Facebook F-Bomb Nixes Student's Graduation Plans

so what you're saying is freedom of speech gives you the right to disrespect and offend others? I think not.
Freedom of speech is a right we have to voice our opinions, be them right or wrong. It is not a right to attack others, slander them or otherwise make them feel lesser of a human being. It is not a license for personal attacks.
Maybe you should read up on the subject a bit.
Your post seems to ramble a bit. I have a doubt that you were the one offended in the beginning due to the fact you use the work "him" in your closing statement, or do you speak of yourself in the 3rd party often?

APRIL, DID YOU FORGET YOUR PROZAC TODAY

To April, The big differance is this was a student in HIGH SCHOOL, not collage, in this day with all the violance in our schools, I think the staff had every right to take the action they did. As far as a second chance, how many chances would an employer give him? I think it is time this young man owned his mistake and got on with his life hopefully having learned a valuable lesson.

AQpril, stating our right to Freedom of Speech doesn't give you or anyone else the right to degrade anyone. Then YOU mentioned the SUB-STANDARD education you received. You didn't have to continue your HIGHER LEARNING in sub-standard SCHOOL IF YOU THOUGHT IT WAS SO BAD. IT LOOKS LIKE YOU ARE THE ONE THAT SHOULD BE DEGRADED, NOT THE COLLEGE.

Ricki is a moron. He starts by saying "so what you're saying is freedom of speech gives you the right to disrespect and offend others? I think not."
Only to follow by saying
"Freedom of speech is a right we have to voice our opinions, be them right or wrong" So if the kids comments weren't right, then they were...? which is acceptable according to Ricki. So where is the problem

People get offended over anything and everything. so it will soon be impossible to saying anything without offending someone. Which by Ricki logic means we shouldn't voice our opinions.

Since when is it the schools job to reprimand someone and take away a great experience that only happens once in a lifetime over something that didn't happen at school.

So if i were to badmouth a teacher at a party and someone heard and told the school i said such things, it would be perfectly ok to keep me from graduation?? And according to the report he said "f@$k the teachers that said i would never amount to anything"

If none of the teachers said that to him, then there shouldn't be anyone it offended. This is the kids social networking page. Not anything affiliated with the school. Just some random comment made about NO teacher in specific.

And for Tina's dumb a$$, This wasn't a violent act nor was it a threat of one. Maybe if parents did their jobs instead of expecting others to do it for them, we wouldn't have so many lil bastards running around acting the fool. I agree examples have to be made, but this is overkill.

Yes we have a right to the Freedom of Speech and yes you have to right to voice your opinions ....

What you seemed to have forgotten is that you are also RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR ACTIONS AND THE THINGS YOU SAY!!! This kid (and you for that matter) is acting like a spoiled rotten little $hit. He wants all the freedom and none of the responsibility of the consequences. How absolutely pathetic and how absolutely selfish. If he wants to be a "big boy" and enjoy the freedoms that are given to FREE MEN AND WOMEN, then let him enjoy the RESPONSIBITY of also enjoying the consequences.

Besides ... he called this a "prank" well to be fair, I guess the school played they "prank" as well. I find it very hypocritical to complain about what the school did since it was just a harmless prank like the "harmless" prank this kid played .....

I think the school's actions are highly appropriate. Mater Dei is a private school, they are entitled to hold their students accountable in any way that they see fit. It was a choice for the parents to send their child there.

Liberals believe that Freedom of Speech means that everyone has the right to express their opinion as long as nobody is offended............. Political correctness is the liberal ideology that is absolutely possible to pick up a turd by the CLEAN end.

Once on the internet always on the internet. When are people, both young and old, going to realize the internet is not your own private little world to say whatever you want. Get a clue people. Your rights only go until they infringe on the rights of others. Think before you speak or type.

atta girl april..your 100 % correct

I'm stunned to see how many people are arguing against this being free speech, saying that you don't have the right to offend other people. Do none of you have the basic concept of freedom of speech? If it stopped at the "you can't offend others" test, we'd have never seen an end to slavery, or even heard of the concept of civil rights for all. The women of this country would have never procured the vote. In fact, every amount of progress this country has made over the years would be lost because EVERYTHING 'different' offends someone. Every proposal of change offends someone. When the civil rights movement was in full swing, do you not think that every bigoted redneck who was seeing their "right" to subjugate those he/she found beneath him/her was offended by the exposure of their racism? Do you not think those who hated all things non-white weren't offended by the inclusion of non-white students in their schools and the election of non-white leaders to members of the government? Have none of you ever heard that very famous quotation, putting freedom of speech into context? The one stating "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." You can't offend anyone? I beg to differ. You have no right to HARM, but the right to OFFEND is cornerstone of free speech. It's pretty sad when we so gleefully hand over the rights and privileges our founders fought and died for.

Actually, Rick, Freedom of Speech DOES include the right to disrespect and offend people. It may not be nice, but it is absolutely NOT illegal. NOBODY has a right to not be offended. Slander and libel require malicious intent and proof of damage, neither of which apply in this case. Maybe YOU should read up on the subject a bit.

April's use of the word 'him' was referring to the California teen about whom this article was written. It clearly wasn't a 'third party' [sic] reference.

Rick: The first amendment is not up for interpretation. Slander is telling an untruth. You have a right to disagree with what the governmnent does and write about it. It's the same with colleges and any other institution; however, colleges, of what I have heard and I could be wrong, are letting their professors push a socialized agenda on their students who soak it up. Where do you think political correctness started? I don't think political correctness belongs here because look at what it did for Russia before they turned Communist and we know how that worked out...

Freedom of speech does not mean freedom from consequences.

Freedom of speech does not mean freedom from consequences of that speech. This kid excercised his freedom of speech. No criminal charges were filed, nor was he sued, so therefore his freedom of speech was not challenged.

You sound like a kindergarden graduate.
Grow UP!
YOU RIGHTS END WHERE MY NOSE BEGINS!!

Leave freedom of speech out of this argument altogether. No matter what the method (public or private), if you choose to tell off a friend or colleague, you'd better be prepared to deal with the aftermath. People don't forget. Some choose to forgive. It is as simple as that. It would be great if every parent took the time to preach to their children that they should carefully consider when and how to voice their disappointments. I know I regret many of my rants from when I was younger. Facebook and similar public forums are doing a lot more damage than good in my opinion. I am simply floored by how casual the conversations have become. It is too easy to form opinions of people without really knowing them.

I have been out of high school for 18 years, however I still remember signing a conduct policy on the first day of each year. Although we did not have facebook, myspace and twitter when I was in school, we also did not have the right to disrespect our educators without consequence. Since this is a private school I am pretty sure they have a similar conduct policy that include social networking post.
Schools in this country often take a strick approach on many things that may be "legal" for citizens but disruptive for students.

Dress code policies, cell phones in class and chewing gum are all things that schools actually suspend kids from class for but they are non issues if you are wearing short shorts and a bikini top, chewing gum and talking on your cell phone in a public park.

It sounds like the school made a fair decission to let this young man continue his courses and earn his diploma but took away the privilage to celebrate his graduation on school property.

Maybe he'll pay more attention to conduct policies in college and the work place now.

Poor little spoiled brat you are! Did you not get to succle the teet enough as a baby. You do not have the right to say whatever you want. Slander and Liable are against the law! Grow up and be a responsible citizen. Your rights end when it concerns others rights to peace, happiness and privacy. Go spank yourself and sit in the corner.