Brickbat: Blast Off in the Comments

Leigha Lemoine has sued South Carolina's Horry-Georgetown Technical College, claiming it violated her First Amendment rights. The college suspended Lemoine from its cosmetology program for one year and issued her a no-trespass notice, saying she violated student code by "engaging in any activity that disrupts the educational process of the college." Lemoine posted in a Snapchat group chat that a person who disrespected her should "get blasted." The person she was referring to was not associated with the college, but others in the chat were, and at least one reported the comment to administrators. At first, the school ruled the comment was acceptable, but it later suspended her after finding an unrelated Instagram post from before she was enrolled that showed her firing a handgun. Nicole Hyman, a school spokeswoman, said in a statement, "While the College respects all individuals' rights, including their rights to freedom of expression, the College's priority is to ensure the well-being and security of the entire campus community."

Comments

[Stupid Government Tricks]

The real silliness is even requiring attendance at such a school of cosmetology. It sounds like more occupational licensing nonsense. It doesn't say what job she was aiming for, but odds are it would be better handled by on the job apprenticing, but of course minimum wage laws probably make that impossible too.

Then there's the fact that she was OK until they found a picture of her with a constitutionally protected gun. Oh horrors! And she was apparently not enough of a threat to involve the police.

Despite the apparent safety concerns, it’s not clear whether or not HGTC ever contacted law enforcement about Lemoine’s posts. The lawsuit doesn’t mention any police involvement, and Hyman did not confirm any law enforcement contact before publication.

I hope she wins.

[Vernon Depner]

"While the College respects all individuals' rights, including their rights to freedom of expression, the College's priority is to ensure the well-being and security of the entire campus community. we actually don't. Fuck you."

[Adans smith]

There's always a 'but', which makes a lie out of the first part their statement

[Fist of Etiquette]

Certainly a cosmetology student must be in some sort of protected group.

[Vernon Depner]

Obese, at least.

[Gaear Grimsrud]

Cosmetology is pretty intense. I don't know how they handle the weightlessness.

[Quicktown Brix]

A cosmetology major is perfect for those wanting to take up time and space in college.

[Sometimes a Great Notion]

Don't fuck with the cosmetology cartel. They have the same protections as the applicants, but the financial incentives to kill your career before it starts and the politicians to make it happen.

[mad.casual]

I refuse to believe a woman named Hyman working at Horry-Georgetown Technical College is a real thing.

[Jerry B.]

She should have threatened to blast a health insurance CEO.

[Longtobefree]

Once upon a time, 'getting blasted' just involved a lot of alcoholic beverages.

[AT]

This is one of your grosser misrepresentations, Chuck.

It had nothing to do with what she said on Snapchat, nor did it have anything to do with her firearm use.

Quote: Lemoine also told administrators during that initial meeting that neither she nor her parents owned any guns or had any personal association with firearms, court records state.

Meaning: she lied to their faces. THAT was the violation of "student code by “engaging in any activity that disrupts the educational process of the college,” court records show," that you're misrepresenting as a brickbat.