The controversy on to what extent school administrators have power over students has been a trying argument for years and will be for years to come. With new technology and new forms of interacting and communicating amongst one another coming forth, more problems and controversy has risen. School administrators should not have the power to punish students for things said on social media.

Reid Sagehorn, student and football captain at Rogers high school, was recently suspended until April, 22. He tweeted “Actually, yes” to a tweet regarding Sagehorn kissing the gym teacher. Students at Rogers high school have reacted to this punishment and believe that the school administrators completely overreacted to the tweet and misunderstood it.

Students at SAHS have heard of the story at Rogers high school and have also joined the debate.

“When I heard about this incident I got very heated because I find it absolutely ridiculous. If a student wants to post something on social media off of school grounds, let them post it. The school should not have the right to regulate what we type into our computer or say. In my point of view it violates our right to free press,” said junior Kalley Sobczak. “Some people might argue and say that what Sagehorn did was libel or slander but it was nowhere close to that. Anyone in the right mind would know that it was sarcastic. If anyone were to be punished it should be the so-called anonymous poster.”

The first amendment, according to the Constitution of the United States, states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

“I can’t say that I know all of the ins and outs of the constitution and school rules but from my viewpoint, schools should not have the right to punish students for things that they post on the internet as severely as they have done in the past. Expulsion is definitely going way to far in means of punishment. When you think about it, expulsion is technically the death penalty for a student,” said junior Brittany Pooley.

Although schools claim that since the postings involved a staff member which relates the post to school, outside of school that staff member is a normal person and should be thought of as just that.

Technology will continue to progress and the means for new ways of communication will be created. If education leaders feel the need to regulate these progressions, more measures will need to be made in order to create a thorough understanding throughout the entire student body or else they have no right to punish students because of social media postings.