Hoax Bomb Threat at Washington Latin

[Anonymous]

No idea but am pretty sure the prior joke emails weren't bomb threats and also pretty sure they didn't have the potential to do long-lasting harm to another child due to his ethnicity. It's the combination that led to the expulsion.

[Anonymous]

You log out. What's the question? If I were the dismissed kids folks I might be considering action if other 'jokesters' haven't been treated the same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No idea but am pretty sure the prior joke emails weren't bomb threats and also pretty sure they didn't have the potential to do long-lasting harm to another child due to his ethnicity. It's the combination that led to the expulsion.

Ok but if they weren't nipped in bud doesn't it sort of open the door that mass "joke emails" as you say are the gag du jour? I mean, this is really starting to smell.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All of these posters who are swiftly coming to the defense of these two "pranksters" are the reason why these kids NEVER mature. Parents are so quick to swoop in and fix whatever problem Jr. got himself into. Making mistakes, failing, losing the full-ride to Princeton are all learning experiences that children need to go through to become functioning adults. College students are now calling their parents 24/7 because they are incapable of making any decisions for themselves. Just maybe these two kids will not have their lives irreparably damaged. Have you ever considered that the expulsion may actually positively impact their lives? Maybe they've learned to be more compassionate and empathetic. Would these life lessons be learned if mommy bailed them out and somehow lobbied their children to stay in Latin?

This. Indeed. People, even young people who are still maturing, need to learn that their are consequences for their actions. Good and bad. Failure is an opportunity to start fresh, take a new tack...start again. There is value in that...there is little value in knowing that however egregious your actions their are only light consequences.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No idea but am pretty sure the prior joke emails weren't bomb threats and also pretty sure they didn't have the potential to do long-lasting harm to another child due to his ethnicity. It's the combination that led to the expulsion.

Now you're speculating. Didn't Cutts originally state that the boy wasn't targeted because of his religion? And when did ethnicity get in the equation? When and where has his ethnicity been mentioned?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No idea but am pretty sure the prior joke emails weren't bomb threats and also pretty sure they didn't have the potential to do long-lasting harm to another child due to his ethnicity. It's the combination that led to the expulsion.

Now you're speculating. Didn't Cutts originally state that the boy wasn't targeted because of his religion? And when did ethnicity get in the equation? When and where has his ethnicity been mentioned?

She never said that in the Post article.

[Anonymous]

They should be prosecuted for this. I hope the parents of the Muslim student will pursue this course of action.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a WL parent of a high school student and fully support the school's decision. My understanding from my own kid is that it has not been uncommon for "joke" emails to be sent from student accounts accidentally left open. Latin works hard to teach its students proper internet safety and etiquette. I would guess that this joke bomb threat---coupled with a complete lack of appreciation for how such a threat could potentially affect the Muslim student from whose account it was sent, was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back. Latin needed to send a message to its entire student body.

Since it is not uncommon for the students to use other students email accounts and send out joke emails, what type of emails did the school not take action?

A joke- type email,was sent out tonight. In response to an email from Mrs. Cutts on this very issue. Whatever the school is doing does not appear to be working.

[Anonymous]

That almost sounds like a protest to me.

[Anonymous]

I find it odd that a PP said that the expelled students sent that email and he victim just happened to be Muslim. I think it's much more likely that the students chose the content of their prank BECAUSE the victim is Muslim. Had a non-Muslim student been logged into that computer would the prank have been a bomb threat or something else?

[Anonymous]

While I'm in agreement with the school about the punishment, I hope the expelled students are getting counseling. Thoughts of suicide would likely be common in a situation like this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That punishment seems excessive. No wonder our children are so afraid of failure - one slip and the course of your life is literally changed forever. Suspension, community service, public apologies, there were lots of other ways to handle this.

It's not excessive when you target someone else who is already at risk of being profiled or marginalized.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:While I'm in agreement with the school about the punishment, I hope the expelled students are getting counseling. Thoughts of suicide would likely be common in a situation like this.

Fair. Who would be providing that counseling?

If jokes were sent out prior on the internal mail (possibly from other students accounts- who would know?) , it was only a matter of time before a particularly tasteless one would be. At WL there are many shared computers and kids quite often forgot to log out . In retrospect, starting to see how we got here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That punishment seems excessive. No wonder our children are so afraid of failure - one slip and the course of your life is literally changed forever. Suspension, community service, public apologies, there were lots of other ways to handle this.

It's not excessive when you target someone else who is already at risk of being profiled or marginalized.

WL has an extensive Arabic program and relationship with well established Arabic programs and cultural interchange. It operates in an urban environment where many students know people in their own communities that are practicing Muslims and don't raise an eyebrow .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All of these posters who are swiftly coming to the defense of these two "pranksters" are the reason why these kids NEVER mature. Parents are so quick to swoop in and fix whatever problem Jr. got himself into. Making mistakes, failing, losing the full-ride to Princeton are all learning experiences that children need to go through to become functioning adults. College students are now calling their parents 24/7 because they are incapable of making any decisions for themselves. Just maybe these two kids will not have their lives irreparably damaged. Have you ever considered that the expulsion may actually positively impact their lives? Maybe they've learned to be more compassionate and empathetic. Would these life lessons be learned if mommy bailed them out and somehow lobbied their children to stay in Latin?

Oh please. Nobody is saying that these two children ought not to be punished or face serious consequences is too harsh for the nature of this crime. The expulsion for the last third of their senior year seems particularly cruel - it gives them no opportunity to rehabilitate themselves at a different school. If they were expelled as sophomores, they could go to a different school, behave and perform well for two years, and be able to say to colleges or employers that they made a mistake and learned from it. This expulsion gives them no second chance - no opportunity to build a clean record at a different school.