Three eighth-graders were expelled from school for a Facebook discussion on which of their classmates they would most like to kill and now the ACLU is helping them fight their expulsion.
The 14-year-old girls, who hail from Hammond, Ind. were in a lengthy Facebook discussion that ranged from cutting oneself while shaving, to their friendship and finally to which classmate they would kill if given a chance, according to the Chicago Tribune.
"The students’ Facebook comments, which took place after school on their personal electronic
devices, were clearly meant to be humorous, as evidenced by their repeated use of emoticons
such as ;) and abbreviations such as LOL and LMFAO," wrote Gavin Rose, the ACLU of Indiana staff attorney, in a statement. "Any reasonable person could see the conversation was purely in jest and could not be interpreted seriously."
Regardless, Griffith Middle School suspended and then expelled the girls because the online behavior violated a rule in the student handbook about bullying, harassment and intimidation.
According to the Tribune, the girls are allowed to take all the necessary tests and will be allowed to pass on to ninth grade, but at least one parent has paid out $1,000 in home schooling while another student couldn't get admission to an alternative school.
We have written about this topic many times, yet it still manages to sting a few students or employees almost monthly. Everyone's Facebook profile is visible to more than just the few people he or she is addressing and anyone, be it a distant cousin, a disgruntled coworker, can send that information to the person you would least like to see it. Be smart about Facebook and next time, girls, use Facebook's private messaging
