thug lifestyle and lead a normal productive life?

originally posted by: ProjectedLogic
a reply to: intrptr

Only one student made a "death threat". That's not the problem here.

"the district went too far when it also disciplined students who indicated they "liked" the posts on the Instagram account"

"Likes' are ambiguous in that they could be saying, 'This is funny,' 'I agree with it,' or 'I don't agree, but I want to stand up for your right to say it,"

You should go read the OP again.

If we make it acceptable to display 'pictures' of symbolic race hatred on line, then whats wrong with hanging nooses from tree limbs on school grounds?

Students can file by and state their opinion, after all its their right to free speech thats involved, right?

Sometimes I flag posts here that I do not agree with, because more flags mean more people may read it and we can get more opinions.

a reply to: intrptr

They aren't necessarily defending the person who posted the picture, but going after someone who hit the like button is going to far. I believe that's the main point on this OP.

I've accidental hit the like button before and didn't notice. Would that make me a racist who's making death threats?

Not to mention the public shaming the students where put through. Is that standard school policy?