MO bans teachers from friending students on Facebook

[slackerisme]

The school won't research a darn thing. It will punish those who are convicted of committing indecent acts with a minor/student. That is it.

Your logic dictates that, because the kids can reach the internet and communicate despite the best efforts of parents, teachers should be banned from communicating with them via Facebook etc.

By that same logic, I should be banned from having a firearm in the same house as a younger cousin or child because we all know how easy it is for them to find keys and open lockboxes or climb up and reach high shelves. Except that we don't: we prosecute the parent for negligence for leaving the firearm where the child could reach it after the fact. We prosecute the teacher for committing indecent acts after the fact.

If a parent doesn't like how close a child and teacher are, let the parent discuss it with the teacher and/or the teacher's superior. Let it be individually handled at the discretion of the parents. A blanket ban is merely an attempt at a kind of pre-crime thinking which I find indescribably dangerous.

Wrong!! My logic dictates that without a law (or rule) on the books to say "We said you can't do this" there is no method of removing a potential predator. Your comparison is nowhere near realistic. It is not an attempt at thought crime, you said it yourself it will not be a pro-active tool. It will be a stop gap measure meant to fire predators that are willing to cross that line for a closer relationship. You are making far to much of this. As a business owner it makes perfect sense to me.

 

[RockofStrength]

Wrong!! My logic dictates that without a law (or rule) on the books to say "We said you can't do this" there is no method of removing a potential predator. Your comparison is nowhere near realistic. It is not an attempt at thought crime, you said it yourself it will not be a pro-active tool. It will be a stop gap measure meant to fire predators that are willing to cross that line for a closer relationship. You are making far to much of this. As a business owner it makes perfect sense to me.

There is nothing inherently wrong or even illegal about a teacher sending/receiving an invite from a child on Facebook. The new law will make it illegal to do so in order to deny those who would use a perfectly innocuous tool for an evil purpose an opportunity. My comparison is thus valid: neither internet communications nor guns are inherently evil or harmful but can be so if in the hands of the unscrupulous/ignorant.

 

[rambone]

I dated a girl who was a teacher. She had many of her students on Facebook, past & present. In Missouri she'd be in prison.

She was a real predator too. Let me tell ya.

 

[NYFelon]

I have a friend that is a school teacher in an affluent district here on Long Island. Her EMPLOYER has a policy that teachers may not be friends with students on facebook, nor post photos of themselves engaging in unbecoming activities. I see no issue with an employer placing clauses into an employment contract. No government agency has any business regulating interpersonal relationships, neither personally nor virtually, which cause no harm.

 

[slackerisme]

There is nothing inherently wrong or even illegal about a teacher sending/receiving an invite from a child on Facebook. The new law will make it illegal to do so in order to deny those who would use a perfectly innocuous tool for an evil purpose an opportunity. My comparison is thus valid: neither internet communications nor guns are inherently evil or harmful but can be so if in the hands of the unscrupulous/ignorant.

Your comparison is not valid. Here's the law....http://www.senate.mo.gov/11info/pdf-bill/tat/SB54.pdf

Note 162.069. Where it specifically dictates that as long viewing the content of the site is not controlled by the owner (teacher) specifically allowing access, there is not an issue.

Therefore pages open to public view are not covered by the new law, only pages that the teacher has set to be viewed by individuals he or she allows. What exactly is your beef? Would you be alright with a teacher having after school activities that parent could not attend?

 

[slackerisme]

I have a friend that is a school teacher in an affluent district here on Long Island. Her EMPLOYER has a policy that teachers may not be friends with students on facebook, nor post photos of themselves engaging in unbecoming activities. I see no issue with an employer placing clauses into an employment contract. No government agency has any business regulating interpersonal relationships, neither personally nor virtually, which cause no harm.

zactly

 

[RockofStrength]

Your comparison is not valid. Here's the law....http://www.senate.mo.gov/11info/pdf-bill/tat/SB54.pdf

Note 162.069. Where it specifically dictates that as long viewing the content of the site is not controlled by the owner (teacher) specifically allowing access, there is not an issue.

Therefore pages open to public view are not covered by the new law, only pages that the teacher has set to be viewed by individuals he or she allows. What exactly is your beef? Would you be alright with a teacher having after school activities that parent could not attend?

You realize that what is described therein could include something so innocuous as a basic facebook page, which only those who are friends with the teacher can view/comment on (as Facebook itself merely records, but does not monitor, such situations I would venture a guess and say that Facebook's admins don't count as a third-party under this law). They have made it illegal for a teacher to friend a student on Facebook or to send that child a private message via the same even if they are not "friended".

Provision 4 is particularly ridiculous:

"No teacher shall establish, maintain, or use a non work-related
internet site which allows exclusive access with a current or former student. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed as prohibiting a teacher from establishing a nonwork related internet site , provided the site is used in accordance with this section."

This is the government telling a citizen what he/she may and may not do with their own website, on their own time, regardless of actual harm being done. A teacher and student couldn't use a website, program, forum etc that allows "exclusive access" to communicate in any way at all, innocuous or otherwise.

Why not simply prosecute the teacher for sexual misconduct or having sex with a minor or whatever charge is applicable to the case instead of forbidding personal communication between two parties?

 

[NYFelon]

zactly

I'm not exactly sure we agree sir. I vehemently oppose this law. Government has no business regulating interpersonal relationships which harm neither participant, as I mentioned.

 

[slackerisme]

You realize that what is described therein could include something so innocuous as a basic facebook page, which only those who are friends with the teacher can view/comment on (as Facebook itself merely records, but does not monitor, such situations I would venture a guess and say that Facebook's admins don't count as a third-party under this law). They have made it illegal for a teacher to friend a student on Facebook or to send that child a private message via the same even if they are not "friended".

Yes I do realize that. Read below.

Provision 4 is particularly ridiculous:

"No teacher shall establish, maintain, or use a non work-related
internet site which allows exclusive access with a current or former student. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed as prohibiting a teacher from establishing a nonwork related internet site , provided the site is used in accordance with this section."

This is the government telling a citizen what he/she may and may not do with their own website, on their own time, regardless of actual harm being done. A teacher and student couldn't use a website, program, forum etc that allows "exclusive access" to communicate in any way at all, innocuous or otherwise.

That's right, if the teacher allowed my child to see the contents of their website and outlawed me, there would be a problem. As long as access is not exclusive at the owners (teachers) discretion, there is no issue under the law.

Why not simply prosecute the teacher for sexual misconduct or having sex with a minor or whatever charge is applicable to the case instead of forbidding personal communication between two parties?

I for one, am not willing to have my child's innocence robbed just so your tinfoil hat doesn't tingle as much. It's my opinion.

 

[slackerisme]

zactly

I'm not exactly sure we agree sir. I vehemently oppose this law. Government has no business regulating interpersonal relationships which harm neither participant, as I mentioned.

You stated "Her EMPLOYER has a policy that teachers may not be friends with students on facebook, nor post photos of themselves engaging in unbecoming activities. I see no issue with an employer placing clauses into an employment contract. No government agency has any business regulating interpersonal relationships, neither personally nor virtually, which cause no harm."
END QUOTE

1. Since the state is their employer, you made my point. Thanks.

 

[bingley]

I dated a girl who was a teacher. She had many of her students on Facebook, past & present. In Missouri she'd be in prison.

She was a real predator too. Let me tell ya.

Rambone, you're making this law sound like a good idea. I love those bad girls, friending consenting adults or properly supervised children on Facebook. Oooh, that gets me going like nothing else. Tell me, did she write emails or maybe *gulp* twitter, too?

Missouri's gotta hear about this. Next thing you know, teachers will be putting up inane messages in 140 characters or less.

Da Bing

 

[RockofStrength]

I for one, am not willing to have my child's innocence robbed just so your tinfoil hat doesn't tingle as much. It's my opinion.

And it's my opinion that what was once merely a talking point for tin-foilers like myself has become the stated facts of the day. I am not a conspiracy theorist and I don't see a FEMA camp whenever the government builds a new storage facility. I merely look at the idea that the government (the employers of all public school teachers, as you have rightly said) needs to look over a man's shoulder all the time to keep your child safe as being one with a slope slipperier than a greased hog.

If you wish to disagree, by all means do so. No skin off my back.

 

[rambone]

Rambone, you're making this law sound like a good idea. I love those bad girls, friending consenting adults or properly supervised children on Facebook. Oooh, that gets me going like nothing else. Tell me, did she write emails or maybe *gulp* twitter, too?

Missouri's gotta hear about this. Next thing you know, teachers will be putting up inane messages in 140 characters or less.

Da Bing

She even keeps in touch with them since she away moved from their state. That should be an extra charge, like interstate-internet-child-fraternization.

Lock her up and throw away the key.

 

[Garb]

The fact that this is happening enough to warranty a law being passed should be enough for something to be done.

Wow. I actually agree with you on this for the most part. But this statement really almost made me throw up.

 

[public servant]

We can not pick andchoose which parts of the constitution we support, it is an all or nothing proposition, So while I feel it's a bad idea for teachers to friend students, I have to fully support their right to do so.

They are free to quit their jobs and befriend anyone they wish.

*although I don't agree with it.

 

[rambone]

Maybe all government workers should be arrested for befriending children on Facebook.

After all, they're only one molestation away from being child molesters themselves. Best to arrest the future criminals before they have a chance to act.