Celeste Finkenbine has become the target of much scorn and ridicule at the virtual hands of current and former Howell students via the "Team Blessman" Facebook page created May 19 by senior Andrew Cogswell.
The subject of my article published May 17, Finkenbine is a senior who objected to her final exam in Debra Blessman's Senior Literature and Composition class being based on Michael Moore's controversial 2007 health care documentary, “Sicko“. In addition, she alleged her teacher had called her a "teabagger" in front of the class weeks earlier. [Note: Her teacher did not return repeated requests for comment prior to my publishing that piece.]
Team Blessman is described as being "for all the supporters of Mrs. Blessman and her choice to watch the film 'Sicko' for her Senior's Final." In addition, it contains the message, "This is for you Mrs. Blessman, and our right to watch politically biased movies for the sake of education." More than anything, however, it reeks mostly of youthful idealism, ignorance and liberal ideology espoused by the page's 247 members.
Examples of the harsh shots being taken at Finkenbine via the Facebook page appear below with names of the posters and their vulgar expletives redacted [Note: To see the unredacted and NSFW comments, visit Team Blessman]:
In addition to being disparaged online, Finkenbine has paid a price at home and at school for standing up for her conservative beliefs in the classroom.
Her detractors have not only deposited teabags on the lawn of her family home, but they've created what might be described as a toxic learning environment at the school As a result, I learned from an informed source, that the 18 year old stayed home from school several days last week despite being only days away from graduation.
Is Finkenbine attending classes this week? Will she go through graduation ceremonies with her class early next month? I don't know, because she is no longer giving media interviews.*
*EDITOR'S NOTE: Those who have accused Finkenbine of trying to milk this issue for media attention could not be more wrong. When it came to the story I published May 17, I contacted her; she didn't contact me. Furthermore, I know for a fact she has turned down numerous media requests, including an appearance tomorrow night on Fox News Channel's Hannity, an interview over the weekend with CNN and an interview with Mark Reardon on St Louis' KMOX radio this afternoon. How do I know? Because many of those requests were made through me by representatives of the media outlets who had read my article about Finkenbine.