MINNEAPOLIS - The students protesting the two month suspension of Rogers High School Senior Reid Sagehorn are being loud and clear; they feel it's too much.
But something critical has to be addressed.
Sagehorn's sarcastic tweet about being romantically involved with a 28-year-old teacher isn't harmless.
It's legally, criminal.
And once it came to the attention of school employees it must be treated as such.
School employees are mandated reporters.
"That has to be done. That's not an option. That's not a judgment call by a mandated reporter that is a requirement of state law," said Dr. Gary Amoroso, the Executive Director of the Minnesota Associate of School Administrators.
Even though Sagehorn didn't initiate the online discussion on Twitter he allegedly responded to it, saying the relationship was happening.
He is a minor.
The teacher is not.
Twitter is a public forum; so in essence, it was broadcast to anyone that followed the twitter handle.
The school, once notified, had to call police.
On Tuesday, the students who ran the twitter handle and a website that fed it also turned themselves in to school authorities.
They, like Sagehorn, could face criminal charges.
But it's the lengthy suspension of Sagehorn that is raising the concerns of other students and the ACLU.
Chuck Samuelson is with the ACLU of Minnesota and he thinks a two month suspension is too far and asks about Sagehorn's right to due process.
"The ACLU of Minnesota believes that any discipline lasting longer than ten days should have a hearing and this is much longer than ten days," Samuelson said.
