Family FAQ

You asked:

My daughter has been suspended for writing about a teacher on her MySpace page. Can they do that?

The Online Family answers:

What kids do online -- even when they're off campus -- is increasingly getting them in trouble at school. If your daughter's school has an honor code or policy about online conduct, the suspension could be fair game. And even if the school doesn't have a policy, though your daughter has a right to free speech, her teacher also has a right to sue for defamation of character, for example. If you think the suspension is unwarranted, it would be a good idea to get a copy of the school and school district policies for online and student conduct and take it from there. In the meantime, teach your daughter about the proper channels of filing a complaint against a school official or how to request a meeting with a teacher to discuss concerns or issues -- versus just taking her case to the World Wide Web.

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