Photo Bomb-pathway
Photo Bomb
Case Overview
A pair of seventh graders in Madrid take a topless photo of a female classmate using WhatsApp and forward it to the rest of the class. While the girl in the photo hopes never to hear about the situation again, members of the teaching and administrative staff wonder whether the incident should serve as a learning opportunity for the whole student body.
When the entire school community is affected by behavior that happens at home, how should teachers and school leaders respond? What responsibilities and limits does the school have to discipline students for out-of-school behavior?
You can find and download the full case study below.
Key Questions You Will Explore
- How can leaders help other stakeholders understand the ways that they use values to make decisions?
- How can educational leaders support educators and students in making their own values-oriented decisions?
Hear from the Experts
Why is this issue a real dilemma? Watch short video commentaries to explore the complexities, challenges, and values at stake in this case.
As you watch each video, consider the following questions:
- What resonates with you in this video?
- What questions does this video raise for you?
- How does the video commentaries impact your understanding of the dilemmas in the case?
On Balancing Different Needs
Rydell Harrison, Program Coordinator at Partners for Educational Leadership, answers the question: How can leaders balance the competing needs of different individuals or groups?
On Solutions and Compromise
Paul Freeman, Superintendent of Guilford Public Schools, answers the question: How can leaders navigate ethical dilemmas in their schools and districts?
Additional Resources
- Attorney Margaret Paget explains relevant laws around cyberbullying in the United States in the article “Cyber-Bullying and the Law: What Should School Leaders Know?” (redirect).
- The Pew Research Center’s article “Teens and Cyberbullying 2022 (redirect)” contains statistics on the degree, severity, and type of cyberbullying in the United States.
- The U.S. National Science Foundation explores the misalignment between the problem of bullying and potential solutions: “Foiling the Plan of a Cyberbully: Researchers suggest listening to students to craft prevention policies” (redirect).
- Bullying at school is a serious problem: a report from the World Health Organization estimates that 200,000 young people between the ages of 14 and 28 commit suicide each year because they have been bullied. Here are stories of young people who lost their lives because of bullying (redirect).
- Here are some ways to address cyberbullying: “Addressing Cyberbullying" (redirect).
- Want to learn more ways to teach digital citizenship in the classroom? This guide to “Teaching Digital Citizenship Skills” (redirect) can help teachers promote better online practices with students.
- A Literature Review Examining the Ineffectiveness of Punitive Discipline and Corporal Punishment (redirect) addresses the flaws of punitive discipline practices and advocates for an individual approach, rather than a universal policy.
- This survey of how U.S. public schools approach school discipline (redirect) presents data on the types of discipline practices used and the continual challenges and changes required to improve discipline practices in schools.
Case Reflection Questions
- What was most surprising, intriguing, or challenging about this case?
- What experiences do you have implementing or developing discipline policies?
- Have you had experiences where incidents outside of school impacted students’ learning inside school?
Are You Hoping to Lead People Through This Learning Pathway?
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- guidance on customizing your pathway
- best practices for normative case discussions
- detailed protocols for each case
- discussion questions for different audiences
- extension activities for personalized learning
Want facilitation materials and guidance just for this one case? Download the Case Facilitation Guide!
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What's Next? Exploring the Other Cases in this Pathway
This pathway contains five cases and supporting materials that explore dilemmas related to educational leadership in K-12 settings. Click on each case below to learn more and to access the resources.
An instructional coach in a charter network with five schools faces challenges as she attempts to roll out a new culturally-responsive curriculum. While the curriculum was developed and implemented successfully at the network's Downtown campus, it has drawn concerns from both parents and teachers at the Coastal location. Should the instructional coach heed these concerns and modify or delay the rollout of a curriculum she deeply believes in?
How can instructional leaders balance their own values with the values and concerns of the communities they serve?
In 2021-2022, Arlington, VA, faced criticism from teachers and parents when the district announced a plan to make homework more equitable by eliminating deadlines and other requirements.
How can schools address inequalities in the resources available to students when it comes to homework completion? What can schools do to level the playing field between students who have ample family, social, and financial resources to support their educational success and students who have access to fewer such resources?
Want to Learn More?
Full Normative Case Study Library
Check out more normative case studies related to dilemmas in education.
Ethical Leadership in Polarized Times: A Brief-Cases Suite
Explore this collection of normative “brief-cases.” Each one-page case is designed to help educational leaders discuss ethical challenges wrought by social and political polarization.
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EdEthics | Values-Driven Leadership Video Playlist
Watch all the videos in our series of expert commentaries on values-driven leadership from school and district leaders, researchers, and leadership coaches.
