UPDATE: Social Media Use Continues To Result In School Suspensions

We’ve previously talked about the positives, and the perils, of social media and how word travels fast when comments or statements are made public on Facebook, Twitter, or another social media site. At Heights High School in Kansas, school officials took one student’s tweet very seriously. So seriously that they suspended him. Wesley Teague was the senior class president of Heights High School and a member of the track team. He tweeted a seemingly innocent comment about the school’s athletics program. Several students complained about the tweet, calling it offensive, and school administrators agreed. So what exactly was the offensive tweet anyway? The tweet was: “‘Heights U’ is equivalent to WSU’s football team.” (“Heights U” is a term coined by students and is typically used as a hashtag on Twitter when discussing the school’s football team or other school sports issues. WSU refers to the Wichita State football team that no longer exists). The school officials decided this was a malicious act by Teague, done in order to “incite a disturbance.” As a result, he was immediately suspended and banned from attending in all graduation activities, including a senior breakfast and convocation ceremony at which he was supposed to make a speech. Teague told his local newspaper that the decision was “completely unfair” and that he never intended to offend the school. He claims he was referring to the Heights U hashtag, not the school. He explained that he was making fun of the hashtag “Heights U” because it doesn’t make sense – Heights is a high school, not a university. Teague’s mother spoke out in support of her son, stating that her son was dedicated to boosting the school’s spirit, especially the athletics program; he could often be seen cheering on the various sports teams in the front row of the bleachers. Lately, many organizations have urged students, and people in general, to be careful with what they say on social media. Read up on our social media tips to prevent any possible incidents, like Teague’s. What do you think of Teague’s punishment? Was it fair or uncalled for? News Source: Yahoo!