Teen back in school after 'abusive' Facebook quiz

A 15-year-old Queenstown boy is back in school but subject to a number of conditions after he created an "abusive and derogatory" online quiz about his teachers on the social networking website Facebook.

The quiz, posted earlier this month, was littered with profanities and referred to one Wakatipu High School teacher as a drug user, while others were described as circus freaks.

A board of trustees disciplinary meeting was held this week.

Principal Lyn Cooper did not return calls but board chairman Peter Doyle, who was not on the disciplinary committee but had followed the case, said the student would return to school but be subject to a number of conditions.

The conditions would include counselling and if a similar incident happened again he would face more serious action.

The student would have been stood down for a number of days and Mr Doyle believed he had to address the entire staff with an apology, which would have been "fairly traumatic" for a young person.

Mr Doyle said a student would have to commit gross misconduct or something affecting the health and safety of staff and students to be kicked out of school as the nearest alternative high school was in Cromwell, 62km away.

In the quiz the student invited friends to compare themselves to staff members at Wakatipu High School. Users were then given the profile of the staff member they most closely matched.

Wakatipu High School deputy principal Grant Adolph earlier said he was appalled by the comments posted about the staff.

"My initial reaction is that it is abusive, derogatory and divisive."

One teacher, who became aware of the quiz, was upset by its contents and it made her question why she was a teacher.

The quiz was removed by Facebook.

Mr Doyle said the board was entitled to act on the student's behaviour because although he had compiled the quiz on his own time and off school premises, his actions had affected a teacher's integrity.

- NZPA