Mom Takes MySpace Profanity Fight To School

The mother of a Burleson student disciplined for profanity on a MySpace page met Tuesday with school officials.

Alicia Smock and her daughter Lindsey Wessel, a 16-year-old junior, are fighting a one-game suspension from the Burleson High School drill team.

Wessel is accused of posting provocative pictures and using offensive language on her MySpace page, which is set as private and only available to about 400 friends she has approved.

A student gave school officials copies of photographs and comments that were posted on the social-networking site, Burleson Independent School District spokesman Richard Crummel said Tuesday.

The drill team disciplined Wessel for the language, and while there was discussion about the pictures, no penalty was imposed, Crummel said.  

"We hold our students accountable to a higher level of personal behavior when you're a member of an organization," he said.

However, Smock said she did not find anything offensive and objected to administrators policing her daughter's personal Web page.

She appealed the game suspension during a 20-minute closed-door meeting Tuesday afternoon.

"I think it was fair. We went through everything from start to finish," Smock said after the meeting. "He asked me to go step-by-step and tell him what has happened, who I've spoke to, he got our side of the story. I feel hopeful."

The school promises to have a final decision on the matter by 10 a.m. Wednesday.

Smock said she may take her daughter off the drill team and consider legal action if the decision doesn't go their way.

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