2 Neb. (High School) students suspended for Obama comments

[sabra]

Source: AP

PAPILLION, Neb. (AP) - Two Papillion-La Vista South High School students have been suspended after allegedly using insensitive language about President-elect Barack Obama.

School officials say the juniors made the comments during a social studies discussion of the presidential election. Officials say the students' comments about Obama had racial and religious undertones, but officials declined to detail what, specifically, the students said.

Neither did school officials reveal the names of the students.

Principal Enid Schonewise (SHOW-neh-wise) said the suspension fell under the school district's harassment policy. She says any language considered offensive based on gender, race, religion or ethnicity is not tolerated.

Read more: http://www.kcautv.com/Global/story.asp?S=9310755&nav=1kgl

[TwilightGardener]

1. I would expect better of Papillion-LaVista kids. That's a decent middle-class suburb

and is pretty well integrated due to Offutt AFB nearby--not the lily-white rural sticks (where I live). Depressing, but glad they were reprimanded.

[rms013]

6. Decent Middle Class Suburb

Prejudice is, for the most part, closeted in America, the eye of which is in the decent middle class. Terminologies aside I believe the school should have not suspended these students. It is their right to speak that is being infringed upon. They may have better approached this issue through discussion and possible a diversity program (seems like it may be needed in this decent middle class environment).

[TwilightGardener]

9. I don't know that students have a right to say racially insulting things in class--

schools would have a real problem with discipline and fighting, then. We don't know what was said, so I assume the matter was handled appropriately until otherwise proven.

[Old Codger]

10. Freedom of speech

Is a right for sure BUT it is not a coverall nor a cover up for that type of speech...ALL speech is not necessarily allowed irrespective of our 1st amendment.There are actually some things that are illegal regardless of that right. The cannot preach religion in school as one example.

[Stargazer09]

15. There's a difference between discussion and hate speech

You can have a discussion about the differences you have with the elected President, which I think is a good thing. Or you can devolve into hateful speech based on race and religion, which I don't agree with.

The schools in that area are not bad schools, and the punishment probably fit the crime. Without knowing what was said, we can't judge one way or another.

[bluestateguy]

2. Send their names to every college admissions department in the country

Tee hee.

[Texas Mom]

11. That would give them

automatic admission to Texas A&M!

[bluestateguy]

12. I was thinking more like Bob Jones University

nt

[gratuitous]

3. No matter who's president, some things remain the same

And one of those things is that boys will do and say stupid things.

[VPStoltz]

4. Don't bet on it

I work in the best school in my district: highest AYP, etc.
We had an employee during the Gore election going around telling kids on the playground that he was a "big, fat liar."
The kids told me and I reported her.
I've been out on med leave so I haven't heard yet what she said about Obama.

[lefty2000]

5. Typical Authoritarian Over-reaction

I remember after the Columbine shootings reading that schools across the nation conducted group sessions with students and solicited their comments. I read that students who expressed any sympathy for the shooters were expelled from class or received administrative discipline.

Now we are punishing students who openly express bigotry or racial prejudice?

Anybody who believes the proper response to wrong speech is punishment should be horsewhipped!

[krkaufman]

7. One should be "horsewhipped" for concern over racial bigotry?

I think this has been done. As a starting point.

[lefty2000]

8. Of course not

It was meant to be ironic.

[Old Codger]

16. try this

I was pretty sure that was what you meant BUT :sarcasm: Makes it easier to tell exactly what you mean.
And removes the chance that someone may misunderstand :)

[uppityperson]

18. Thanks for clarifying. Here's something that might make life easier for you

even if you don't think you need it, even if it is apparent to you, esp until we get to know you, use the sarcasm smilie.

[Outlier]

19. As someone who is not a minority

I could never understand the desire by some to supress expressions of bigotry or racial prejudice. If I were a minority I would love to know who the bigots were.

[LostinVA]

22. You get suspended or fired for something like that at work

School is work for kids. They need to learn they have to be bigots on their own time.

[LisaL]

25. Did you miss the part where this was a part of the discussion

during social studies?

[krkaufman]

23. Are there any words or phrases a student could utter ...?

... that, to you, would justify their being sent home from school?

[LisaL]

26. I dunno.

But I have a feeling many posters here would be fuming if students were suspended for saying negative things about McCain/Palin.

[krkaufman]

28. Define "negative things"

If you're going to so stridently reproach others, then you need to be more forthcoming in your view of where the line should be drawn.

[Davis_X_Machina]

13. I'd take their case...

...and expect to win it. Tinker.

[AlbertCat]

14. Expelling them...

....just makes them martyrs. Especially in this age group and setting.

I think subtler means would be more effective. Like not calling on them for anything. Not allowing them to do anything in class or keeping them on the bench at sports. Make them pariahs, not martyrs. Sometimes indifference and snubbing can be the cruelest punishment. Especially in High School.

[liberalmuse]

17. I'd rather see these kids educated on racial issues...

than punished. I hope the school would consider having a forum or some sort of sensitivity training/discussion on race. Punishing racists only makes them more belligerent and this would be a great opportunity to educate the students.

[CottonBear]

20. High school students in the white GOP county next to my Democratic county make anti-Obama statements

Excerpt from an e-mail dated 11-06-08 from a local Oconee County, GA Democrat who moved to the county from the predominantly Democratic county of Athen-Clarke:

Since we have moved from Clarke to Oconee (several years now), we have seen too few instances where folks are speaking up (this list excepted) and too much comfort in the status quo. We are trying to teach our daughters not to stand idle when teachers and students make references to the travesty of the liberal democrats in office (my daughter had to talk down chants of “watch out, O’bomba, O’bomba” today) so it’s hard not to speak up when the need arises.

A (Republican) woman made a snide comment to her teenage son about my "Barack and Roll" Obama t-shirt when I was in the local Publix grocery store on election day. She said (very loudly so that I could hear as she passed by me) "That's not the way to redistribute the wealth honey." I said "excuse me?" because I thought she was speaking to me (she was looking at me.) She quickly said "I was talking to him."

I recently was in the same Publix here in very conservative Oconee County, GA. I was purchasing a NYT and a Republican man, who was dressed in preppy clothing, walked up and asked me if I was going to buy the NYT paper and I said yes. Then, he said "I don't believe a word that's printed in it" and spun around and quickly walked off!

Oy!:eyes: I'm glad I live in a blue county and just work in the adjacent red county!

[Iwasthere]

21. 8 students repremanded in the High School where I work today

For the same thing

[LisaL]

24. You ask somebody to discuss the election.

And then you suspend the students for what they said during the discussion?
Is that really a good thing to do?

[Nevernose]

27. Sounds like crappy teaching

Why the hell would a teacher waste everyone's time by sending a little racist asshole to the principal's office? Did he/she think that by getting the kids in trouble at the administrative level it would suddenly end racism in America? Unless it was something really outrageous -- like Nazi-saluting and yelling "white power" -- the better solution would have been to dress them down in front of the class. Then you've solved the problem, let the other students know that language like that won't be tolerated, and hopefully TAUGHT students something (namely what is and isn't appropriate in "professional" society).