The Rye City Middle School went after a gossip site published on the micro-blogging site Tumbler. In a note to parents and in a student meeting, RMS social worker Peter Green "outed" the site as "not the kind of activity that a person of character would do".
The site has since been removed.
The city is in an ongoing conversation about civility. Here is the email sent to parents:
Attention Parents of RMS Students
Dear Parents:
In the past few days a blog was created on the tumblr.com website called ryegossipgirl. The creator or creators have been using the site to answer anonymous questions and speculate openly about the personal lives and behavior of their peers. As you can imagine, many students are upset about the blog and its potential for harm.
Since no crime has been committed, RMS can only do so much; it's not certain that the blogger(s) currently attend our school.
Yesterday afternoon, we posted this message on ryegossipgirl.tumbler.com.
"Hi. This is Mr. Green, writing on behalf of Rye Middle School. We understand that you might think this sort of tumblr page is fun. To our way of thinking, it is not the kind of activity that a person of character would do.
In the interest of compassion and civility, I'm requesting that you take this page down today. If you don't, or if you rename it, the school will take action to find out who you are; there might be consequences, although I can't say what they will be at this moment.
The best reason to take the page down is not fear of punishment; it is your understanding that taking it down is the right thing to do.
By the way, we heard about ryegossipgirl from a number of sources. There are more than a few students who believe that this is wrong. If you leave it up, or rename it, we will, more than likely, find out again.
If you doubt that this is a real posting from the Middle School, feel free to send anyone into my office to ask me.
Thanks for reading this; I hope you act quickly to take this page down."
The bloggers declined to delete the page.
The Rye City community is currently involved in a series of discussions about civility. At a meeting last week, professionals from the Rye Youth Council presented a draft of a Civility Statement. Concerned individuals from Rye City government, from the schools, the houses of worship and civic organizations along with private citizens engaged in meaningful conversation about concrete actions that could encourage mutual respect and acceptance in our community.
In line with these admirable goals, Rye Middle School would like to encourage parents to talk with your children about the ryegossipgirl blog. Please help your sons and daughters make respectful and empathetic choices in their dealings with each other.
Respectfully,
Peter Green
RMS Social Worker
Peon, Flotie, Tedc and Co. must be proud.
As long as we have grown men speculating and dredging up dirt on our neighbors and making it public for the sake of furthering an agenda, we can’t expect any better from our kids. How can we expect the kids to be the adults in this town?
@When Will You Learn,
WOW, more educated insight from an unknown coward!
There is one thing I absolutely sensor my daughter from watching on TV & that’s “THE JOKE” aka “RYE CITY HALL!!!”
If any kid followed the leadership & the lack thereof of some of our elected officials, top cop, city manager & not to mention a few others-they would be doomed before getting out of the “3rd grade”!!!
You couldn’t hold an adult conversation with my 14yr old daughter, she would leave you in the dust in a heartbeat!!!
“As long as we have grown men speculating and dredging up dirt on our neighbors and making it public for the sake of furthering an agenda, we can’t expect any better from our kids.”
Jim,
I am not with you on this one. I think you should encourage your daughter to watch. I believe that it is great that the children of our communities are educated by seeing the mistakes and consequences of elected officials that were appointed to positions where they were never qualified to be in from the start. It is important for them to see just who is running our communities and the type of people they are and have been in the past. Seeing bad is sometimes good. Learning by experiencing it first hand is the best form of education, if you ask me. I for one grew up believing that all political leaders are honest and truthful. I wish I learned the reality of that one sooner.
Take a look at the legacy that Mayor French is going to leave behind. He was a Mayor that has admitted to cheating on his Star taxes and renovating an entire home without any permits. He played a major role in the Dapolite scandal and the multiple arrests of Bob Schubert as well as protecting Scott Pickup in Rye’s largest scam on record, RGC. He almost gave away 3 million dollars on 1037 BPR. He allowed the installation of 33 sewage disposal systems on Hen Island without one permit required and also allows 33 cottage owners to increase the threat of West Nile Virus to our residents and children during the summer months. These are just a few of the legacies he will be leaving behind.
http://healtheharbor.com/gallery/pages/MayorFrench_star-tax-evasion.html
I think kids ask the right questions. The simple ones, like, why did he do that? If we would not let a pervert teach the kids, why do we let a thief run our city?
Ray, I must ask you–were you always the kid picked last for the kickball team?
Midget–midget–Napoleon Complex–little man that wastes time–butt ugly–etc—Napoleon complex is an informal term describing an alleged type of psychological phenomenon which is said to exist in persons, usually men, of short stature. It is characterized by overly-aggressive or domineering social behavior, and carries the implication that such behavior is compensatory for the subjects’ stature.
Sound familiar Ray?
I have heard of it Doug but it sounds more like a Psychological projection of yours.
Jim Amico writes:
“Now it’s the clubs infecting Hen Island, that’s rich!!!
HOW SO???
Can’t wait to hear this one, lay it on us!!!”
I already told you, Jim…..If you had read my post it says :
“the BOH told me that the mosquitoes are from the mainland where all those clubs you mention reside. The BOH thinks Hen Island is being infected by the mainland, not the other way around ”
You see, it’s right there in black and white but you chose to ignore it and wrote back a question you already had the answer to.
BTW, the BOH’s entomologist isn’t the only entomologist I’ve talked to who said the mainland is responsible for the WNV being on Hen Island. Actually, Even Mr. Flotie hasn’t found an entomologist who will agree with his story. Mr. Flotie’s agenda requires he label anyone who disagrees with him as “corrupt”. That’s why his extraordinarily large list of corrupt people includes everyone except for Mr. Flotie. Maybe someday, when you realize that, you will be able to have a rational conversation with people.
we’re still waiting for Charmian Neary to prove she isn’t under Mr. Flotie’s spell. All she has to do is identify for everyone the Hen Island “issue” that the Mayor needs to resolve. Don’t think she’ll be able to do that.
Good come back elf!!
Follow follow follow follow follow the yellow brick road!!
@Jim Amico
Do you think it’s illegal to install a composting toilet in a seasonal residence with out a permit? If so, you are drinking the Flotie Kool-Aid along with Charmian Neary. If it was illegal, Mr. Flotie would have already sued Rye. Notice how he words his statement? He just insinuates it’s illegal. He knows it’s not. He also knows it’s perfectly legal to catch rain water from the roof for non-domestic ( non-potable water ) use. He’s run out of bullets and is taking it out on the Mayor and the City Manager. A new City Manager and Mayor won’t change the situation for Mr. Flotie. Mr. Flotie would have to change the laws of NYS. Good Luck with that.
@ Learning Curve,
Lets try this again;
Your response is this:
“I already told you, Jim…..If you had read my post it says:”
“the BOH told me that the mosquitoes are from the mainland where all those clubs you mention reside. The BOH thinks Hen Island is being infected by the mainland, not the other way around ”
“You see, it’s right there in black and white but you chose to ignore it and wrote back a question you already had the answer to.”
I asked you…”HOW SO???”…not “WHO”!!!
In other words, what are the clubs doing that would cause the infestation on Hen island???
Where is the report that says this?
My opinions are always formed from B&W Facts & or from what I witness w/my own eyes or experienced first hand!!!
I have never seen by the clubs what I have seen on Hen Island, nor have I seen any evidence to that suggests the Clubs are the cause & I sure as hell haven’t seen it in B&W anywhere???
Jim,
Don’t even entertain answering Doug. Here it is in black and white. Straight from the Rye City Code on Plumbing:
http://healtheharbor.com/codes/potablewater.html
And here is Rye’s code for the sewers.
http://healtheharbor.com/codes/ryesewers.html
Ask Doug where the county’s written permission to install 33 composting systems is and where is the proof that the old ones were closed according to the code.
“Immediately after the construction of a sewer connection every sewage tank, cesspool or privy vault shall be emptied, cleaned, disinfected and filled with clean mineral soil, rock or gravel. Where a public sanitary sewer is not accessible, a building permit shall not be issued without submission of a copy of the written approval of the Westchester County Commissioner of Health, indicating that the premises may be adequately sewered by a separate sewage disposal system.”
@Jim Amico
Firstly, I just said the mainland where the clubs reside because you mentioned the clubs being upset. I didn’t mean the clubs, I meant THE MAINLAND even tho the clubs have plenty of boats with bilges that store water.
Anyway, Mr. Flotie is quoting the plumbing code for Rye. Unfortunately for Mr. Flotie, that code doesn’t apply to Hen Island because the code in Rye only applies to PERMANENT residences not the SEASONAL cottages on Hen Island. He’s been doing this unethical crap for years now and people like you believe him. The code that applies to Hen Island is from NYS and that infuriates Mr. Flotie because he was to ignorant to know that before he started his agenda. He’s up a river without a paddle and is desparate enough to start quoting code that has nothing to do with Hen Island. Hen Island is just like your business, the state code applies because there is no code in Rye for that situation.
@Jim Amico
Just so you know the whole story, there are Hen Islands all over NYS. All seasonal residences, and all classified as “Group U Occupancy”. Group U Occupancy is the same classification as a stand alone garage. There are no plumbing or potable water requirements. Just structural requirements. It is why these structures that exist all over the state are allowed to carry their potable water into the structure. The tanks on Hen Island are not the “legal” source of potable water. The potable water is carried out in containers. This is the reason that Hen Islanders could eliminate their “WNV breeding water tanks” and still have a legal source of potable water. All these regulations are from the state because Rye has no regulations on their books for seasonal residences. It the same reason why the County and the State are the ones who show up at your business to inspect it and not RYE.