Scenario:
Two eighth grade girls steal the cell phone of another eighth grade girl, taking it out of her backpack in the bathroom after school. They use the phone to take pictures of students changing for cheerleading practice and then use Instagram to post the pictures to Facebook. The student whose phone is stolen does not say anything to anyone until she gets home, where she tells her parents about the theft. The parents immediately contact the principal about the situation. All three girls involved in the incident are on the cheerleading team.
Decision:
There are several central issues to this situation— theft, invasion of privacy, and inappropriate use of technology—that ultimately makes my decision an important one that must uphold the rules, expectations, and consequences stated in the school handbook. I need to ensure a safe school environment for all of my students and reinforce the Catholic value of respect for others. In order to gather all of the facts about the incident, I will need to speak with the student whose phone was stolen, the girls who stole the phone to take the pictures, and any students who were in the bathroom as witnesses. I will also consult with my assistant principal and my pastor. Once I make my decision, I will need to discuss the consequences with all of the parents and students involved through personal meetings. I will also inform the teachers of the students via e-mail and contact the cheerleading coach by phone to explain the situation.
Since this is a one-time incident, my decision is that the girls who stole the phone and posted the pictures will serve two detentions and a two week suspension from the cheerleading team. They will also write a personal letter of apology to the girl from whom they stole the phone. If another incident of this degree should occur again, they will be suspended from school and taken off of the cheerleading team. I will also make it clear to the girls who stole the phone and to their parents that posting such material on the Internet can be considered a criminal offense punishable by law regardless of their ages should the parents of the girl who owned the phone choose to take the matter to the police. This situation is not just about the foolishness of their decision, but the serious, destructive consequences to both them and anyone whose picture was posted to the Internet using social media.
This is also an opportunity to educate all students about Internet safety and the appropriate use of social media. I will have my technology teachers review Internet safety with the students in class. I will also collaborate with the local police department and bring in a representative to speak with the students to help them become aware of the seriousness of their words and actions on the Internet. Finally, I will review and adjust the dismissal assignments for the teachers so that areas such as the stairwells and bathrooms are better supervised to help prevent similar situations.