You are the principal of a suburban high school. It seems that one of your students, Steve Jones, has had a long-running feud with Mr. Metcalf, an English teacher whom he blames for unfairly giving him a low grade and for being too strict with other students. Steve set up a home-based website that posted insulting images of Metcalf and contained messages describing him in unflattering terms (“a slob who doesn’t bathe often enough,” for example). He posted a photo of the teacher with the caption “Public Enemy Number One.” Word of the website has gotten around school, and although students think it’s funny and cool, the faculty is outraged. You bring Steve into your office and ask him to take down the site, explaining that it’s existence had a negative effect on school discipline and morale. He refuses, arguing that the site is home-based and you have no right to ask for it’s removal. Besides, he claims, it is just in fun and not really hurting anyone. School administrators are asked to make these kinds of decisions every day, and the wrong choice can prove costly. You are aware that a case very similar to this one resulted in a $30,000 settlement in a damage claim against a school system when the principal suspended a student for posting an insulting website and the student later sued for violating his right to free speech.
1. Would you suspend Steve if he refuses your request to take down the site? Explain your answer.
2. Would you allow him to leave it posted and try to placate Mr. Metcalf? Explain your answer.
3. What would you do if Mr. Metcalf had posted a site ridiculing students and making fun of their academic abilities? Explain your answer.
Restate the question; answer the question in-depth, try to avoid “one-liners.”
