Expulsion Over Myspace Photos
Anthony Allen, 17 years old, is one of five kids banned from Belleville High School in Ann Arbor, Michigan on November 3rd 2007. The five students posted pictures on Myspace, a popular internet networking site, of guns, drugs, piles of cash and possible gang signs. Anthony is challenging his expulsion and four of the five teenagers sued the school district asking for reinstatement. The students claim that there were no written records of the hearings.
The second hearing was open to the public and over one hundred people showed up. The crowd also included high school teachers. The room was filled and overflowed into the lobby and surrounding offices. Anthony Allen was expelled for possessing illegal drugs, or look-alikes, in connection with a school activity and engaging in gang activity. The weapon charges were dropped due the fact that the picture of Anthony holding the gun was taken in a private residence.
School authorities are concerned that these teenagers could be connected with a gang called M.M.B. On October 13th a limousine driver who picked them up from their high school Homecoming claimed that three cars followed them to a restaurant. Older boys who appeared to be members of this gang surrounded the limo in a threatening manner. The driver told the boys to get back into the car and proceeded to take them to a different restaurant. But the same cars continued to follow them.
The school voted to uphold Anthony’s expulsion after an approximately six hour hearing. One teacher said that there is a zero tolerance policy for gang related behavior. Although Anthony’s mother does not agree with this decision to expel him, she stated that he will be attending college in the fall.
