I am a teacher in large school district. Recently a group of students have created a web site that allows anybody to "rate their teachers"
Sounds ok, except, many comments are very inappropriate and I think border on SLANDER. Many comments are about wishing certain teacher would die, questioning their sexual preference, flat out making fun of them (for example..so and so is fat, ugly, smells, etc.), there is even a comment on teachers children, and false accusations. The district claims that there is nothing that can be done because the site was constructed and is maintained on non-school district computers and that the kids are protected under the first amendment. How can the things I have described above be first amendment? I thought slander and defamation of character was illegal? Does a teacher at least have a right to have their name removed from the site?
Sounds ok, except, many comments are very inappropriate and I think border on SLANDER. Many comments are about wishing certain teacher would die, questioning their sexual preference, flat out making fun of them (for example..so and so is fat, ugly, smells, etc.), there is even a comment on teachers children, and false accusations. The district claims that there is nothing that can be done because the site was constructed and is maintained on non-school district computers and that the kids are protected under the first amendment. How can the things I have described above be first amendment? I thought slander and defamation of character was illegal? Does a teacher at least have a right to have their name removed from the site?
