More on MySpace Codes
ArchPundit
Eric is far more disapproving of the policy towards internet postings, here is the Unit 5 Athletic Code that has been updated in recent years, but is substantively the same one I signed in 1985 with the exception the 1985 one forbid sex as well–which I imagine figuring out the enforcement on probably led it to be dropped since.
Misbehavior after a season was and is relevant to such codes. Eric would probably argue that is a bad idea, but the idea isn’t new. The story is overblown. I remember one faculty member seeing students out at a restaurant and being served alcohol. He reported that since he was a coach and some were athletes. They were then stripped of eligibility for 1/4th of the season. Treating math team members differently than athletes seems a bit strange to me.
However, all this policy does is point out that publishing information in a public forum means the information is just as fair game as running into the students at the local restaurant. It’s sort of a no-duh point of fact that students should have figured out already.
While I worry about codes being used to restrict speech or after school activities such as political action, the general notion that illegal activities are a cause for prohibition doesn’t seem to out there.
More to the point, it isn’t taking away parental authority to ask students to obey the law and basic human decency as a requirement of participation in activities–in fact, it’s part of making students responsible for their own behavior as they age. There are consequences to beating up others. There are consequences to illegally consuming alcohol even if many of us feel the current state of the law is somewhat irrational.
The strange thing to me is that pointing out that posting information about illegal activities can bring disciplinary action for such behavior gets more attention than attempts to ban books and teach creationism in districts.