According to information that I pulled from a Facebook Group protesting the schools decision, students Dave Keyes and Linus Owens of Towson High School, Maryland, have been suspended for the last 4 days of school and barred from the school prom for signing their names on a photo as "Mike Rotch" and "Harry Shaft," which was later transcribed into the yearbook (see the image to the right; Top Row).
While I'm sure that somewhere in the school's code of conduct you can find a rule that would justify punishment, is 4 days and banishment from the senior prom a justifiable punishment for this incident? I've never been to Maryland, but at my high school even a fist fight wouldn't get you 4 days suspension and banishment from the prom unless it was a particularly bad one that had escalated into a multiple person brawl or something.
Are the yearbook staff and the yearbook adviser being punished as well? These are pretty obvious fake names. In a school where the entire enrollment is approximately 1500 (according to Wikipedia) wouldn't the yearbook staff recognize that the caption was wrong, especially since it seems these two students are fairly well known? Did an administrator or faculty member bother to proof the yearbook before it went to print and if so, are they at fault as well?
Do you think the actions warrant the punishment? Should an administrator or faculty member also be held accountable? Voice your opinion in the comments section or call the school at 410-887-3608.
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