Today in the news, it's terrible people doing terrible things. Some of them are even getting caught. more ›

Did the Jonas Brothers suddenly break up and nobody told us? Teenage girls in Western Washington are going violently apeshit this week and we can’t put a finger on why. Either somebody is putting testosterone in the water supply, or the hormone count in our processed foods has suddenly reached a tipping point--either way teenage girls in the area aren’t taking shit in stride. more ›

Life is not fair for teenagers--this month in particular, as they fear the demise of their favorite mall hangouts, face potential child porn charges for "sexting", and now (omg!) accept the hard reality of finding a summer job. A recent study noted a dip in teen employment and claims that fewer than one million 16- to 19-year-olds will be able to find the perfect summer job. Teenagers are so going to give us the silent treatment if we continue to ruin their social life.
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A teenager was shot by a gun his stepbrother both obtained and stored at Highline High School. So can the Highline school district be held partially responsible for his death? How about the stepbrother's family? The victim's mom, Michele Lucero, thinks so: long-distance from New Mexico, she's suing the district, her kid's father, and his wife for failing to divine the future. Er, technically she's calling it "failing to secure the gun" that issued the bullet that killed her son. This is a fascinating twist in what has been a complex, emotional case since Michael Miller was shot by his stepbrother nearly three years ago. What will it mean for the district, we wonder, if Lucero wins her lawsuit? Will it change anything? more ›

After a father called in to complain about the "pretty trashy" book his 14-year-old son was required to read for English class, Crook County High School in Oregon was told to remove it from the curriculum until further notice. What was the offensive filth that had the potential to corrupt young, tender, innocent hearts and minds? (No, not a Danielle Steele novel.) It was Seattle-based author Sherman Alexie's award-winning, widely acclaimed young adult novel, "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian." This part is completely laughable, though: the concerned father objected most strongly to the book's few casual references to masturbation. If the son still has no idea what masturbation is as a 14-year-old attending a public high school, the father has much bigger fish to fry. May we suggest the Moss family begins to put money away towards a therapy fund immediately? more ›

A 15-year-old student at Franklin High School reported that a fellow student tried to rape her in a school bathroom this week; school officials promptly notified the SPD and expelled the two students who were identified as her attackers, and police are investigating the case. Any rape story chills us down to our bones, especially those involving such young men and women, but in this situation, one detail stood out as well: a bystander said she saw the bathroom door being held closed and heard the word "Stop" from inside, but "didn't think anything of it at the time." Since when is that somehow not noteworthy behavior on school grounds? Ugh. We're grateful to the police and to Franklin officials for taking the appropriate actions on this case. more ›

LET'S TALK ABOUT CHILDREN WHO BREED: Spring Awakening is a musical about teens (really young teens) who have sex. Sex is always a controversial topic, and according to a press release, Roosevelt High School is hosting a community conversation about the musical and its themes for interested locals. A diverse group of people are participating in the discussion, including members of the theatre community and students and teachers from Seattle schools. Two cast members from Spring Awakening will also be on hand to lend their perspective. more ›