NationStates Jolt Archive

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/offbeat/2007/05/myspace_photo_costs_teacher_ed.html

MySpace Photo Costs Teacher Education Degree

Teacher Sues For Diploma And Damages

The ongoing debate over how much an educator's out-of-school behavior should affect his or her job has take a decidedly youthful turn.

Teacher in training Stacy Snyder was denied her education degree on the eve of graduation when Millersville University apparently found pictures on her MySpace page "promoting underage drinking." As a result, the 27-year-old mother of two had her teaching certificate withheld and was granted an English degree instead. In response, Snyder has filed a Federal lawsuit against the Pennsylvania university asking for her education diploma and certificate along with $75,000 in damages.

So what, you're probably asking yourself, could have been in this picture that was so abhorrent as to make Stacy Snyder unworthy of teaching children? Was she force-feeding a 6-year-old bourbon from a bottle or spiking a middle school dance's punch? Not even close. The picture in question turned out to be of her at a Halloween party in 2005 dressed as a pirate and drinking an indeterminate liquid "from a plastic 'Mr. Goodbar' cup." But underneath was a caption which read "Drunken Pirate" and that caption apparently lead faculty to assume she was too "unprofessional" to educate young minds. Word was sent to the Millersville administration, and Snyder's "lifelong dream" of being a teacher ended less than a day before being achieved.

Now, clearly schools take underage drinking seriously. Their primary objective, after all, is the education and well-being of the students in their care, and as such they do whatever they see fit to achieve it. However, it seems unclear how keeping her out of the classroom because of an ambiguous photograph helps in that mission. Are public schools really attempting to keep students under the illusion that no members of their faculty have ever been under the influence of alcohol? If so would, say, a MySpace page of wedding photos with a faculty member making a toast, be grounds for termination?

Obviously this is an extreme example and there are limits and lines that must be drawn between acceptable and unacceptable, but it is difficult to imagine how Ms. Snyder's "Drunken Pirate" would fall on the inappropriate side. Given the shortage of teachers in America and the difficulty in recruiting quality applicants to the profession, it seems like the school may have compromised its primary objective for the sake of unrealistic zero-tolerance principals.


Yeah...this is a little on the crazy side...

this is probably the only time i'll say this.

she should sue for more.

She should sue for WAY more, just to teach them a lesson.

What any professional does out of hours is of absolutely NO concern to his or her employer and, in my opinion, this should be legislated.
It should be illegal for an establishment or institution to dismiss an individual on the basis of their social life.

Stupid.

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/offbeat/2007/05/myspace_photo_costs_teacher_ed.html

Yeah...this is a little on the crazy side...


Obviously this is an extreme example and there are limits and lines that must be drawn between acceptable and unacceptable, but it is difficult to imagine how Ms. Snyder's "Drunken Pirate" would fall on the inappropriate side. Given the shortage of teachers in America and the difficulty in recruiting quality applicants to the profession, it seems like the school may have compromised its primary objective for the sake of unrealistic zero-tolerance principals. a bad reason to change standards...

but that being said... yeah, it is going overboard.

She's probably a whale.

They want to withhold certain degrees on the grounds that they drink? I'm not sure that I know any student who would graduate if they could get their degree withheld for drinking. In fact, the students who are supposed to have a sense of social responsibility (medicine, education, law) also tend to party the hardest at the university I attend. One of the main issues at the union president election last month was who could promise the lowest drink prices in the unions.

Too bad they've been doing stuff like this for awhile. Anyone remember the teacher in Florida(?) that was fired after they found out she had posed for a swimsuit calender before she was a teacher? I don't think she got her job back either.

That being said, it's still irredeemably stupid.

Oh come on, seriously? So once you want to become a teacher, THAT'S IT! No more fun for you! You must abstain from alcohol, sex, drugs and friends! No more!

More proof of zero-tolerance being total horse shit.

She should sue for WAY more, just to teach them a lesson.

What any professional does out of hours is of absolutely NO concern to his or her employer and, in my opinion, this should be legislated.
It should be illegal for an establishment or institution to dismiss an individual on the basis of their social life.

Stupid.

unless it affects their work.

I've known some people who are dangerous with a hangover. However, they do take care not to get drunk when they know they have to work the next morning.

The fact that they don't know [and admitted it] what she was drinking is grounds for class action...

There was a lawsuite a long time ago, it was about a newspaper picture that showed a student having coffee with friends and the caption said so. however, the student's religious beliefs made Caffene taboo. and since the photographer assumed it was coffee and not decaff...

she sued and won. unfortunatly, this was a loong time ago... where BBS were the norm.

she sued and won. unfortunatly, this was a loong time ago... where BBS were the norm.

A. Decaf IS coffee, as far as I know. Although some people will insist it isn't. :p

B. What the fuck does BBS stand for?

A. Decaf IS coffee, as far as I know. Although some people will insist it isn't. :p

B. What the fuck does BBS stand for?
Bullitin Boards . the forefather to the Forum.

and she was hounded because Coffee generally referrs to caffinated coffee, not decaf.

Is there a link to her Myspace page?

Is there a link to her Myspace page?

No, but if you go to www.slashdot.org and find this article (It's near the top) there's a link to the picture.

That is stupid.

The only eason why she should be punished is if she was at a party where her students were drinking, and she was allowing them.

But this is totaly inapropriate. She is 27 god dammit.

crazy americans and your sueing...

still stupid though

No, but if you go to www.slashdot.org and find this article (It's near the top) there's a link to the picture.

Yarr! T'would be a tame n' harmless enough photo, unworthy o' bein' kept under yer bunk!

crazy americans and your sueing...

still stupid though

Umm...you do realize she's totally justified in every sense of the word to sue here, don't you?

Also, you can sue for anything. It's winning that matters. Plenty of lawsuits can be dismissed with ease.

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/offbeat/2007/05/myspace_photo_costs_teacher_ed.html




Yeah...this is a little on the crazy side...

There are barely any good things involving Myspace, it just causes bad things apparently. Plus it's admin allow everyone to do whatever, especially breaking laws, (hacking, harrasment, today's big NO's) It is notorious for causing lawsuits as well. Remember the CIA chick for example.

Man if they only knew what all the friends of mine that are teachers get up to...

Umm...you do realize she's totally justified in every sense of the word to sue here, don't you?

Also, you can sue for anything. It's winning that matters. Plenty of lawsuits can be dismissed with ease.

just too many stories about people sueing others recently.

i mean, i can understand challenging their decision and taking that to court, but trying to bundle in 75 grand's worth of "damages" (which i assume would be her costs of getting the degree) seems just greedy.

Hey, Nyamo got drunk in front of her students and it ended up being an "educational experience" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMzxgCvBH1s) :D Teachers are there to educate, yes? :cool:

Yeah...this is a little on the crazy side...

Big what the fuck here.

Hey, Nyamo got drunk in front of her students and it ended up being an "educational experience" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMzxgCvBH1s) :D Teachers are there to educate, yes? :cool:

especially for her... the next morning... :D

Is there a link to her Myspace page?here is the picture in question

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/graphics/art3/0426072pirate1.jpg

whoa. what the deuce? how IS that underage drinking?

just too many stories about people sueing others recently.

i mean, i can understand challenging their decision and taking that to court, but trying to bundle in 75 grand's worth of "damages" (which i assume would be her costs of getting the degree) seems just greedy.by American standards she is asking for small change..

BTW I do not agree with the US justice system.

but I do think the people denying her diploma... should lose their jobs

Is there a link to her Myspace page?

The drinking I have no problem with, however, the operation of a MySpace page should be sufficient grounds to get her fired though.

here is the picture in question

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/graphics/art3/0426072pirate1.jpgI have that same Mr. Goodbar cup. It's a damn good cup.

a bad reason to change standards...

but that being said... yeah, it is going overboard.

And this is partly why teaching standards in America are abysmal. You've got moralists instead of educators sitting in the head positions.

Recommendation: Fire their asses and get some real educators.

just too many stories about people sueing others recently.

i mean, i can understand challenging their decision and taking that to court, but trying to bundle in 75 grand's worth of "damages" (which i assume would be her costs of getting the degree) seems just greedy.

Depending on how long this case drags out, much of that may go to her lawyer and court fees. Not to mention the fact that she will not be able to work as a teacher (which would have presumably been her plan), and thus a difference in pay may be factored in.

75 grand still seems high, but I do think she should get some compensation above and beyond the obvious costs.

Hey, Nyamo got drunk in front of her students and it ended up being an "educational experience" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMzxgCvBH1s) :D Teachers are there to educate, yes? :cool:

I could kiss you for posting that. :D

No, but if you go to www.slashdot.org and find this article (It's near the top) there's a link to the picture.

For fuck's sake! You can't even see the woman's face. Holy fucking hell. I thought Pennsylvania had advanced a bit when they got rid of Santorum. I guess santorum is harder to wash out than I thought.

Depending on how long this case drags out, much of that may go to her lawyer and court fees. Not to mention the fact that she will not be able to work as a teacher (which would have presumably been her plan), and thus a difference in pay may be factored in.

75 grand still seems high, but I do think she should get some compensation above and beyond the obvious costs.

Whatever she gets at the end of the trial should equal the money she would have earned as a teacher. Simple enough. And it will give sanctimonious assholes like this dean something to ponder next time they think to themselves "hmm, a drunk surgeon might hurt people. I'd better kick him out of medical school. This is unlikely to force me to pay three or four years of a surgeon's salary."

whoa. what the deuce? how IS that underage drinking?

I'll say. She doesn't look under twenty one at all...

For fuck's sake! You can't even see the woman's face. Holy fucking hell. I thought Pennsylvania had advanced a bit when they got rid of Santorum. I guess santorum is harder to wash out than I thought.

What? How is posting instructions because you're too lazy to find the actual link horrible?

Whatever she gets at the end of the trial should equal the money she would have earned as a teacher. Simple enough.

...because, of course, being fired for spurious reasons, having your private life put under scrutiny by the media and then having to sit through a long and tedious court process is absolutely no more inconvenient than being a teacher, yes?

What? How is posting instructions because you're too lazy to find the actual link horrible?

Um, don't you need to /sarcasm on or off, so we know you aren't, well, intelligently-challenged?

Here's why lawsuit settlements are punitive and not always a result of money lost-

Ford knew that the Pinto was unsafe but determined that the lawsuits that would happen would be cheaper than a recall. So it went ahead and endangered the public, not just its customers, for the bottom line.

So while sometimes the sums might seem incredible to the suer, sometimes the sums have to be incredible to the entity being sued in an effort to encourage them not to do something they can be sued for.

Yes, people can look at that as a payday, but that's why they have a trial instead of just an ATM machine.

here is the picture in question

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/graphics/art3/0426072pirate1.jpg

How raunchy...?