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Askthejudge.info features regular updates from the news, important decisions from the nation′s courts, and online discussions with Judge Tom. Find out everything you need to know about youth rights, juvenile law and juvenile justice. AsktheJudge – Empowering youth one question at a time.

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Copyright, 2014
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August 8, 2012
Judge Tom
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1

Teacher insults elementary school student on Facebook

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At G.D. Rogers Elementary School in Florida, a teacher decided to express her thoughts about a student online. Lauren Orban went to Facebook and wrote: “I’m fairly convinced that one of my students may be the evolutionary link between orangutans and humans.” Other teachers joined in the conversation, one writing “This made me laugh out loud.”

It’s hard to understand why educated adults who are teachers, principals and community leaders fail to grasp the consequences of hurtful speech. It’s 2012 and people still think there’s such a thing as privacy on the Internet. Not to mention the ethical violation of a professional’s duty to his or her students and clients.

Photo by Spencer E. Holtaway

These teachers were verbally disciplined and the matter was referred to the Florida Department of Education. The investigation may result in a revocation of the author’s teaching license.

The mother of the 8-year-old boy, Lisa Wade, said she is “disgusted with how they talked about my child. It hurts. . . .I send my child to school trusting them to teach him.” It is reported that the child is of color and the NAACP expressed concerns about the racial undertones. They are calling for a social media policy in the school district. Ms. Wade has contacted a lawyer and is considering legal action against the school district.

This incident comes under the category of “Teachers Acting Badly.” We’ve written about other incidents in the past.

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The Author Judge Tom

Judge Tom is the founder and moderator of AsktheJudge.info. He is a retired juvenile judge and spent 23 years on the bench. He has written several books for lawyers and judges as well as teens and parents including 'Teen Cyberbullying Investigated' (Free Spirit Publishing) and 'Every Vote Matters: the Power of Your Voice, from Student Elections to the Supreme Court' (Free Spirit Publishing). In 2020, the American Bar Association published "Cyberbullying Law," the nation's first case-law book written for lawyers, judges and law students. When he's not answering teens' questions, Judge Tom volunteers with the American Red Cross and can be found hiking, traveling and reading.

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