"Drunken Pirate" Story Is Truly Ridiculous!!

This story is completely ridiculous.

MILLERSVILLE, Pa. - A woman denied a teaching degree on the eve of graduation because of a MySpace photo has sued the university.

Millersville University instead granted Stacy Snyder a degree in English last year after learning of her Web-published picture, which bore the caption “Drunken Pirate.”

The University issued the following statement:

Millersville University denies the claims alleged in the federal complaint filed by Ms. Stacy Snyder. Although the University respects Ms. Snyder's opinion, these allegations only provide a single perspective of this academic situation.

Due to federal student privacy restrictions, the University is unable to directly respond to media accounts related to the case. The University notes, however, that all of its educational decisions are based on a full range of academic performance issues, not solely on a student's personal website or social networking site. The University is committed to maintaining the academic integrity of its academic programs and degrees and will vigorously defend itself and the actions of its employees in legal proceedings related to the lawsuit.

Any further comment about the suit will come through the State System of Higher Education Office of Legal Counsel in Harrisburg.

The photo, taken at a 2005 Halloween party, shows Snyder wearing a pirate hat while drinking from a plastic “Mr. Goodbar” cup. It was posted on her own MySpace site.

Although Snyder apologized, she learned the day before graduation that she would not be awarded an education degree or teaching certificate.

Jane S. Bray, dean of the School of Education, accused Snyder of promoting underage drinking, the suit states.

I think that the school is going to be paying out of its ass!! First of all, the statement from them that the decision wasn't based on her personal website is a crock. It's a crock because the Dean pointed out the picture by saying that Snyder was promoting underage drinking. So it's MAINLY, if not completely, about the picture. I would like to point out one small, little problem with the Dean's statement. Stacy Snyder clearly couldn't be promoting underage drinking when this picture was taken because she was not UNDERAGE!! It was taken in 2005 which would have made her either 24 or 25 at the time given that she's 27 now. Nice try!!

Another reason that I think the school will be paying out of its ass is because it can't just pick and choose what degree they're going to award a student. They can't do that simply because they don't like what a student did. She was going to school for a teaching degree. If she fulfilled the requirements of her field of study, she should be awarded that degree. She didn't go to the college for a degree in English. If she fulfilled the requirements and passed all of the exams for her license to teach, she is entitled to that license.

As dumb as the story may sound, the college was in the WRONG here. They took something that she did in her personal life, and brought it into her professional life by denying her the degree that she deserves to have. If they're not going to give her the correct degree and her teaching license, they at least owe her all of the tuition money and other fees that she paid to earn the teaching degree. She is entitled to that at the very least!!

For the record in case anyone asks, Millersville University is NOT a private university. It is a PUBLIC university.