Taylor Cummings was a popular basketball star on the verge of graduating from one of Nashville's most prestigious high schools until a post on Facebook got him expelled.

After weeks of butting heads with his coaches, Taylor, 17, logged on to the popular social networking site from home Jan. 3. He typed his frustrations for the online world to see: "I'ma kill em all. I'ma bust this (expletive) up from the inside like nobody's ever done before."

Taylor said the threat wasn't real. School officials said they can't take any chances.

But the case highlights the boundaries between socializing in person at school and online at home. It also calls into question the latitude school officials have in disciplining students for their conduct online.