Rogers Student Suspended Over Tweet Sues School
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A Rogers High School student who was suspended over a sexually charged tweet about a teacher is now suing the principal, the school district, the superintendent, the Rogers police chief and others.
According to the lawsuit filed on Tuesday, 18-year-old Reid Sagehorn is seeking monetary damages and changes to the policies and procedures of Rogers High School, "so that the same does not happen to his siblings or any other student."
Sagehorn claims he suffered injury and damages as a result of being suspended, expelled and forced to withdraw from the last four months of his senior year at Rogers High -- "one of the most exciting and carefree times in a young person's life," according to the suit. The lawsuit claims these actions were unconstitutional.
It also seeks monetary damages against Rogers Police Chief Jeffrey Beahen for defamation.
Sagehorn was suspended after responding via Twitter on a sexually-explicit website created by Rogers' students called "Rogers Confessions." An anonymous posting asked if Sagehorn had been intimately involved with a 28-year-old Rogers High School teacher.
Sagehorn "sarcastically" posted, "Actually, yeah," according to the lawsuit.
Police said the anonymous postings detailed sex acts between the two. As a result, the teacher was the subject of a criminal investigation.
At the time, Rogers Police Chief Jeff Beahen said they cleared the teacher of any wrongdoing and determined there was no relationship between her and Sagehorn.
Criminal charges were not filed in the incident.
Independent School District 728 released a statement in response to the suit, saying: "The data related to this matter is private educational data and although the Sagehorn's (sic) are free to release any data they wish, the District cannot disclose or discuss private educational data per the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act."
