High school students make phony Facebook page for their principal; police apprehend them in class

[Newsjock]

Source: Fresno Bee

Three Clovis West students thought it was the perfect prank -- a fake Facebook page for Principal Ben Drati.

The teens didn't make a serious effort to hide the comical intent of the page, which first surfaced in October. One entry, for example, told students that if they disliked the mega-hit vampire flick "Twilight," they should "get the hell out of Clovis West."

Drati, however, was not amused. In a district document provided to the students' families, he contended the Facebook page stole his identity and threatened his authority at Clovis West.

... Once they identified (three minors' names redacted here but visible in the original story) as the perpetrators, they had school police officers apprehend the boys in class on Feb. 10 and read them their Miranda rights.

The district suspended all three and took steps to expel them from the northeast Fresno campus.

... On Friday, nearly a month after they were first suspended, and after a series of hearings, the district abruptly announced that the matter had been settled and that the teens could return to Clovis West.

Read more: http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/03/05/1848495/students-facebook-hoax-leads-to.html

[Mojambo]

1. Kinda seems like a big overreaction for what was mostly a harmless prank. n/t

[Happy Hippy]

2. tell me about it...

Stole his identity? LOL

[leftstreet]

3. Props to the parents!

They were okay with a short suspension but lawyered up when the district went for expulsion.

:thumbsup:

No surprise it was settled - satire isn't against the law.

[tekisui]

4. What have we become?

They made it back. But, seriously, WTF?

[Fridays Child]

5. This could threaten his authority more than any fake Facebook page...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFKFrCXaNNI

[KingFlorez]

9. ROFL

That was interesting.

[jmowreader]

18. How the hell could ANYTHING threaten that man's authority?

I got news for ya: That principal is one scary-looking man. He looks like a drill sergeant.

[Mari333]

22. LOLOL!!!

[Canuckistanian]

6. He'll apologize. Then he'll issue a laptop to all the students

You know, one of those COOL laptops with the webcam and everything.

[etherealtruth]

15. LOL

[Taitertots]

7. Who will be the first DUer to create a fake Ben Drati facebook? n/t

[KittyWampus]

11. How about a fake Skinner facebook page?

:hide:

[kristopher]

8. With any luck someone reading about this humorless prick

will get the idea to show him the difference between a kids prank and a real attack on his "authority". Not advocating violence in any sense, just hoping he suddenly becomes the bell of the internet social networking scene...

[Odin2005]

10. Fascist fucker!

[Bicoastal]

12. I can hardly believe an adult would ever do that...

...it's like he's as young as his students or something.

[tonysam]

16. He's a principal, that's why.

He is God, the lord and master of his own little fiefdom that is "his" school, and one dare not offend him.

[asdjrocky]

13. Back in the old days we would have just tp'd his house.

Our left a goat on his front lawn.

Kind of seems like over kill.

[orion007]

17. Or made a few late night prank phone calls

Oh, the good old days of no caller ID

[L0oniX]

20. Flaming bag of shit on the door step.

[asdjrocky]

21. Still a personal favorite. nt

[Nailzberg]

14. Sounds like the kinda guy that thinks The Onion is real.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

19. Its settled precedent that the school can not take action against non-school activities

Goes back to the 60s and anti-war activities among other things. School had to settle or they and the police would have faced a slam dunk lawsuit.

[NobleCynic]

23. Read their Miranda rights? Umm... what were they being charged with?

I'd love to hear what crime exactly they were held for. If this principal keeps his job I'll be amazed. The district superintendent has to realize just how much this overreaction put the school at risk in terms of liability. If a lawsuit and a large settlement doesn't result from this I'd be amazed.

[Flaneur]

24. Cops and school principals, birds of a feather.

Let's do the authoritarian ass two-step!