13 WTHR - Indianapolis News |Schools may punish students for blog attacks
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Clark Pleasant School Board members will vote on the proposed rule next month.
The schools' superintendent says at least one student has withdrawn because of an Internet blog.
The rule would cover blogs published on Myspace and similar sites.David MacAnally/Eyewitness News
Whiteland - Whiteland schools wants to hold students accountable for objectionable or threatening things students post on personal blogs.
The Clark-Pleasant School Board votes on a proposed policy next month. The district would not actually patrol it's student's MyFace, MySpace or other personal web site pages. But it would check them out if other students, parents or staff complained about offensive postings.
"We actually had a student who had to withdraw from school because of the discomfort that they felt from their peers at school because of what was being posted on the Internet," said Superintendent Dr. John Coopman.
The Superintendent says other students posted threats and manipulated photos of teachers showing blood, but the postings were done on personal computers at home and current policy doesn't let the school act against the harassers.
Dr. Coopman says it's not an invasion of privacy or infringement on free speech.
"If they want to be critical about something that's their right but when it spills over into being a disruption in school that's where we feel like we can step in."
Dr. Coopman talked to us in front of the preserved edifice of the turn-of-the-century Whiteland School. Students who once walked those halls passing catty notes about other kids could not have imagined a time when a few key strokes could bring down a reputation.
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