"One morning in May 2008, an eighth-grader walked into Janice Hart's office at a Beverly Hills school crying.
She was upset and humiliated and couldn't possibly go to class, the girl told the counselor. The night before, a classmate had posted a video on YouTube with a group of other eighth-graders bad-mouthing her, calling her 'spoiled,' a 'brat' and a 'slut.' Text and instant messages had been flying since. Half the class must have seen it by now, she told Hart.
Hart took the problem to the vice principal and principal, who took it to a district administrator, who asked the district's lawyers what they could do about it. In the end, citing 'cyber-bullying' concerns, school officials suspended the girl who posted the video for two days. That student took the case to federal court, saying her free speech rights had been violated."
She was upset and humiliated and couldn't possibly go to class, the girl told the counselor. The night before, a classmate had posted a video on YouTube with a group of other eighth-graders bad-mouthing her, calling her 'spoiled,' a 'brat' and a 'slut.' Text and instant messages had been flying since. Half the class must have seen it by now, she told Hart.
Hart took the problem to the vice principal and principal, who took it to a district administrator, who asked the district's lawyers what they could do about it. In the end, citing 'cyber-bullying' concerns, school officials suspended the girl who posted the video for two days. That student took the case to federal court, saying her free speech rights had been violated."
