Oct 12, 2007 6:18 pm US/Eastern
Facebook Photos May Get H.S. Students Suspended
Many Questioning Whether District Has Leg To Stand On
GLEN RIDGE, N.J. (CBS) ―
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There's an uproar at a New Jersey high school after students face being suspended for pictures that appeared on Facebook.com.
Facebook.com
Should schools be allowed to punish students for photos they post on the Internet?
That question is raising controversy in one New Jersey community.
They wore black t-shirts and jeans at Glen Ridge High School in silent protest for what might happen to students caught drinking away from campus.
"Everyone was just drinking and having a god time. It wasn't out of control," one student said.
But some of the pictures ended up on Facebook.com, the popular communications Web site, and now students pictured drinking may be suspended from their sports teams for violating the rules.
"In co-curricular activity students are responsible for their behavior at the time because these activities are a right not a privilege," said Dr. Dan Fishbein, superintendent of Glen Ridge schools.
Some wonder if the school is within its rights.
"It raises some legal questions in terms of can the school actually get kids in trouble for things they did completely independent at the school on their spare time," student Dan Bolson said.
Those who accept the rules feel the pictures and the illegal activities captured on camera were obtained unfairly.
"A lot of people are upset because they have no right to violate privacy like that because it was a parent who came to the school about it," student Tiffany Bizub said.
Added student Emma Delors: "I just believe it's kind of unfair treatment. I don't think we're any different than any other school out there."
But the superintendent says Facebook was not used as a tool against students but that school bosses will try and use this as a teaching example.
"There has been a lot of coverage of student athletes who wanted to go to a college on scholarship but they were taken away based on their Facebook photo," Fishbein said.
The Facebook photos will be examined by the school and if warranted, punishment will be handed out. In the meantime, this incident serves as a reminder to students to be careful what they put on the Internet.
Most of the students involved say they have already taken photos off their Facebook pages because they don't want to risk being suspended.
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