| The headline looked common enough: School Sued | | | | Such speculation does remind me of Ronald Reagan's |
| Over MySpace Photo Response. It appeared affixed | | | | answer as to why he was not working harder as |
| to an Associated Press story posted online by | | | | President. As I recall Reagan said I have been told |
| comcast.net recently. | | | | that working hard will not kill you, but I figure why |
| Apparently a woman was denied a teaching degree | | | | take chances? |
| on the eve of graduation because she published her | | | | 7) Freedom of speech is a guaranteed right in the 1st |
| picture captioned "Drunken Pirate" on her MySpace. | | | | Amendment to our United States Constitution. While |
| The photo, apparently taken at a 2005 Halloween | | | | this is so, freedom of speech does not allow one to |
| party, showed Stacy Snyder wearing a pirate hat | | | | yell "fire" in a crowded theater, so our freedom of |
| while drinking from a plastic "Mr. Goodbar" cup. | | | | speech does tend to stop when that freedom |
| Jane Bray, dean of the School of Education at | | | | needlessly endangers our fellow citizens. |
| Millersville University in Millersville, Pennsylvania, took | | | | So much for Stacy Snyder. |
| exception to Snyder's photo, accusing Snyder of | | | | What about Jane Bray and Millersville University? |
| promoting underage drinking. | | | | 1) Does a university have the power and the right to |
| Although Snyder apologized, she learned the day | | | | determine to whom it will award degrees? I think so. |
| before graduation that she would not be awarded an | | | | Perhaps the question is, does the standards at this |
| education degree or teaching certificate. Snyder was | | | | university include a written, published standard of |
| instead granted a degree in English last year. | | | | behavior as well as a standard of performance in |
| Snyder, who is now 27 and reportedly works as a | | | | learning and testing? I not have a clue if that is the |
| nanny, has sued Millersville University, seeking $75,000 | | | | case at Millersville University, but I seriously suspect |
| in damages. All of this raises some interesting | | | | that it is so. |
| questions about how this legal action will play out in | | | | Otherwise, there might not be any basis for Jane |
| court if it gets that far. | | | | Bray's decision not to award an education degree to |
| This story caught my attention because I had been | | | | Stacy Snyder. Perhaps Bray found Snyder's behavior |
| chair of a board of directors for 9 years at a private | | | | to be unseemly for a professional teacher who is |
| school, a 20-year veteran in the news business, an | | | | educated at Millersville University. Snyder certainly has |
| editor of a daily newspaper, and a publisher of a | | | | the right to post whatever pictures she wants on |
| newspaper property. | | | | her MySpace website. MySpace certainly has the |
| Here are some of my thoughts on the significance of | | | | right to take away her website if it does not meet |
| this news event. | | | | the posting standards for MySpace website users. |
| 1) Was Stacy Snyder intentionally trying to promote | | | | MySpace has the right to control its online business |
| underage drinking? I doubt it. | | | | space. |
| She did apologize for her apparent indiscretion, but it | | | | Millersville University is, according to its Internet |
| was not enough to ensure her the education degree | | | | website, a public liberal arts university. The University |
| and teaching certificate she thought she had earned. | | | | certainly has a right to set and enforce educational |
| I do not know how Pennsylvania handles its | | | | standards in awarding degrees. |
| education students, but I suspect that the education | | | | Does Millersville University have the right to set and |
| degree would come from the university and the initial | | | | enforce behavioral standards in awarding degrees? I |
| teaching certificate would come from the state. | | | | think this a very good and pertinent question. The |
| To say she was looking for some attention in | | | | answer might well depend upon whether the |
| publishing her MySapce photo might be an | | | | University has written and published standards of |
| understatement. As a potential teacher in a public or | | | | behavior, and the evidence to show that students |
| private school, I doubt any school board or school | | | | have agreed to and accept those standards in |
| superintendent would be impressed by her sense of | | | | exchange for the right to earn a degree. |
| judgment, regardless of her motive. It takes more | | | | Exactly where does Synder's personal rights end and |
| than good intentions to be a good role model as a | | | | the University's rights begin? |
| teacher, it takes good actions and good decisions as | | | | Synder is paying for a service, the available |
| well. Clearly, Stacy Snyder's apparent actions were | | | | educational training and knowledge to earn a degree |
| neither consequence free or well timed. The | | | | by meeting the University's standards of |
| exuberance of youth is sometimes only exceeded by | | | | performance. Does that standard include behavioral |
| its stupidity. | | | | as well as educational performance? |
| You could say that Jane Bray, the dean of the | | | | Does Snyder's personal actions off campus constitute |
| School of Education at Millersville, might be very | | | | any more or less of an egregious breach of behavior |
| conservative in her views. You could also say that | | | | than on campus? Would the University's authority in |
| she has some standards of expected behavior that | | | | this matter carry more weight if Snyder were a |
| will be enforced. | | | | student on campus rather than off campus? |
| 2) I am not sure there is anything stopping Stacy | | | | A statement issued by Millersville University on its |
| Snyder from applying for an initial teaching certificate | | | | website today denied the claims alleged by Ms. Stacy |
| from the State of Pennsylvania, assuming that it is | | | | Snyder and also said this: |
| the state that grants teaching certificates and not | | | | "Due to federal student privacy restrictions, the |
| the university. Perhaps Pennsylvania might be a little | | | | University is unable to directly respond to media |
| more forgiving of Snyder's stupidity. | | | | accounts related to the case. The University notes, |
| 3) Snyder could enroll in another qualified college or | | | | however, that all of its educational decisions are |
| university and seek to get an education degree. | | | | based on a full range of academic performance |
| Schools of higher learning love income and all schools | | | | issues, not solely on a student's personal website or |
| do not have the same standards, for education or | | | | social networking site." |
| issuing degrees. | | | | Yikes! I am glad I do not have to defend Millersville |
| 4) If Synder's suit has any legs to stand on, she | | | | University in this case. I would instantly be looking for |
| should be suing for a lot more money if this incident | | | | a new attorney team. |
| has destroyed her teaching career. Perhaps for | | | | I think I understand the University's position and why |
| $750,000 or $1.75 million. As a teacher in today's | | | | it merits some serious consideration in a court of law. |
| public education system, it is not unreasonable to | | | | Should Snyder prevail in her suit against Millersville |
| assume her income may reach one of those levels | | | | University, what sort of Web-published photos might |
| should she teach for the next 30 or 35 years. After | | | | we expect to see among future students? |
| all, inflation doubles about every 20 to 22 years. | | | | This might play itself out in a court of law because |
| 5) Synder has perhaps learned a valuable lesson | | | | we are a republic and not a democracy. |
| about instant communication in today's world. When | | | | In a democracy, Stacy Snyder might have virtually no |
| someone says an insignificant story can go around | | | | chance of success. Her complaint might easily be |
| the world in 8 seconds, they are not exaggerating. A | | | | voted against by a majority interested in maintaining |
| significant story may even travel faster and be seen | | | | certain standards of credibility. In a republic, Snyder's |
| by millions more viewers. | | | | chances improve immensely because the law is no |
| 6) It would be easy to postulate but difficult to | | | | respecter of majority rule. In the law are rights that |
| accurately predict about how much Synder's photo | | | | exceed the limits of our imagination, and sometimes |
| might negatively influence the generations of children | | | | even our stupidity. |
| in the present and future. | | | | |