When is Free Speech harmful? What is crossing the line? These are the questions being asked within the context of a recent case (link) involving alleged "cyberbullying" of a boy to his teacher via facebook. High school student, Donny Tobolski, posted a rude comment about his teacher on facebook, calling him a "fat ass who should stop eating fast food, and is a douche bag." The boy then suffered the consequence of one day of suspension for "cyberbullying" his teacher. This being a violation of Donny's right to Free Speech, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) quickly stepped in and asked that the principal erase his suspension. Had Donny posted this comment from a computer at his school, or during school hours, it would have fallen under one of the school's rules about abusive language in school, but he did this at home after school. Therefore, the ACLU made it clear that it was a violation of his rights to suspend him even for one day.
Yet in this case we must think about the victim of the hurtful comment- the teacher. While free speech is ultimately a beneficial thing for citizens of the Untied States, it can also be very harmful. When does free speech become a bad thing?
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