Student Expelled For Facebook Photo Description

flutterecho writes "A sophomore at Valdosta State University was expelled after criticizing his university's plan to build two new parking garages with student fees. In a letter apparently slipped under his dorm room door, Ronald Zaccari, the university's president, wrote that he 'present[ed] a clear and present danger to this campus' and referred to an image on the student's Facebook page which contained a threatening description. 'As additional evidence of the threat posed by Barnes, the document referred to a link he posted to his Facebook profile whose accompanying graphic read: "Shoot it. Upload it. Get famous. Project Spotlight is searching for the next big thing. Are you it?" It doesn't mention that Project Spotlight was an online digital video contest and that "shoot" in that context meant "record."' In a post-Virginia Tech world, has university surveillance of online identities gone too far?"

Comments

Maybe, maybe not

[PopeRatzo]

I'm guessing that the student handbook disclaimer of "expel at will" could be dented by good legal representation.

Lawsuit waiting to happen. I hope they've got a healthy endowment.

Like me.

(I'm sorry, I had to add that last bit. Yes, it's Sunday morning, but it was low-hanging fruit... Like mine. OK, I'll quit now.)

Re:Granted, but "shoot" only has dual meanings

[Anonymous Coward]

in the non-nigger world [...]

You seriously need psychiatric help.

Airport security

[smaugy]

Steadicam operator to airport security personnel:

"We're here to shoot a pilot."

Hilarity ensues.

Here's a threat

[pdhenry]

Well, if you RTFA, one could infer that referring to the garage as the Zaccari Memorial Parking Garage could be construed as threatening to university president Zaccari. It's wasn't just the Project Spotlight link.

Re:Here's a threat

[schon]

something that merely can be construed as a threat is not a threat Try telling that to the city of Boston. :)

Re:Streisand effect

[Naughty Bob]

(In fact I believe only Robert Smith can prevent this....)

BTW: the IT department wasraided...

[tmk]

...after they published a FAQ on "troubleshooting".

Re:University Contact Information

[Mike89]

For your well reasoned & thought out responses.

*laughs at the thought of their inbox*. Oh god, now I have to find that Pennyarcade comic.. here we go

Re:Public University

[memnock]

oh, so the student should probably go to school overseas? ;)

Well...

[Corwn of Amber]

This is not "online surveillance going too far". It's "Some universities employ complete morons who can't even read. This hazs serious consequenes, such as students expelled for non-reasons."

Why is that news? Maybe sections with a counter in each, such as "$UNIVERSITY expels $STUDENT for reason $STUPID" would do it, with an index that links to each relevant article. Good idea for a web 2.0 news site, that.

Re:Well...

[Robber Baron]

Some universities employ complete morons who can't even read. So please enlighten me as to how being expelled from such a place is a bad thing.

Re:Well...

[spun]

Probably not, but there are reasons why we have these sayings about black kettles and glass houses... People in glass houses shouldn't throw black kettles?

Re:Public University

[TheKidWho]

What are you retarded?

Take your Anti-US trolling somewhere else troll.

Re:VTech just kicked in, yo!

[Sique]

He should even get them for false advertising. They surely mention good English courses somewhere in their advertisement material, and they weren't even able to read "shoot it" correctly in the context of photography.

Re:What's really interesting

[RealGrouchy]

On the bright side, at least Zaccari is speaking to a counsellor (even if it his not his own). He evidently needs one.

- RG>

Re:Now that's well thought out plan...

[russotto]

It should be interesting to see what the setllement amount is going to be.

Hopefully it will include a lifetime parking spot at the T. Hayden Barnes parking garage.

Important facts missing from summary

[Jay L]

1. Valdosta State is in Georgia.
2. Georgia borders both Alabama and Florida.

This should help to explain things a little better.

So Web 2.0...?

[argent]

So Web 2.0 is Usenet 1.0?