High School Cheerleader's Punishment

[CHillPR]

If this were my squad, they would have 2 demerits, and be benched from a game - escalated to the administration for school punishment as well.

This was a team offense=school's reputation=breaking the policy of the school code of conduct.

Not only was giving another sport's team the finger offensive, but it broke several codes of conduct for the school and rules of cheerleading (to be a school leader, role model, and supporting school sports).

The vollyball team did nothing wrong IMO.

 

[MyDaughterCheers]

@CHillPR, Well, after reading a copy of what some members of the volleyball team wrote on facebook - calling the girls sl*ts, saying "all of the cheerleaders are wh*res", etc., I feel that the volleyball team absolutely did something wrong. There were SEVERAL members of the volleyball team engaging in the conversation, so several members of the team are guilty. However, I agree with the rest of what you said.

 

[tntdynomite]

I say forget the demerits or benching or whatever. That will not get to the root of the problem. The problem is that the volleyball players and cheerleaders think that they can harrass each other and post it on facebook and it's okay. They all need to get brought in to hash out their differences and given a punishment that will help strengthen their relationship...community service together, fundraiser during anti-bullying week together, or something like that.

 

[MissBee]

If I were the cheer coach, all the cheerleaders involved would be benched for the next game. I would also have them make some sort of retribution to the volleyball team. I don't care that a volleyball player "started it", I'm finishing it. As an ambassador of the school, it is unacceptable behavior for a cheerleader. It would also be those cheerleaders final "warning" one more false step, and they are off the team. I don't tolerate any BS. I would rather have a smaller team of hard working, dedicated and respectful athletes than a full team of slackers or disrespectful kids.

Now, if I were the Athletic Director......I would have consequences for both the Volleyball player and Cheerleaders involved, in line with the school's bullying policy. Schools are required to post their bullying policy publicly (usually on the school website or in the main office, or both).

 

[SharkDad]

@MyDaughterCheers It sounds like you are one of the coaches or are you just curious as a parent? Just curious if you are asking as a school administrator who has some say in the punishment for all involved or if you just want other opinions?

1st - You stated you have a copy of the posts made by both sides before they were removed. I would provide that so that all the information is in the open and not just hearsay.

2d - I think @MissBee has the most important point here. Many kids think their facebook and twitter are places their thoughts can be expressed freely. There is one thing to have a private opinion about another person but once it is expressed on social media it is public and they are responsible for what they post. More specifically all the girls involved represented their teams and the school in public so they should all be held responsible in accordance with the school policy as if they had done it in the school hallway. A reference to the anti-bully policy would also be very appropriate.

 

[ufomom]

It should not be a contest to see who was most wrong. It was an unfortunate event, but in the scheme of life, it is a terrific learning opportunity for about the consequences of conduct and the impact of the internet and social networks. Of course, it is very upsetting, but if you are a parent, I say let the chips fall where they may because it will be an important life lesson when the costs are not as high as they could be later on. I know in the heat of the moment, it probably is very upsetting.

I agree with Sharkdad on you providing the posts to the school if you have them. I hold the cheerleaders to higher standards because I consider them to be an ambassador of the school, but I do hope the athletic director punishes the volleyball girls after reading their posts.

 

[MyDaughterCheers]

Thanks to everyone for your opinions. The final punishment was for the cheerleaders only. They were benched from all cheer related activity for 2 weeks, which includes 3 games and a pep rally.

Let me say this - I think what the cheerleaders did was totally and completely wrong. I do not think that the girls are slackers or disrepectful as mentioned above. They are all girls that have never been in trouble in school before, don't get in trouble in the community, and they have worked very hard perfecting their routines, painting signs, decorating the school, hosting the family night for the football players and their families, and every other activity that they have been involved in. They are 15. They relatiated in a very childish, immature, stupid and offensive way. These kids think social media sites are somehow private and that there are no consequences to posting things. The school "investigated" and presented their "facts" to the parents, many of which were incorrect. They also insinuated that the parents did not control their children's facebook pages, etc. However, bottom line is that the photo was taken and posted. It also came out that a parent of a volleyball player has a personal vendetta with a parent of a cheerleader and she is who gave the photo to the school.

I'm still torn as to whether I think the girls should all have been punished as a whole (as they were) or punished individually based on the severity of what they did. I think the one girl in the photo without her finger up and the photographer aren't as guilty. I also think the girl who actually distributed the photo has the most guilt. But, on the other hand, they are a team and did this together, so. . .

 

[MyDaughterCheers]

It should not be a contest to see who was most wrong. It was an unfortunate event, but in the scheme of life, it is a terrific learning opportunity for about the consequences of conduct and the impact of the internet and social networks. Of course, it is very upsetting, but if you are a parent, I say let the chips fall where they may because it will be an important life lesson when the costs are not as high as they could be later on. I know in the heat of the moment, it probably is very upsetting.
I agree with Sharkdad on you providing the posts to the school if you have them. I hold the cheerleaders to higher standards because I consider them to be an ambassador of the school, but I do hope the athletic director punishes the volleyball girls after reading their posts.

The printed posts were presented to the school. Some of the parents had some offensive photos of football players and other cheerleaders taken inside the school during the same time frame taken from facebook pages. I can see where the parents were coming from .. .trying to show that while what their girls did was wrong, other kids do the same types of things, but truly, that "evidence" had nothing to do with the matter at hand. It did appear that these girls were being singled out and made an example of. At this point, it is what it is. The girls will accept their punishment with dignity. I am sure the bottom line is that they will think twice about what they post in the future. I don't believe there will be any consequences for the volleyball players.

 

[drewpate]

If i was the cheer coach, you bet my girls would be in trouble, i would not let that stand. Thats while I'm in front of the cheerleaders, behind the doors you bet I would be asking the volleyball coach to show the same treatment to her kids, its important to know that they are all wrong.

The school made one girl log onto her facebook and they went thru her pictures.

This part bothers me, for one, what school doesn't have facebook blocked on all their computers lol, and second, a lot of facebook is public, some is private. You can choose what you do and do not want the world to see (for the most part, once its on the internet its there and there is always SOMEONE who can see it, but lets assume noone is a hacker). I would not be willing to let a school force me (or my children) to log onto facebook and look through all my private stuff. I do have messages that I wouldn't let anyone else see, and some photos that I don't have public (not bad stuff, just so that I don't annoy everyone with them and its free backup storage). but thats just the ACLU side of me.

 

[MyDaughterCheers]

It never occurred to me that most schools have facebook blocked. I felt that was a major invasion of privacy to ask her to do that. The girls are all girls who don't get in trouble and they were scared. They would've done whatever the school asked of them at that point.

 

[MissBee]

If I were a cheer parent or the cheer coach there, I'd be raising H3ll with the Principal and Athletic Director over the fact that there wasn't a consequence for the volleyball players. It's flat out discriminatory.

 

[dawgshow]

This part bothers me, for one, what school doesn't have facebook blocked on all their computers lol, and second, a lot of facebook is public, some is private. You can choose what you do and do not want the world to see (for the most part, once its on the internet its there and there is always SOMEONE who can see it, but lets assume noone is a hacker). I would not be willing to let a school force me (or my children) to log onto facebook and look through all my private stuff. I do have messages that I wouldn't let anyone else see, and some photos that I don't have public (not bad stuff, just so that I don't annoy everyone with them and its free backup storage). but thats just the ACLU side of me.[/quote]

Here's a great lesson that so many just don't understand. NOTHING ON THE INTERNET IS PRIVATE no matter how it's presented!!!!

 

[Alexis Dayton]

Regardless of what the volleyball players did retaliating is irresponsible. (Yes, posing in front of a volleyball sign and giving the bird is retaliating). Those cheerleaders involved should have told both their cheer coach and the volleyball coach as well. As to the punishment I won't speculate because I don't know what the contract between cheerleader and school said.

 

[xxcheer77xx]

Well I think for the girls to get kicked off the tean is a little much.. Ive known girls that have had drinking tickets and still get to remain on the team after a suspension.

 

[UKCheerdad]

I am of a totally differnt opinion than most - it was Facebook and done on a private account. I am so sick of schools, administrators and legislators getting into our private lives. Where does this end? Is Twittter next? How about tapping cell phones to see if Sally is talking bad about Cindy? Its getting out of hand.

Were the cheerleaders wearing uniforms and therefore representing the school? If so, as representatives of the school, they should be punished. If not, they were acting as private citizens and should not be punished officially by the school.

If the cheerleading coach wants to discipline them internally for an unwise choice they made, then I see no harm in that.

As for the volleyball team, the same applies to them. FB is something that canot be monitored for every single teenager in the US. They made unwise and unkind statements on a public social media site. Were they acting as represntatives of the school or as individuals? That to me is a HUGE distinction.