This social networking this is way outta control. First a MARTA bus driver gets suspended after a passenger twitpics him using his cell and now a teacher has been forced to resign over Facebook photos! Ashley Payne, a former Georgia high school teacher is smack dab in the middle of the most recent social networking controversy. Payne was forced to resign, after school administrators questioned the material posted on her Facebook page. Payne says she had pictures of her trip to Europe on the site and wrote about a game she plays with friends. She says none of the material was inappropriate, but a parent complained about a picture of her holding a drink in her hand.

I had no idea how a parent could have seen something like that on my page cause I had everything set to private. I wasn’t friends with any students. I didn’t give any access to students or parents.

The photo below is one of the pics that got Payne fired. She was holding a glass of Guinness Beer after visiting a brewery in Dublin:

I visited the Guinness Brewery, I went to Italy and had wine. I went to the Temple Bar District of Dublin and drank some alcohol there like any normal adult would. They’re not even of me drinking the drinks and I don’t look like I’m intoxicated in any way or doing anything provocative or inappropriate,” Payne said.

Payne is now suing claiming that the Barrow County school district violated state labor law because she was never told she was entitled to a hearing. Her attorney, Richard Storrs, says the 24-year-old former Apalachee High School teacher was “not made aware of her rights” and should be granted the hearing. Barrow County school Superintendent Ron Saunders declined comment on the lawsuit because it is a personnel issue.

Payne resigned Aug. 27 after her principal questioned her about her Facebook page, which included photos of her holding wine and beer and an expletive. She had worked at the school for two years.

News video below:

(source 1 and 2)

All I have to say is be more careful about who you approve AND make sure your photo priviledges are set to “friends only” and not friends of friends or network.  There’s really no such thing as privacy on the web so you’re screwed either way. I honestly think they were just searching for a reason to get rid of her and the picture was an easy excuse.  Such is life…