Someone explain this to me....

[Sdashiki]

HENRY COUNTY, Ga. -- A Henry County high school student is facing criminal charges after posting comments about his teacher on the Web site, MySpace.com, reported WSB-TV in Atlanta.

The teacher has filed defamation of character charges against the student, Alex Davis, 15.

Eagle’s Landing High School science teacher Robert Muzzillo pursued the charges against Davis after noticing a profile with his name attached on MySpace.com.

The profile talked about Muzzillo liking Michael Jackson and having a "gay old time," like the Fred Flintstone song.

Davis said he only wrote that Muzzillo lost an eye wrestling with alligators and midgets. The teen said it was just a prank and meant as a joke.

When the school found out that Davis was involved, he received three days in-school suspension. Then he learned the teacher had filed charges against him.

"I have finals coming up and I have to study and instead I have to go to court," Davis said.

Davis' father said the charges are a waste of the court's time.

"This has all gotten kinda bizarre," Andy Davis said.

The Davis' have hired attorney Lee Sexton to handle the case.

"It's just silly stuff about a teacher they were just joking about. It's gotten way out of hand," Sexton said.

Davis said he apologized and said he was only having fun and never threatened anyone.

"You can say whatever you want but it can get you in trouble," he said.

Davis is scheduled to head to court next Tuesday. His attorney said the criminal defamation of character charge is unconstitutional.

How is it that a teacher can actually have a say in what their students write OUTSIDE of school? Defamation of character? No, I think its more of a joke....seeing as how none of what he said could be understood as true. (think Larry Flynt vs Rev. Falwell)

Its just plain ridiculuous, and basically another reason why America thinks teachers are to blame for their kids stupidity. Teachers like this guy need to be shot, not with a gun but with a tranq gun so they will be lulled into thinking that they actually are doing the right thing when actually all they are doing is drooling on their pants.

[miniConvert]

I think the attitude of the teacher towards this is pretty bad, from what we know, but at the end of the day it was a pretty stupid thing for the kid in question to do if he really values his education as much as is made out. Showing such disrespect to your teacher on your myspace profile is just crazy.

You can't play with people who can't take a joke. If you want to write things about people that aren't true then you have to accept that this sort of thing will happen.

Yes, it's a bit crappy, but so is picking on your teacher.

[MongoTheGeek]

I think the attitude of the teacher towards this is pretty bad, from what we know, but at the end of the day it was a pretty stupid thing for the kid in question to do if he really values his education as much as is made out. Showing such disrespect to your teacher on your myspace profile is just crazy.

You can't play with people who can't take a joke. If you want to write things about people that aren't true then you have to accept that this sort of thing will happen.

Yes, it's a bit crappy, but so is picking on your teacher.

Yeah well look at it this way. The teacher is implicitly accused of being a child molester. It could mean the loss of his job for just the accusation. It might mean he could never teach again, something that he probably loves, (lets be honest no one goes into teaching for the money)

The loss of his job would be the least of his problems. He would be shunned.

The student by making the jokes could very well have ruined this mans life.

[devilot]

I do agree w/ what MongoTheGreek brings up. That often, words (whether they're rumors/lies/ or truth) can be used to harm teachers and others... But in this instance, "wrestling w/ alligators and midgets" hardly seems like a statement that teacher would have lost his job over. But now that he's pressing charges-- what district is going to want to hire him should he ever leave this school? What student is going to want to do well in his classes or even enroll in his classes?!

And I maintain that if a student has some real gripes about a teacher, related to teaching style, that's what ratemyprofessor.com is for, not MySpace. :p

[mkrishnan]

And I maintain that if a student has some real gripes about a teacher, related to teaching style, that's what ratemyprofessor.com is for, not MySpace. :p

Actually, MySpace has professor ratings, although this story is about high school. :D

I guess it depends on what all was in that profile... I mean, if someone else went out and made a profile pretending to have been made by and be about you, wouldn't you want legal ability to have it removed and necessary action to prevent the person from doing it again? That seems reasonable to me, even if the profile contained no defamatory information. If the profile was just satirical, like the part about wrestling midgets, fine. But if the profile made statements suggesting that you had engaged in serious wrongdoing of some kind (like pedophilia), then I think it seems reasonable that your legal redress would extend far enough to make it clear to the public that the allegations that floated around were baselessly made by someone other than yourself.

It seems like this student really thinks this is all a joke, though... which will bode poorly for him in the legal system, I think? :(

"I have finals coming up and I have to study and instead I have to go to court," Davis said.

Sounds like something a character in Law and Order would say. :rolleyes:

[mactastic]

Don't say anything on the internet that you wouldn't say on the phone with the government listening in...

or yell out your back door.

[Sdashiki]

I was reading "The Great Shark Hunt" By Hunter Thompson, (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0743250451/sr=8-1/qid=1147965315/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-2978017-3123805?%5Fencoding=UTF8) and since I am not a hippie child I know very little of the 60s, but I cant believe that Ford friggen PARDONED Nixon, jeez talk about a big ol slap in the face of every American. I think thats when democracy died.

[MongoTheGeek]

I was reading "The Great Shark Hunt" By Hunter Thompson, (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0743250451/sr=8-1/qid=1147965315/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-2978017-3123805?%5Fencoding=UTF8) and since I am not a hippie child I know very little of the 60s, but I cant believe that Ford friggen PARDONED Nixon, jeez talk about a big ol slap in the face of every American. I think thats when democracy died.

As for the pardon of Nixon it was needed for closure. Nixon never would have been convicted of everything and then there would have just been a bunch of hate and strife. I almost think that a presidents first act in office should be to pardon his predecessor.

The thing that the student wrote (haven't viewed that page) that would be the worst was the talk about the gay old time with Michael Jackson.

[jadekitty24]

Teachers like this guy need to be shot, not with a gun but with a tranq gun so they will be lulled into thinking that they actually are doing the right thing when actually all they are doing is drooling on their pants.
To say a teacher deserves to be shot because he is defending his reputation is the most asinine thing I have ever heard. What is your problem, anyway? I have yet to read exactly what was posted on that site about the teacher, so my opinion as to whether this is overkill or not has not yet been formed. You, however, are saying some ridiculous stuff.

[Sdashiki]

Don't say anything on the internet that you wouldn't say on the phone with the government listening in...or yell out your back door.

and I replied with a good hyperbole. too good, cuz it got deleted my bad.

"to be shot" is one of those euphemisms that everyone uses when describing something they disagree with, know what i mean?

[Ugg]

Teachers who take it upon themselves to pretty much ruin their teaching career by becoming a national news figure, deserve to NOT be teachers. His reputation is to be found in the classroom and from his students. NOT from a myspace profile.


So I dont like George Bush, so sue me. Im entitled to comment as someone says



and I replied with a good hyperbole.

The national media is who chose to make him a national figure, not the teacher himself. You should wise up to the ways of the world before you start making such naive comments.

The rise of the internet has changed the way we communicate and if the kid was insinuating that the teacher was a child molester then the kid was definitely in the wrong. If he was just poking fun at the teacher then maybe the teacher just needs a thicker skin. Whatever the case, too many people don't realize that they are not free to slander someone just because they're under the age of 18. You don't get ahead in the world by antagonizing someone in public, that's just commone sense.

[Sdashiki]

I just failed to see anything "slanderous" about anything he could have said.

To see it that way I think is wrong, and yes teachers need a thick skin.

IMO if a teacher is not any good they won't be fired, they'll quit because the students will eat alive any teacher they dont like. You know exactly what I mean, if you went thru public schooling from k-12, youve seen it.

Perhaps I am quick to judge this guy, but "today" is just filled to the brim with peoples and high schools all over-reacting about anything and everything.

[mactastic]

Perhaps I am quick to judge this guy, but "today" is just filled to the brim with peoples and high schools all over-reacting about anything and everything.
And kids who over-react as well. Just something to think about.

[Desertrat]

And I'm certainly glad that on this forum, all are eligible to cast the first stone at over-reactors.

:D, 'Rat

[skunk]

And I'm certainly glad that on this forum, all are eligible to cast the first stone at over-reactors.

:D, 'RatWe'll be OK as long as we have your grizzled but steady hand on the tiller, 'Rat.

:)

[solvs]

And I'm certainly glad that on this forum, all are eligible to cast the first stone at over-reactors.
Which is why I refuse to post in this thread.

Wait... dammit.