Facebook comments leave 16 Chandigarh students suspended

Indo-ASIAN NEWS SERVICE

CHANDIGARH - Indecent and abusive comments posted on social networking site Facebook about a female mathematics teacher saw 16 students of a leading private school suspended from their institution.

The students, all from Class 12 of Vivek High School in Sector 38 here, were suspended for three months, school authorities confirmed Thursday.

The incident took place earlier this week when a Class 12 student, who got low marks in his mathematics exam, posted his answer sheet on Facebook with rude and abusive comments about the female teacher. Fifteen of his classmates also chipped in with their comments.

All the comments against the teacher were nasty, rude and abusive.

A teacher of the school, who also had an account on the website, saw the comments and reported the matter to the school management which took the indiscretion of the students very seriously.

This kind of behaviour is unacceptable on a public platform. We had to take action to ensure that the right message goes to the students, said Vivek High School chairman H.S. Mamik.

Parents of the suspended students agreed with the school authorities that what they (students) did was wrong.

It was a mistake what the students did. We have urged the school authorities to review the decision as suspending them for three months in a crucial class is too harsh, the mother of one of the suspended students said.