Student suspensions were not appealed
By ALAN LICZYK Staff Reporter
A Web site containing derogatory remarks against the principal of Robert F. Hall Catholic secondary school in Caledon East has been taken down after 19 students were suspended for cyber bullying.

The students, a mixture of males and females in grades 11 and 12, were suspended by principal Ed McMahon after the attacks against him were posted on the Web site facebook.com under the section "McMahon the Grinch of School Spirit." The entries were complaining about the school's ban on electronic devices such as cell phones and ipods.

The creator of the Web site received an eight-day suspension. Ten officers of the Web site were suspended for five days and eight general members were suspended for three days.

Bruce Campbell, manager of community relations with the Dufferin-Peel Catholic district school board, said the students could have been suspended for up to 20 days for cyber bullying under the board's policy.

He also explained the ban against electronic devices is a board-wide policy. He said McMahon is just one of 140 principals enforcing the policy.

Campbell called the attacks against McMahon potentially libelous.

"It's an extreme attack on the character of the principal," he said. "It really tarnishes the reputation of the principal."

He added initially some of the parents of the students were concerned about the length of the suspensions, but when they read the literature most withdrew their concerns. None of the suspensions were appealed, he said.

Campbell also noted the board has blocked access to facebook.com on all school computers.