Canadian student suspended from school due to satirical Youtube videos

One of those stories that would cause Richard Littlejohn to exclaim "You couldn't make it up".

Jack Christie, a 12th-grade student at the Donald A. Wilson Secondary School in Whitby, Ontario, Canada, has been suspended from school after uploading a number of satirical animations to Youtube in his own time.

Given that none are about Donald A.Wilson Secondary School, and that Christie uploaded the animations outside school hours, it's really none of the school's business.

However, Durham District School Board spokeswoman Andrea Pidwerbecki thinks otherwise, telling the Toronto Globe and Mail:

"f something is considered detrimental to the positive moral tone of the school, it doesn’t necessarily have to happen inside the school [for us to get involved]"

The videos, created for presentations in economics and politics classes over the course of the last school year, received no complaints from teachers at Donald A.Wilson Secondary School. One even lent his voice to one of the animations, further suggesting that Andrea Pidwerbecki and Warren Palmer's views represent a small minority.

Once uploading the videos to Youtube, Jack was swiftly given a one-day suspension.

A few days later his principal, Warren Palmer, told him to take the videos down or the police would be called. He refused .

Jack hasn’t been allowed to return to class for a week and is not sure whether he can attend his prom on Friday.

He says the school board has not given him the opportunity to defend himself.

A complaint from principal Warren Palmer and his superior was made to the police.

An officer is investigating but has not reached any conclusions.

Gavin Russell, prime minister of the student government, gathered scores of signatures on a petition supporting Jack Christie before two staff members warned him that, if he continued, he could also face punishment.

Jack has created a new video where he speaks directly to school officials through his cartoon avatar.

You can view this below (contains rapidly alternating images, so not sure if suitable for epileptics):



Personally, I think Jack Christie's creativity is a credit to Donald A.Wilson Secondary School, and his suspension is outrageous.

However, I doubt Jack's principal and the superintendent are the types to care what others think.

Rik Myslewski quips in The Register that "From where we sit, considering the hypersensitive and officious attitude of school officials, Christie may be missing class, but odds are he's not missing that school. ®"

Has your school behaved in a draconian way towards you for something that didn't hurt anyone and happened outside of school hours?