Student suspended for "wrong" view of abortion
Expressing her view was "bullying"
It is alleged that two students were talking about abortion at school and discussed a hypothetical situation in which one would be faced with the choice of keeping a baby if it were known to have special needs.
When one girl, who has a disability, asked the other her opinion on the matter, the student said that yes, she would abort.
The questioner, insulted by the harsh nature of the other student’s sentiments, went to the school administration with her concerns.
In a Facebook post, the student who was suspended over alleged bullying outlined her side of the story.
“We were part of a class where students freely shared their thoughts, opinions and beliefs,” read the post. “I have always been hesitant to express myself when I was speaking with this student, I told them that I didn’t want to offend them with any of my opinions.”
Halton District School Board superintendent Scott Podrebarac said they cannot comment on the specific incident. “I know this is being positioned as a free-speech case,” he said. “If free speech harms someone, then there is a toll. There are limits to free speech when it harms an individual.” [So who was harmed??]
Nicole Rees, Shelley Popp and Tina McFadden say staff at the school asked the girl to apologize for her comments, to which she refused and then wrote a poem titled "Not Sorry."
Later, other students wore to school T-shirts with the poem printed on them, and they were subsequently suspended as well for contributing to the alleged bullying.
“The moment they told her to apologize they infringed on her rights,” said Nicole Rees, a local parent who is helping organize the protest. “Whether you agree with her or not isn’t the issue, they’re viewing it as a hate statement."
SOURCE
7 comments:
Her opinion was asked for and given. It wasn't forced on those in the room, it had no comment on the worth or status of another person, nor was there any attempt to convince anyone to agree with it.
In the end, if you don't want to hear an opinion, don't ask for it to be spoken.
As for the school administration's response, they are way off base. There was no bullying or hate toward another present. This truly a case of free speech being denied.
Yes, there are limits to free speech. NO, she did not reach that limit, not even close.
but of course speech is free until you say something a snowflake disagrees with you, after asking for your opinion. she did not toe the proper liberal line.. all babies will now be special needs and you have no choice because a special needs student and the school has decreed it. silent running " pledge allegiance to the flag whatever flag they show you; never hint at what you really feel. teach the children quietly and someday sons and daughters will raise up and fight where we stood still."
It should be remembered that this particular high school is not in the US - it is in Canada. The laws regarding speech there are slightly different then here in the US. (To say the least.)
Here in the US, one would hope that the original charge of "bullying" would not be made much less stick. A conversation with the polite exchange of ideas is not bullying in any stretch of the word.
The tee-shirts are another matter. Even here in the US, if the school administration felt that the shirts were a potential disruption to the academic environment, the school can prohibit them.
Well said Bill. Agree completely.
Anon 10:55 - Read the story again. It was the person who said she would abort that was suspended because she offended the disabled person who asked her opinion.
While you would expect it to be the other way around, this is the rare case where it was not.
Canada has gone out of its way to take care of the "Protected Classes," and this is what happens when one far left ideology (abortion on demand) clashes with another ideology (we have to protect certain classes from the world) - there is a winner, and a loser. The loser suffers for simply stating an opinion, or voicing something that makes the winner (the currently protected class) doesn't like.
Now, imagine if it had gone the other way. Suppose the disabled student had said "Aborting babies for genetic defects is wrong, and you should be ashamed of yourself...." and the other student had complained. Do you think she could have gotten redress from authorities because of the "bullying?"
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