Emma Sullivan, Kansas High School Student, Punished For Sam Brownback Tweet

A high school senior was punished after tweeting disparaging remarks about Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback.

After meeting Brownback on a field trip, 18-year-old Emma Sullivan tweeted, "Just made mean comments at gov brownback and told him he sucked, in person #heblowsalot."

After Brownback's office contacted the school about the tweet, Sullivan was called into the principal's office and reprimanded.

The principal "laid into me about how this was unacceptable and an embarrassment," she told the Wichita Eagle. "He said I had created this huge controversy and everyone was up in arms about it … and now he had to do damage control."

She also told NBC Action News that she was asked to write the governor a formal apology, but has yet to do so.

"I believe that it is my right to state my opinion," she said.

As ThinkProgress notes, she may be right.

"Although public school students’ right to free speech is not unlimited, schools are generally only allowed to discipline students for speech that is disruptive to the school’s learning environment," Ian Millhiser wrote, pointing to a 1969 court case involving students' free speech rights.

UPDATE (Nov. 27, 6:07 p.m.): Sullivan told the Associated Press that "she's not sorry and an apology letter wouldn't be sincere."

UPDATE (Nov. 28, 2:30 p.m.): Brownback has issued a statement apologizing for his office's "over-reaction" to the tweet.

WATCH:

Comments

[Eric Graff]

08:16 AM on 01/06/2012

brownback/tgop only believe in rights for the white only of the 1%, any questions?

[fuster]

09:42 PM on 11/23/2012

yeah, I got a question.

have you been licking toads or do you usually believe that hyperbolic cant is preferable to reason?

[AlexanderTaylor]

12:53 AM on 01/05/2012

This is just another incident of a school trying to play the role of a parent. This gal has the right to say whatever she wants about this public figure. If the governor of Kansas cant handle criticism, maybe he should find another line of work...

[nicholaspsyr]

01:44 AM on 12/23/2011

even as unsophisticated the remarks were, they are obviously her right to freedom of speech even if she was under 18. Every citizen has a right to express their personal opinion. She did use use inappropriate language, or use racial or insensitive language. The mayor is a public figure who should be less sensitive. would be better if she gave a reason for dislike of the mayor but even if disgree with opinion it is obviously allowed. Does any politicol leaders or school officials have any basic common scense anymore?

[Venson Thomas]

01:08 AM on 12/08/2011

Emma Sullivan is of age and owes the governor no apology and should not extend one for saying what she believes merely because her school's admin people are nervous. She is a student there -- not an employee.

I'm confused however. I thought we had freedom of speech AND right to privacy. This young woman stated nothing libelous -- just her opinion -- which she posted via her Twitter account. Since I think that's private, isn't the governor's office the wrong-doer and guilty of invasion of privacy and making itself a nuisance?

If not, I take it then we may all have to be constantly prepared for battle when, by whim, government officials, employers or educational facilities want to nitpick and take to task our honest thoughts.

[Texas CowMafia]

10:15 PM on 01/05/2012

Hope your Governor never dicides to run for President, if he can't handle an 18 yr old he surely couldn't handle what me a 50 yr old would say about him. It's a sad world that our ELECTED officals abuse they're powers all the time.
You did a fine job Emma, keep it up and you'll have his seat.
Straight From Texas_CowMafia

[mastergan]

07:43 AM on 11/30/2011

have no idea http://www.mastergan.com

[92102]

02:42 AM on 11/30/2011

It would be interesting to see how many negative and downright ugly comments many of Gov. Brownback's defenders have made against President Obama. It's ok if you're a Republican does not apply here. And I agree with Emma, Brownback does suck and he sucked when he was in the senate as well.

Good for you Emma!

[alykatma]

05:15 PM on 08/13/2012

There are worse comments and downright lies about Obama all the time. He doesn't use his power of office to go after them, now does he.

[skittle]

10:38 PM on 11/29/2011

I find it ironic that the very behavior we ask school to curtail...rude and crude comments...is the behavior some now are applauding, and chiding the schools for trying to curtail. I guess some don't mind the behavior as long as they don't like the target.

[AuldLochinvar]

05:08 PM on 11/30/2011

If a school, school board, or any other authority, believes that the primary purpose of education is to curtail rudeness, they've got it wrong.
The USA's ignorance of science, and stubborn ignorance of the principle of Natural Selection, is a far bigger threat to our existence than the rudeness we find all over the public media, like Fox news, the McLaughlin group, and "reality" shows.
For example, if you are a farmer in Kansas, it makes no difference if you think the earth is flat, and that the Sun goes around it. In Kansas there is ocular evidence of flatness!
But if you apply pesticides to your crops, you'd better be aware that the pestilent survivors will be back, or their progeny, next year.
Remember when the school boards in Kansas were fighting against the teaching of this?
I would go so far in rudeness as to call those board members idiots.

[skittle]

06:09 PM on 11/30/2011

do you even read the article? I didn't say the school believes it is the primary purpose. I don't even recall the school board being involved. The rest of your statement are going off on some tangent that has little to do with the article. My point is we have put a lot of energy in stopping bullying (crude and offensive behavior) and yet many on here promote it if they don't like the target.

[usernames88]

02:55 AM on 12/23/2011

auidlochinvar what are you talking about? your comment makes no sense. you completely missed skittle's point.

[BackItUpWithFacts]

04:23 PM on 11/29/2011

While this little immature twit who tweeted may have first amendment rights, she does not own a lifetime license to be rude and insolent to everyone she meets. There's a mature and non-insulting way to disagree with someone, and then there's Emma's way. She'll learn. The first time she tells her boss, "You suck", then brags 'round the water cooler about it, she'll be an unemployed American with first amendment rights. Then maybe she'll be motivated to gain a new vocabulary and a new approach. Too bad her parents didn't teach her this.

[James Martini]

05:02 PM on 11/29/2011

You sound upset. What is it about her failure to demonstrate respect for authority that has you so riled up that you're fantasizing about the day when she get's her comeuppance?

[BackItUpWithFacts]

06:33 PM on 11/29/2011

It's not a fantasy. Just a simple fact of life. My daughter, who is a college freshman, is also 18. She has a mind of her own and would not hesitate to disagree, in person, with our governor and to voice her opinion. But I have no doubt that she would do this with respect. She is very aware that if she does not treat others with respect, she will suffer the natural consequences, as we all do. Are you Ms. Sullivan's uncle or her attorney?

[Shiggity]

06:49 PM on 11/29/2011

Are you kidding me? This girl's never going to get a real job.

[James Martini]

07:25 PM on 11/29/2011

Indeed, who would hire a young woman that refused to issue an insincere apology under pressure from her school administration for a personal comment she made about a government figure? I can't imagine why anyone would want to hire someone who isn't easily cowed unto submission.

[Melisa Hubbard]

04:01 PM on 11/29/2011

What a crude little thing, to receive so much attention. I hope she enjoys it in the real world, where her thumb-flatulence will get her fired, or worse, not hired, and she will wonder where all the protectors of her "free speech" are.

She said nothing more than many anonymous posters say every day. But because she is stupid she did it under her own name, so her reputation as a foolish, whimsical, mean, vulgar, disrespectful, ungrateful typical teenager will live on forever.

Congratulations, Emma. Now you know what it's like to have someone call you out on your insults. You are free to insult whom you wish, of course. Let's see if you're ready to do it again.

[Kevin Rice]

10:51 AM on 11/29/2011

Brownback should OFFER HER A SCHOLARSHIP to any State of Kansas University as a sign of goodwill.

[Shiggity]

06:51 PM on 11/29/2011

And then maybe the Nobel Peace Prize and a $50,000 reward

[Peter Murphy]

04:42 AM on 11/29/2011

So, let me get this straight: High School teenager posts a crude, personally-insulting Tweet after meeting her state's Governor.

When she's reprimanded, she brattily argues with her headteacher: 'Hell, I should be able to say whatever I like, like that's freedom of speech, you can't tell me what to say, you're not the boss of me, I'm gonna go to the press."

And then, the Governor, and the school, are both forced to 'apologise', for the outrageous misdemeanor of daring to expect a young lady to conduct herself in a thoughtful, intelligent and courteous fashion that would bring credit to herself and her state.

Yep, that all makes sense to me. Got that. Thanks.

[James Martini]

09:52 AM on 11/29/2011

The Governor and school system are apologizing for what appears to be an attempt to use their authority or position to suppress this young woman's exercise of her first amendment rights.

Sometimes freedom of speech is a little messy so get up off your fainting couch and man up.

[Melisa Hubbard]

03:54 PM on 11/29/2011

Wrong. The staffer informed the Youth Program coordinator about the conduct of the student during the school-sponsored event. The coordinator was responsible for the conduct of the students during the event. It was perfectly appropriate to report the vulgar comment as it would be if the student had stood up and said same aloud. Why is she tweeting during a school function, anyway?

What did the government suppress? One does not have the right not to face recriminations for rudeness. Just because she can say a thing doesn't mean her school doesn't have the right to show that the behavior reflects poorly on her and on the school. What about the reputation of the other students who got to go on the field trip? Don't their feelings matter? Aren't they allowed to feel ashamed and expect their ill-mannered peer to apologize for her gratuitous comments?

Still waiting to hear what the politically-savvy Miss Sullivan was so judgmental about.

Nonetheless, she is perfectly within her rights to insult people on her own time. The school may protect its reputation by expecting good manners and apologies from its students.

[BackItUpWithFacts]

04:26 PM on 11/29/2011

And with freedom comes a responsibility to use the freedom wisely. Emma wasn't too wise.

[David Enrique Rivera]

09:56 AM on 11/29/2011

@Peter. The girls comment, while crude and immature, was a simple exercise of freedom of speech that didn't harm or disrupt anyone or anything. The school's and the Governor's reaction was an act in violation of the first amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

Any American that values the Constitution would see that she did nothing wrong and the school was wrong.

[skittle]

09:54 PM on 11/29/2011

the Constitution says that the government shall make no laws abridging the freedom of speech. Tell me, which laws did they make to abridge this right? What criminal behavior did they allege. It doesn't say that the school or the governor can't ask for an apology. It doesn't say the host organization or principal can't reprimand her for making those statements.

[Rod Kelly]

10:48 PM on 11/28/2011

My Prediction: New High School political science course emerging now that will teach you how to respectfully tell your governor "YOU SUCK!".

[iLdoRight]

09:50 PM on 11/28/2011

Two things to consider: I worked for a company that depended on repeat business form the same customers and they tell their employees "If you think you may have offended or wronged a customer, make it right to the customers satisfaction quickly.

Something I derived from a book, "An apology is an opportunity to get your thought clarified or expanded upon, for instance in another situation where a hasty answer from a politician enraged a "citizen" that individual might have said something like, "I am sorry your comments enraged me so much that I responded in the manner that I did, what I would have rather said was, (fill in as appropriate to the wrong one thinks the other person did articulating the perceived offense accurately and in detail so it can be evaluated by others to its merit).

[lwainscot]

10:22 PM on 11/28/2011

More Politically correct crap! People sometimes need to be told like it is, and all this butt kissing is ridiculous, and only encourages bad behavior all the way around. I remember something that occurred when my children were little. They had a playmate who had some issues, and one day the little girl got so bad, my daughters informed her that they wouldn't play with her if she was going to behave that way! She ran home crying, of course, but a few hours later she asked her mother if she could go apologize for her bad behavior.

Moral of story: sometimes you just have to stand up for what is right, regardless of the consequences. If you lose a customer because you won't put up with nonsense, so be it! Eventually that customer will run out of places to treat badly. Make a comment about a politician who deserves it, and if they don't like it, too bad! They are, after all, public servants, and we certainly don't have to kiss their behinds! They work for US, and if their work is substandard in our opinion, we have a right to say so!

[Megan Anderssen]

10:34 PM on 11/28/2011

How does that apply to this situation? When you're an employee of a company you should know to tread lightly and not publicly air any slanderous or libelous message against the company, because it could cost you your job. This young woman is not an employee of this politician; she is exercising her free speech rights, and the principal of her school has no cause to discipline her on part of her school because of this. Her tweets may have been glib, but she owes nothing to this politician. She didn't owe it to him to agree with his policies, and she doesn't owe him an apology now. It's a sad day when a citizen has to fear retaliation from the government; it ought to be the other way around.

[iLdoRight]

05:03 AM on 11/29/2011

Using street language that does not address the issues that causes one to feel dissatisfied with another's positions or conduct is sort of like flipping the bird, or as I like to call it, "Giving someone the BUZZ OFF! gesture", it does not let the person and others know what the real reason for your discontent is so changes can be considered and be improved upon. Rarely does one get their 15 minutes of fame by being bitchy in a crass way, but sometimes by articulating one's objections in a concise and to the point manner one can actually change things for the better.

[skittle]

09:56 PM on 11/29/2011

Honestly, Megan...what retaliation is the government threatening? A lesson in civility is needed by many.

[iLdoRight]

07:44 PM on 11/28/2011

What would people's opinion of the Governor's intelligence and decorum be if he had come back with a "Well you're a ( fill in some sort of a street wise put-down that had a sexually derogatory shaming implication ) ? Think in terms of how your comments can get people to see the wrong that you see without giving any reason to dismiss your comments as not coming from a sound mind. It is possible for a very young child to see an error or find an answer that others have missed or why would "Out of the mouth of babes" be such a ringing endorsement at times?

[vafaeead]

07:32 PM on 11/28/2011

The governor was wrong the student was right. You can't force voters to like you by punishing them. I only wish she had used a more intelligent criticism then "you suck."Once you get his attention that's when you talk about what you want changed.