Student expelled for posting hit list on Facebook

A Chisholm, Minnesota high school student has been expelled for one year after allegedly posting a hit list on Facebook. School district officials say the individual included the names of 30 students, teachers, and graduates on the list. The posting made no specific threat other than including the heading "Hit List."

A parent noticed the posting and notified the school several weeks ago by showing the posting to the school's Superintendent James Varichak on his cell phone during a girls' basketball game on March 3, 2011. Varichak said he immediately notified Chisholm police and the boy's parents. "We had to prove that it was a substantial disruption to the education process, and we believe it would be if he was to return (to school)," Varichak said according to the Duluth News Tribune.

As a result, the school board scheduled a special meeting and voted to expel the student. In response to the incident, the school will also hold a presentation about social networks and Internet use for all students and their parents.

The teenager is now enrolled in an alternative education program. The case has also been referred to the St. Louis County Attorney's Office, which is considering whether criminal charges are warranted.

Last month, I wrote a story about how a teenager tried and failed to hire a hitman via Facebook. He had a criminal history, so the consequences for him were much more severe.