Dave Lieber, columnists for the Star-Telegram in Dallas, reports on a Richland Hills Middle School student who was suspended for three days for sending the message "Hey" to the 80 computers at the school.
That's it. "Hey".
The principal of the school saw the message himself and took no notice of it until Beverly Sweeney, the school's computer teacher reported the "serious" nature of the crime to him.
See, Ms. Sweeney believes that using a DOS function is hacking. She wanted to send the message to all students that "hacking into a system should be highest on the list of tampering violations."
The problem is that the student did not hack into the system. He had permission to be on the computer and did not do any damage or tamper with any functions. When Sweeney found him, he readily admitted to sending the message.
The school has no policy on sending messages using legitimate functions of the computer.
Now, another bureacrat's self-righteous indignation has punished another child.
Yet another example of why all states need school vouchers.
