School sues kid over birthday party invites

Post by **Vympel** » 2008-06-29 08:38am

An eight-year-old boy has sparked an unlikely outcry in Sweden after failing to invite two of his classmates to his birthday party.

The boy's school says he has violated the children's rights and has complained to the Swedish Parliament.

The school, in Lund, southern Sweden, argues that if invitations are handed out on school premises then it must ensure there is no discrimination.

The boy's father has lodged a complaint with the parliamentary ombudsman.

He says the two children were left out because one did not invite his son to his own party and he had fallen out with the other one.

The boy handed out his birthday invitations during class-time and when the teacher spotted that two children had not received one the invitations were confiscated.

"My son has taken it pretty hard," the boy's father told the newspaper Sydsvenskan.

"No one has the right to confiscate someone's property in this way, it's like taking someone's post," he added.

A verdict on the matter is likely to be reached in September, in time for the next school year.

Wow. Just ... wow. Onion-worthy.

Zac Naloen · Post by **Zac Naloen** » 2008-06-29 08:44am

Hold on. In that very article it's stated quite clearly, it has happened before with another kid. What were his repercussions?

Darth Tanner · Post by **Darth Tanner** » 2008-06-29 08:44am

No matter how many times I click on your link it never goes to the onion, it almost makes me cry.

Anyway I would like to see the school and this arsehole teacher in particular point out the legislation that guarantees a child's right to attend all class mates birthday parties.

A verdict on the matter is likely to be reached in September, in time for the next school year.

Er except for the legality of it all what does the school expect to achieve? I assume the birthday party has already happened and that all the kids invited got invitations anyway even if they had to be given them outside the school gates whilst an angry teacher looked on but are they expecting to receive the right to force parents to have kids they don't want at their children's parties?

His Divine Shadow · Post by **His Divine Shadow** » 2008-06-29 08:59am

I'm reminded of the slogan "Alla ska med!"

CJvR · Post by **CJvR** » 2008-06-29 09:38am

There were some assholes in my class that I wouldn't have invited other than at gunpoint. PC stupidity at the expence of common sense.

Molyneux · Post by **Molyneux** » 2008-06-29 09:48am

His Divine Shadow wrote:I'm reminded of the slogan "Alla ska med!"

...translation, please?

And I recall when I was a kid, most of the parents would automatically invite EVERY kid their child knew, regardless of friendship status, to the birthday parties, mostly to avoid some poor youngster feeling left out. Then again, mostly the parties were at a bowling alley or skating rink, so it was fairly affordable to add on a few extra people.

His Divine Shadow · Post by **His Divine Shadow** » 2008-06-29 10:05am

Literally translated it means "Everybody shall come along!" though it would be more suitably translated as "Everybody onboard" or sometihng to that effect. It was a common political slogan used by the major swedish party.

Rogue 9 · Post by **Rogue 9** » 2008-06-29 10:16am

So there's some sort of inherent right to be invited to birthday parties now?

That's absurd.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2008-06-29 10:47am

This is the problem with the way the word "discrimination" has become a bad word even though it is specific kinds of discrimination which are bad, not the idea of discrimination in a universal sense.

Of course the kid discriminates when handing out birthday invitations; it's his birthday and he shouldn't have to invite kids he doesn't like.

Having said that, I wonder how we'd feel about this if the kid handed out fliers for a massive birthday party with a large "NO NIGGERS" disclaimer on them. Of course, that is one of those specific kinds of bad discrimination I mentioned earlier, whereas this incident in the OP sounded like individual discrimination, which is perfectly normal.

Post by **LadyTevar** » 2008-06-29 12:01pm

They'd have hated me. I distinctly remember in elementary school passing out invites to my birthday party (and cupcakes, I think) and then telling one boy in my class "You get an invitation, but I don't want you at my party!"

Now, said boy was from a family that defined the words "Poor White Trash" who were shunned by the whole town. He looked and smelled like he never had a bath and never washed his clothes, so my childish outburst could be forgiven.

Raw Shark · Post by **Raw Shark** » 2008-06-29 02:11pm

LadyTevar wrote:They'd have hated me. I distinctly remember in elementary school passing out invites to my birthday party (and cupcakes, I think) and then telling one boy in my class "You get an invitation, but I don't want you at my party!"

Now, said boy was from a family that defined the words "Poor White Trash" who were shunned by the whole town. He looked and smelled like he never had a bath and never washed his clothes, so my childish outburst could be forgiven.

Here is your cupcake. Now fuck you, non-bather.

Axis Kast · Post by **Axis Kast** » 2008-06-29 02:34pm

Hold on. In that very article it's stated quite clearly, it has happened before with another kid. What were his repercussions?

The article stated very clearly that the student who passed out invitations this time did not receive an invitation to the other boy's party. Not that the other boy handed said invitations out during school hours.

In the United States (at least in New York State), it is not uncommon for schools to request that parents not send their children to class with invitations for extracurricular events unless all and sundry are to be invited. Even when the rule is violated, it generally requires a phone call to explain the policy. Confiscation of the invitations was not unfounded. One does not have the right to protection from search and seizure on school grounds. Disciplinary action directed against the child seems, on the face of it, highly inappropriate. Appealing to the Swedish parliament is just ridiculous.

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2008-06-29 03:17pm

Axis Kast wrote: One does not have the right to protection from search and seizure on school grounds.

Actually you very do and this was upheld by the Supreme Court; its just that the standard for conducting a search is placed as reasonable suspicion rather then probable cause.

Mange · Post by **Mange** » 2008-06-29 03:17pm

I'm not sure that "sue" is the correct word. However, I can see this from the teacher's perspective as well. I know nothing about the circumstances, but handing out invitations to a birthday party during class and demonstratively leave two classmates out?

Bedlam · Post by **Bedlam** » 2008-06-29 05:24pm

It seems that human rights now aday's means 'what I want'.

Do people honestly think that the right to go to a party is on the same level as freedom from torture?

What rights be you think people should have (Not asking what can be enforced, I dont think that any rights can be universally enforced at the moment)?

General Zod · Post by **General Zod** » 2008-06-29 05:24pm

Bedlam wrote:It seems that human rights now aday's means 'what I want'.

Do people honestly think that the right to go to a party is on the same level as freedom from torture?

What rights be you think people should have (Not asking what can be enforced, I dont think that any rights can be universally enforced at the moment)?

Since when is going to a party a "right" rather than a "privilege"?