Posted on 02/19/2014 8:02:13 AM PST by Colonel_Flagg
Boasts about sexual conquests on a now-deleted Web page could trigger felony charges against a popular Rogers High School student athlete and others, the latest twist in a swirl of accusations, comments and protest involving social media.
The furor in the Elk River Area School District on Tuesday transcended the dispute over a controversial tweet by the student and exposed the sexually explicit and often vicious exchanges that fill popular online pages created by students at many Minnesota schools. The anonymous posts include bragging messages, accusations and insults directed at students, teachers and others.
Rogers Police Chief Jeff Beahen said the “Rogers Confessions” page on ask.fm attracted many such “sexually charged” submissions. Some referred to a physical education teacher at the high school who was also the target of a Twitter exchange several days ago that led to a more-than-two-month suspension of senior Reid Sagehorn. Sagehorn, the 17-year-old captain of the school’s football and basketball teams, is accused of tweeting, apparently sarcastically, that he “actually, yes” was in an improper relationship with her. “It’s like screaming ‘Fire!’ in a crowded theater or ‘I have a bomb’ on an airplane,” Beahen said Tuesday of the possible felony charges, not long after supporters of Sagehorn held a protest outside the school. “If you say something on a very public forum, there are consequences. This young, innocent teacher is the victim here.”
(Excerpt) Read more at startribune.com ...
I don’t disagree with you. But still, when you post with your name you’re accountable for your words. It’s a horrible situation.
He is reaping a totally uncalled for oppression.
It just seems to me that some sort of common sense should prevail here. There’s no need for the backlash against the teacher here either. She didn’t do anything wrong.
A felony charge will have an impact on the boy for the rest of his life. The article mentioned a lesser charge was possible too, but if there is a way to have some sort of teachable moment on social media out of this whole mess, then people ought to be looking for it.
Sowing. Reaping.
Nonsense. He didn’t.
He sowed nothing and is reaping a piano on his head.
Seriously. As a (slightly) wiser adult I still let some things go here on FR that are foolish or that I regret saying. It would be bad news if some things I said as a teenager were enshrined on the net.
Tell that to the teacher.
A teacher accused of being in an inappropriate relationship with a student ISN'T cleared of the accusation by a 5 minute conversation.
I would. If she didn’t see the injustice to this kid she doesn’t deserve to teach.
“To charge him with a felony is unconscionable.”
I just don’t see how this is criminal behavior. What are they saying, that he slandered this woman? Is slander even a felony? I always thought it was a civil offense. Or is it that he placed her in criminal jeopardy because if they *were* having a relationship that would be a crime? That would be making a false report, is that a felony? Aside from the fact that he didn’t make a report to law enforcement.
I’m very confused by this story, who reported this to the police in the first place is one question I have.
If what the kid said was a joke, which I’m assuming it was if they are not, in fact, having an affair, it seems pretty stupid to elevate that to a criminal offense.
I mean, should the loathsome Bill Maher be put in jail for things he has said about Sarah Palin? She’s been slandered as much as anyone in this country and yes, with malicious intent. Or a better example, the uterus obsessed Andrew Sullivan, she probably really should have sued him.
The focus seems to be mostly on the effect on the young man; what about the damage to the teacher and her reputation? She was interviewed by the police and the article also indicates that she has been reporting to work in a not good environment and missing some days.
Yeah, and rape victims are to blame for not wearing burkas.
That is a lunatic comparison.
Let me ask you this, because this is what I'm wondering about in reading this story: is the appropriate remedy for damage to the teacher's reputation civil or criminal? Or both?
Pardon the hell out of me for defending the Ladies honor.
The victim is the kid.
Get a grip.
We know of a man who was sentenced to 25 years for responding to an online solicitation “sting” by police posing as an underage girl.
While I abhor this type of actual behavior, when you compare sentences for actual criminal acts vs this police sting where nothing happened and no one was harmed, 25 years does seem excessive.
And then we have the earlier post of a SWAT raid where an 80 year old man was gunned down in his home the middle of the night during a suspected drugs raid. Naturally, no drugs were found, the medical examiner determined that he was in his bed when shot, etc, etc.
Some things just don’t seem right.
Comprehend what you read much?
The kid screwed up, should have publicly recanted and apologized and everyone should have moved along. Instead, the district suspended the kid for TWO MONTHS and NOW are looking to charge him with a FELONY!
THAT is crazy...and the entire fault of the district.
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