Supreme Court hears U of M student’s Facebook case

The University of Minnesota is again defending its right to discipline a student over Facebook comments that her instructors found threatening.

The Minnesota Supreme Court heard arguments Wednesday.

In December 2009, Amanda Tatro, then a mortuary science student, wrote on Facebook that she wanted to use an embalming tool “to stab a certain someone in the throat.”

Tatro’s grade in her course was changed to failing and she was forced to take a psychological evaluation.

Last summer, the Minnesota Court of Appeals upheld the university’s right to discipline Tatro. But Tatro maintains the school infringed on her free speech rights.

The Minnesota Daily reports Tatro’s attorney argued Wednesday the school’s actions were baseless. University General Counsel Mark Rotenberg countered that Tatro failed to abide by professional standards for students.