What do you think? Appropriate reaction by the school or ridiculous?
(of course I'm looking for more about the story)
Jessica Barba, a 15-year-old student at Longwood High School in Long Island, N.Y., was given a five-day suspension after an anti-bullying video she made for a class project featured a fake suicide, NBC New York reports.
According to the station, the anti-bullying video was for a homework assignment and featured Barba playing the role of Hailey Bennett, a fictional teen bullying victim who falls into a depression and ultimately kills herself.
A parent failed to realize the character was fictional, became alarmed and called the school. The principal then suspended Barba, saying the video caused disruption in the school.
"When they told me I was suspended I just started hysterically crying," Barba told WPIX-TV, saying there was plenty of indication that the video was a work of fiction. The station reports Barba was asked to take the video off YouTube, but decided to repost it instead because she believed her message was too important.
“I just created the video in order to raise awareness of the major issue that’s bullying,”Barba told Matt Lauer on "TODAY." “I don’t understand why I’m being punished for it.”
Michael, Barba's father, told Lauer the punishment is "extensive."
In the interview with WPIX-TV, Barba's mother Jodi agreed.
"For them to even say a 5 day suspension to begin with is crazy," Jodi told the station. "But then to say we're going to have a hearing and possibly even suspend her for the rest of the year and maybe even next year and it's just insane."
The Long Island Press reports that the Longwood Central School District will not comment on the incident or reason for punishment, and that Barba faces a school hearing today about further suspension.
There are videos in the original story HERE
Really? I sometimes wonder if administrators regret these knee jerk reactions that they take? What really bothers me is that someone who actually bullied another student to the point of suicide wouldn't get as stiff of a punishment from the school.
It seems like there are too many communities lately that have been affected by a teen committing suicide because of the depression caused from bullies. It seems like the 15 year old was touching on a very real issue, and it's sad that she could face suspension for over a year from school because of that.
I think it's over the top. Before I even read the article I knew by your title that someone complained and to appease the person who complained action was taken. One can't possibly please everyone.
I don't think she should have been suspended at all. It's a fictional video based on something that happens all to often and an issue that needs to be addressed. What she made is truth for many.
What gets me, it was FOR AN ASSIGNMENT. It's not like she got this crazy idea one day to go on an anti-bullying campaign...
Essentially, she was suspended for doing something they told her to do - because she went above and beyond.
Stories like this one are the reason that more children do not speak up against bullies, more children don't stand up for those in need, and more children are just doing what is necessary to scrape by instead of going above and beyond and giving assignments their all. This is sickening.
Makeup
- auroragold
on May. 24, 2012 at 5:04 AM