Drunk Pirates on Myspace Cannot Be Teachers

Apparently, pretending to be a drunk pirate only works magic for Johnny Depp in Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean. Where Johnny Depp found gold, Stacy Snyder lost a dream.

Stacy Snyder claims she was denied her teaching degree from Millersville University due to a photo of her, with the caption "drunken pirate", being discovered on the social networking site Myspace. The School of Education Dean, Jane S. Bray, apparently felt the photo was "promoting underage drinking"; and thus, denied her BS teaching degree and certificate. (The Seattle Times Company, April 28th 2007)

The photo itself is tame. It is a simple headshot of a girl drinking from a yellow plastic cup, wearing a pirates hat. Had Stacy Snyder not created the caption "drunken pirate" to go along with the photo, one could just as easily assume she was drinking Kool-Aid.

Stacy Snyder explained it was a Halloween photo taken a couple years prior and apologized for displaying the photo on Myspace. But apparently, that gesture was not enough to save her teaching career which she had not even had the chance to begin. She has since sued the school for monetary damages.

And I must say, I hope she wins.

Can you imagine having your career taken away from you based on one mistake? Unless a clearly stated rule has been broken, a crime has been committed, or a serious danger exists, it seems everyone deserves a second chance. ...Especially a student, who by definition is still in the process of learning.

If anything, perhaps Jane S. Bray and Millersville University failed Stacy Snyder by not teaching her the actual dangers of posting such photos on the internet?

According to papers filed from the lawsuit on the website The Smoking Gun, the Plaintiff Stacy Snyder contends Millersville University had no policy against posting personal photos on private websites, did not provide "specific sources of evidence or explanation to justify receiving unsatisfactory mark in professionalism", and did not provide evidence any students had seen the photo in question.

Whether one thinks it is wrong or not to pose drunk in a photo, I wonder how many people believe it is fair to be judged on your behavior outside of work (excluding criminal behavior)?

Moreover, should teachers be held to the same professional and ethical standards and consequences for behavior inside and outside the classroom? Should teachers essentially be expected to be Saints?

What's next at Millersville University and beyond anyways? Are college students or teachers who smoke in danger of being denied their careers for "promoting underage smoking"? Are college students or teachers who are seen drinking in public places at risk for losing their degree? What about other sorts of pictures; such as being photographed at a frat party, 21st birthday in Las Vegas, wearing a t-shirt with a controversial statement or logo, that wild spring break trip 4 years ago, or pictures someone else unknowingly took of you?

For that matter, does posting a silly picture with the caption "drunken pirate" on Myspace really qualify as "promoting underrage drinking"? I wonder if Stacy Snyder had posted a picture from the PG-13 film Pirates of the Caribbean of Johnny Depp drinking whiskey (a picture, by the way, that I have seen all over Myspace), would anyone be accusing her of promoting underage drinking and denying her the right to teach?

What do you think?

Sources:
The Seattle Times Company(www.archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com)
The Smoking Gun (www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2007/0426072pirate1.html)