Protect the Students' Freedom of Speech

This Undersigned are in opposition to the suspension of the students in secondary schools in the DPCDSB for posting their opinions on school staff on Facebook.com, where 11 students were suspended for various periods during February 2007.

These students in no way wrote what they wrote for the purpose of directly insulting their staff, they did it to vent what they felt about these teachers. These students may have used vulgar and obscene language, but were simply stating and expressing what they felt they wanted to say.

One way we are taught by schools to deal with our problems is to ignore them. Taking away school from them is not how this should have been dealt with. Why did the group of nearly 300 people only have 11 suspended? All obviously had opinions and it was unfair to punish only those who posted - unfair even to punish them at all.

THE CANADIAN CHARTER OF RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS clearly states:

FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS.
2. Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms:

(b) FREEDOM OF THOUGHT, BELIEF, OPINION & EXPRESSION, INCLUDING FREEDOM OF THE PRESS AND OTHER MEDIA OF COMMUNICATION;