Woman who lost teaching degree over MySpace photo sues university

[Connonym]

MILLERSVILLE, Pennsylvania: A woman denied a teaching degree on the eve of graduation because of a MySpace photo has sued the university.

Millersville University instead granted Stacy Snyder a degree in English last year after learning of the Web-published picture of her, which bore the caption "Drunken Pirate."

Snyder received "superior" or "competent" ratings on her final student-teacher evaluation in all areas except "professionalism," in which she was labeled "unsatisfactory," according to the suit filed Wednesday.

The photo, taken at a 2005 Halloween party, shows Snyder wearing a pirate hat while drinking from a plastic "Mr. Goodbar" cup. It was posted on her own MySpace site.

[Beelzebud]

1. Good for her, I hope she wins.

The photo proved two things.

A) She enjoys Halloween and dresses up for it.
B) She drinks from plastic cups that have candy bar logos on them.

Neither of which could in any reasonable way be construed as "inappropriate" or that should bar someone from being around children.........

[NightWatcher]

2. college is not a place for alcohol consumption

:rofl:
I hope that if that is the extent of the reason that they had for denying her degree, she sues their asses off.

[Johonny]

3. inappropriate for Myspace?

As far as I can tell myspace's only usage comes from posting drunkin pirate pictures. Drunk in class inappropriate. Drunk at Halloween party... pretty normal in America.

[WindRavenX]

4. what is this-- Prude University?

:eyes:

If she was drinking on the job or dressed like a pirate on the job, sure that's not professional.

But having her private life being the basis for disqualification? Psssh.

But she is a major IDIOT for having her myspace page and photos public--I'm going to graduate in 2 weeks (!!!) and ALL my stuff online is now NOT public.

[Ignacio Upton]

9. She's also over 21

And thus wasn't even breaking the law.

[WindRavenX]

12. Even bigger

I think she has a legit case.

[JoDog]

16. Absolutely

All she probably has to do is prove
1. the school has no proof that whatever was in the cup was actually an alcoholic beverage
2. the photo was taken after she turned 21, so that even if it was alcohol, she was not breaking any laws

And for extra credit:

1. find students who have been granted certification who are willing to admit that they legally drank in public while at the school too
2. Compare police records of intoxication/underage alcohol arrests to a list of students who have been granted certification. If any of the names match, then the school has been exposed as selectively enforcing its standards.

[dmallind]

5. How do you know?

That this would have been differennt for a male student? Has a similar photo been brought to the attention of the same authorities about a male student and no punishment meted out? Sexism is alive and well no doubt, but it isn't omnipresent and the root of all negative experiences endured by all women. Isn't it just possible they're a bunch of uptight moral puritans who think a few beers is one step away from child molestation instead of sexist?

[Connonym]

11. The "boys will be boys" attitude is still pretty strong

Of course I can't know for sure but my life experience tells me there's still a huge double standard especially with uptight puritans. There's not really a male equivalent to the concept of being "ladylike" The concept of "gentlemen" doesn't even come close.

[aquart]

6. Damn straight. I saw that utterly innocent photo.

What did their prurient minds assume was in that cup?

[Zywiec]

7. I hope she wins BIG!

[mudesi]

8. America: A nation of 6 year olds

Bill Maher had it right when he gave us his "New Rules" last week.

[gollygee]

10. She wore a pirate hat and drank beer at a Halloween party?

Oh My God!! Keep her away from my kid!!!

:sarcasm:

[WindRavenX]

13. lol

:rofl:


goddamn kids these days--what with their drinking of the beer and wearing pirate hats...madness I tells ya!

[Viking12]

25. I'm sure the pirate hat & beer volcano evoked thoughts of...

The Stripper Factory!

[FloridaJudy]

53. Think she could fight this as a religious issue?

That woman looks like she been touched by a noodly appendage to me.

[Connonym]

14. Here's her naughty, naughty picture from Smoking Gun

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2007/0426072pirate1.html

The whore should be branded with a big red A :sarcasm:

[gollygee]

15. Oh yeah, she's a menace all right

Just look at her! If she were my daughter's teacher, my daughter might start . . . uh . . . playing pirate or something . . .

[Frustratedlady]

17. I'm missing something, apparently...

What's the problem here? I thought maybe she ONLY had on a pirate's hat.

[Mike Daniels]

23. When this first hit the radar a number of weeks back, I was expecting a photo worth the hubub

When I saw a fully clothed woman with a plastic cup obscuring the majority of her face my reaction was "What the hell are they upset about?"

If this disqualifies someone from receiving a teaching certificate then I imagine there's going to be major teacher shortage a few years down the road.

[JVS]

43. The photo is cropped. In the full version she is being penetrated by 4 men at once. n/m

[Occulus]

63. .

:spray:

[Nickster]

20. OMG! OMG! What is wrong with this country! SINNER! /sarcasm

[WePurrsevere]

24. She was a returning adult student who was 25 & a single parent of 2 children

who managed to actually go back to college and put in the time to try and get her teaching degree. It seems to me the woman should be applauded and commended for getting her life on track despite the challenges of being a single parent doing so (IME that's no easy feat).

Geesh it's not like she had posed nekkid or even in skimpy outfit.. it's only a pirate HAT even. For all anyone knows that could be soda or water in the cup but even *IF* that is beer, she's 25 and LEGAL and it was at a Halloween party. Other then posting the picture probably wasn't the smartest thing to do how is this a bad influence on teens? My step-sibs and I were taught about responsible drinking.. we grew up with a liquor cabinet and seeing people drink at social occasions or even having a glass of wine or beer now and then (I brought up my own daughters much the same way) and yet somehow we all managed to turn out just fine. IME the more people hush up and/or over react to things the more likely kids are to try it.

If this is all there is to her not getting the teaching degree I hope she wins and gets a great job doing what she loves.

[Canuckistanian]

36. That's it????

That's what the fuss was about???

Sue the pants off the bastards.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

38. Wow, pretty racy stuff!

:eyes: :rofl: :eyes:

That pirate hat... makes me want to do sinful things! :evilgrin:

[JVS]

39. Will somebody please think of the Children!

[proud2BlibKansan]

40. That's not her hand!!

Not only does she wear a pirate's hat and drink, she lets someone else force the drink down her throat!

This is shameful, I tell you, shameful.

[progressoid]

52. That's not a pirate costume!

I graduated from a State U that specialized in teaching degrees. She looks like Marian the Librarian compared to what I used to see.

Good Grief.

[petunia.here]

61. Oh, my virgin eyes...

how could she!?!

I hope she rips them up! This is just ridiculous. :eyes:

[WilmywoodNCparalegal]

18. She should sue for religious discrimination

It is obvious, from her pirate outfit, that she is a strong believer in her faith to our Lord and Master, the Flying Spaghetti Monster.... arrrrrrrrrr!

[Warren DeMontague]

30. That was my thinking.

Don't you discriminate against my beliefs!

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

32. PASTAFARIANS UNITE!

More pirates = better world!

[Connonym]

34. and less global warming!

[formercia]

56. Ramen.

Arrgh, Matey. Thar be enough wind in the halls of Congress to fill Pirates' sails forever.

[FloridaJudy]

54. Ramen n/t

[aikoaiko]

19. As a college professor, it stuns me that the school denied her her earned degree.

I'm hoping there is more to the story, but if it really is over a picture of her with the caption " drunken pirate" then I think the university is fooked.

[donco6]

44. I agree. This is stupid.

What were they thinking?

[DKRC]

21. That photo is one of the least offensive things

I've ever seen on MySpace! What were the MU Prudes doing hanging out on MS looking up student profiles in the first place? O I guess they were only reading & not looking at the pictures... :eyes:


Is there a place to donate to her? The MU pocketbook is alot deeper than a new graduate's so she'll need help to pay for her lawyer.

[Iris]

22. Here's the university's reply:

http://www.millersville.edu/announcements/snyder.php

"The University notes, however, that all of its educational decisions are based on a full range of academic performance issues, not solely on a student's personal website or social networking site. The University is committed to maintaining the academic integrity of its academic programs and degrees and will vigorously defend itself and the actions of its employees in legal proceedings related to the lawsuit."



I hope there's more to the story b/c the picture posted above is completely benign. How would you even know what was in the cup?

[cobalt1999]

26. I too hope there is more to this than a picture on myspace.

If not, the university is run by idiots and should be sued.

[Iris]

27. agreed. n/t

[LisaL]

50. Even if she had a beer can, she is an adult over 21.

There is no law that teachers can't drink alcohol in their free time.

[Iris]

57. Right, but I think the university's statement implies there is more to the story.

It says nothing about her not being able to have a beer.

Besides, how could you prove from that picture there was any alcoholic beverage involved?

[Trillo]

28. Hope she wins.

This is just one more little piece of the pattern that should teach each and every one of us that it is not how hard you work or what you accomplish that matters at all.

[joshcryer]

29. Part of it apparently is that she was telling her students to go to her MySpace page.

I'm sure a lot would find that "wrong" (a teacher being friends with the students; totally unprofessional), but I don't see anything wrong with that either... this is just a total mess.

[Iris]

31. I don't see anything wrong with that at all. Unless, of course, she posts nekkid pictures there!

n/t

[shanti]

33. oh snaps

guess that picture of my teacher-in-training son having fun at oktoberfest in munich is a no-no now!

[Madspirit]

35. I hope she wins!

What a crock of crap.
Lee

[kestrel91316]

37. Betcha she WINS her suit. The university will quietly cave on this.

[Iris]

59. or not. . .

Edited on Tue May-08-07 03:04 PM by Iris
http://www.millersville.edu/announcements/snyder.php

"The University notes, however, that all of its educational decisions are based on a full range of academic performance issues, not solely on a student's personal website or social networking site. The University is committed to maintaining the academic integrity of its academic programs and degrees and will vigorously defend itself and the actions of its employees in legal proceedings related to the lawsuit."



I hope there's more to the story b/c the picture posted above is completely benign. How would you even know what was in the cup?

[Homer Wells]

62. That sounds a whole Hell of a lot

like the Mc Carthy hearings in the early 1950's, where he would hold up a large sheaf of blank paper and loudly proclaim that he had in his hands "PROOF!!! PROOF, I tellya" of the nefarious Commie activities of his current target.

Vague references the university made regarding "other" evidence, with no revelation of that evidence sounds like a lot of bullshit to me.



:spank:

[Iris]

66. why would they reveal evidence on a public website?

I mean, this is in litigation right now. They can't just put stuff up on a website for everyone to review.

[JVS]

41. Educational institutions should not base academic credentialing on any type of moral standard

If you do the work, you should get the degree. Even if you spend all your spare time funding causes that keep orphans hungry or something.

[dsc]

48. teaching is slightly different

One aspect of the degree is getting certificiation, and if you can't do so due to immorality or criminal record, then you don't get the degree. I do think they are wrong in this case though.

[proud2BlibKansan]

42. Link?

Is this a religious school?

[JVS]

45. IIRC Millersville is a state related school that specializes in Education

[Connonym]

55. link to AP article

from CNN http://www.cnn.com/2007/EDUCATION/04/29/myspace.photo.ap/index.html

http://muweb.millersville.edu/~develop/ Millersville's web site

[Norrin Radd]

46. What do you do with a drunken sailor? Early in the morning?

Deny her a degree?

Wow, that makes for one lousy sea chanty.

[Occulus]

65. But she filed suit

Hey, Hey, and up she rises...

[knitter4democracy]

47. Is it a Christian college?

Then I'd understand. We had even stricter regulations on behavior in the education dept. at ours. Drinking and getting caught could have gotten us expelled from the program.

If not, then I don't get it.

[deek]

64. nope--state eom

.

[knitter4democracy]

67. Then I don't get it.

Umm. Why?

[LisaL]

49. I can't believe she was denied her teaching degree over

this photo and caption. I would understand if it was porn or something like that. But a woman drinking from a cap, wearing a pirate hat?
I can't understand this at all.

[Iris]

60. maybe more to the story?

Edited on Tue May-08-07 03:04 PM by Iris
http://www.millersville.edu/announcements/snyder.php

"The University notes, however, that all of its educational decisions are based on a full range of academic performance issues, not solely on a student's personal website or social networking site. The University is committed to maintaining the academic integrity of its academic programs and degrees and will vigorously defend itself and the actions of its employees in legal proceedings related to the lawsuit."



I hope there's more to the story b/c the picture posted above is completely benign. How would you even know what was in the cup?

[tammywammy]

51. I hope she wins

It's just ridiculous that she didn't receive her degree.

[DIKB]

58. If not for...

drug tests at work I'd be all about the "mind-numbing chemicals"