Sarcasm is the lowest form of high school suspension. (via Facebook)
Reid Sagehorn, a former Rogers High School student, is suing the school district for violating his 1st and 14th amendment rights, and because even though he was never charged with a crime, his name is "forever linked with the term 'felony'".
According to the Star Tribune, the whole mess got started over a sarcastic tweet Sagehorn wrote. Someone anonymously asked him if he had made out with a 28-year-old teacher. Sagehorn, 17 at the time, jokingly responded, "Actually, yeah."
Sagehorn, a member of the National Honor Society and captain of both the football and basketball teams, later said that the tweet was meant to be a joke, and that he didn't think anyone would believe him. But it was too late. While the school went to investigate whether a sexual relationship had taken place (there hadn't), the school immediately suspended him for damaging the teacher's reputation. That suspension started at 5 days but spun out of control to 2 months.
In mid-February, Rogers Police chief Jeff Beahen incorrectly threatened that Sagehorn would be facing felony charges. The Hennepin Attorney's Office stated a couple days later that there would be no felony charges, and Beahen admitted he made a mistake. But still... the tweet was nowhere near threatening. How could anyone, especially a police chief, get all the way to felony?
Superintendent Bezek said months ago of the disciplinary measures that the district was in "uncharted waters." No kidding. Sagehorn's ridiculous punishment incited protest at the school and on the Internet.
Over a tweet. Over a two fucking word tweet. Sagehorn, honor student and star athlete, was forced to lose his captainship of the basketball team and withdraw from school and he still had 125 characters left.
Is this bullshit? Actually, yeah.
(by Myka Fox)