Worthington students' bullying Twitter feed shut down

School officials in Worthington say several students could face possible discipline after spreading rumors online.

A group of Worthington High School students, along with some graduates, set up an account on Twitter to spread rumors and gossip, some of it sexual in nature, about their fellow students and graduates.

School officials were alerted to the account's existence on Monday afternoon soon after it was created. Police officials had it closed from public viewing by midnight the same day.

Superintendent John Landgaard considers it a case of bullying.

"I believe the kids started it as kind of a fun type thing, of which then turned into something inappropriate," Landgaard said.

Landgaard said some of the students could face discipline when they return to school next month, or even civil or criminal charges. He also said the district will use the incident as a way to teach students about the appropriate use of social media sites.

"It's one of those things that we need to teach our kids how to interact appropriately on the Internet," he said.

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