But then aren't the students who brought and distributed the photos responsible for creating the risk to those girls? As far as the school's risk of lawsuit if they behave this way, one could say that about anything. If a child engaged in any behavior in the past, one could say it puts the school at risk if the child repeats the behavior at school. And obviously the route they chose opened them up to a big lawsuit.

Now I agree that it's unfortunate that the parents didn't monitor and catch these pictures themselves. As far as accountability for the girls and parents, I think the girls will be (and probably are) now accountable to their parents. But I see it as a parental issue, not a community or school issue. And I'm not sure what the parents are supposed to be accountable for exactly. Virtually every parent, at one point or another, has missed a child's bad behavior. We aren't omniscient; we do the best we can. Hopefully the girls' parents will now be more involved and aware of these types of activities. Unfortunately, many, many parents overlook or are unaware of the host of dangers to their children through the various new forms of technology. I'm just extremely thankful that my teen years didn't entail facebook, text messaging, etc. because I'm positive there are a whole host of bad choices my friends and I made that would have been MUCH worse had they been recorded and distributed to the world at large.

Somehow I seriously doubt that "taking a picture of yourself licking a penis-shaped lollipop" is on the list. So if what IS on the list is some vague morality reference, do you agree that the other examples I listed would warrant equal punishment?

It just seems to me that the same standard does not apply to both boys and girls. It's because they're girls that many people react so strongly.

We had a similar case here in CT recently. A group of cheerleaders and football players were caught at a party over the summer where underage drinking was taking place. They were all immediatly suspended from the team. The whole state was in an uproar that the punishment did not fit the crime. Most argued that the kids deserved a second chance, hey were not at school, it was summer, and there was no way to prove that the kids were actually drinking or they brought the alcholhol themselves. In the end the school board relented and all students were reinstated. NOW, our school is trying to cover themselves as well and making new bylaws reguarding this issue, while at a football game I got asked to sign a petition in favor of the students.

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Meghan9.Samantha7,Cameron5

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One important distinction between the two cases, however, is that underage drinking is illegal while licking a penis-shaped lollipop is just stupid, lol.

I've been following this thread and, honestly, I don't see taking photos of each other at a slumber party & doing silly things like licking suggestive lollipops as any big deal. What if the girls were photographed eating a hot dog or banana "suggestively"? When I was a high school sophomore, 15, I went on the trip to Spain w/ the spanish class. Took lots of photos, including photos of my roommates in the morning/ evening flashing their bra, etc. I remember one photo of my friend Lisa in her bra/panties (showing less skin than a bikini) on a dare to run out on the balcony, pose for the photo, and run in. I remember bringing my photo album into school afterwards, and those photos were in there, along with other "wacky roommate" photos other kids took. The only difference is that these were posted online, but on a restricted site. If OTHER kids swiped those photos and passed them around, then they are the ones who caused the problem, IMO. Parental guidance is fine, I think this does not fall under the "code of ethics" for sports.

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And since when has that been a new concept?

THe only thing I don't understand through this whole thing is......where are the parents. I mean if this was my daughter i would in NO WAY blame the school and I definately would not think it was ok to sue the school......extra cirricular activities is a privilage and I would take my own daughter out before the school could do anything. The pictures are inappropriate and were done for the purpose of showing how suggestive they are,(if they weren't they would not have put them up on myspace) Their parents need to be taking care of this, and obviously they arent these girls should just be glad they are not getting in trouble for child ****ography. After all they are underage. I think that is something everyone is forgetting, THese girls are underage and being stupid.

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all i can do is laugh my butt off and hope for the bestLOL

I hardly think some sleepover photos could be considered child p*rn. From the article, they weren't half naked. Some of those kiddie pageant pictures a la JonBenet are closer to kiddie ****, IMO.

What is correct is that these girls are young and stupid. They are acting their age.

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I don't think we can "assume" the good old double standard defense here. The pics DID find their way to school and it does make them the a problem of the current school year for the school. Saying they are picked on b/c they are girls excuses the behavior and basically gives carte blanche to do as they please. You don't get to do as you want and still play with a team where your misdeed reflect on everyone as a whole.

Anyone circulating those pics should be in trouble as well. Sitting out 25% of the fall sports, appologizing for their behavior, and 3 couseling sessions is really an easy punishment as a male would probably sit out the entire year. In that aspect, they probably got an easier punishment as a male wouldn't have gotten such lenience.

The parents are doing their kids a disservice by championing them and supporting their lack of respect for school policy. You just shouldn't bend rules for whomever makes the biggest stink. That's a very bad message to send kids. It's a shame, it undermines the parental effectiveness as well. That's probably gonna come back to bite them later but they made the choice.

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* Let it not be said that no one cared, that no one objected once it's realized that our liberties and wealth are in jeopardy.

~Ron Paul

"If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy."
- James Madison

You are right they were not naked, but they were in lingere and there have been cases tried for children dressed in lingere,

and as far as them acting their age, when I was 15 I never would have taken pictures like that to show people. Not all 15 yr olds think that is ok.

I don't see why we need to excuse this behavior because they are young, to me this is why the kids today do get away with so much. Everyone uses the excuse..."Oh there just being kids" dressing in lingere and posing provacitively is not just being kids.

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all i can do is laugh my butt off and hope for the bestLOL