diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/django_comment_client/permissions.py b/lms/djangoapps/django_comment_client/permissions.py
index 352d4cc187..bc51b14eb5 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/django_comment_client/permissions.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/django_comment_client/permissions.py
@@ -76,12 +76,12 @@ def check_conditions_permissions(user, permissions, course_id, **kwargs):
 VIEW_PERMISSIONS = {
     'update_thread'     :       ['edit_content', ['update_thread', 'is_open', 'is_author']],
     'create_comment'    :       [["create_comment", "is_open"]],
-    'delete_thread'     :       ['delete_thread'],
+    'delete_thread'     :       ['delete_thread', ['update_thread', 'is_author']],
     'update_comment'    :       ['edit_content', ['update_comment', 'is_open', 'is_author']],
     'endorse_comment'   :       ['endorse_comment'],
     'openclose_thread'  :       ['openclose_thread'],
     'create_sub_comment':       [['create_sub_comment', 'is_open']],
-    'delete_comment'    :       ['delete_comment'],
+    'delete_comment'    :       ['delete_comment', ['update_comment', 'is_open', 'is_author']],
     'vote_for_comment'  :       [['vote', 'is_open']],
     'undo_vote_for_comment':    [['unvote', 'is_open']],
     'vote_for_thread'   :       [['vote', 'is_open']],
diff --git a/lms/static/coffee/src/discussion/views/response_comment_view.coffee b/lms/static/coffee/src/discussion/views/response_comment_view.coffee
index 3de715692b..f0bb9757d8 100644
--- a/lms/static/coffee/src/discussion/views/response_comment_view.coffee
+++ b/lms/static/coffee/src/discussion/views/response_comment_view.coffee
@@ -2,35 +2,30 @@ if Backbone?
   class @ResponseCommentView extends DiscussionContentView
     tagName: "li"
 
-    initLocal: ->
-      # TODO .response-local is the parent of the comments so @$local is null, not sure what was intended here...
-      @$local = @$el.find(".response-local")
-      @$delegateElement = @$local
+    $: (selector) ->
+      @$el.find(selector)
+
+    initialize: ->
+      super()
+      @createShowView()
 
     render: ->
-      @template = _.template($("#response-comment-template").html())
-      params = @model.toJSON()
-      params['deep'] = @model.hasOwnProperty('parent')
-      if @model.hasOwnProperty('parent')
-        params['parent_id'] = @model.parent.id
-        params['parent_username'] = @model.parent.get('username')
-      @$el.html(@template(params))
-      @initLocal()
-      @delegateEvents()
-      @renderAttrs()
-      @markAsStaff()
-      @$el.find(".timeago").timeago()
-      @convertMath()
+      @renderShowView()
       @
 
-    convertMath: ->
-      body = @$el.find(".response-body")
-      body.html DiscussionUtil.postMathJaxProcessor DiscussionUtil.markdownWithHighlight body.html()
-      # This removes paragraphs so that comments are more compact
-      body.children("p").each (index, elem) ->
-        $(elem).replaceWith($(elem).html())
-      MathJax.Hub.Queue ["Typeset", MathJax.Hub, body[0]]
+    createShowView: () ->
 
-    markAsStaff: ->
-      if DiscussionUtil.isStaff(@model.get("user_id"))
-        @$el.find("a.profile-link").after('<span class="staff-label">staff</span>')
+      if @editView?
+        @editView.undelegateEvents()
+        @editView.$el.empty()
+        @editView = null
+
+      @showView = new ResponseCommentShowView(model: @model)
+
+    renderSubView: (view) ->
+      view.setElement(@$el)
+      view.render()
+      view.delegateEvents()
+
+    renderShowView: () ->
+      @renderSubView(@showView)
diff --git a/lms/templates/discussion/_underscore_templates.html b/lms/templates/discussion/_underscore_templates.html
index d6011e75c0..5fc84c6676 100644
--- a/lms/templates/discussion/_underscore_templates.html
+++ b/lms/templates/discussion/_underscore_templates.html
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@
     </ol>
 </script>
 
-<script type="text/template" id="response-comment-template">
+<script type="text/template" id="response-comment-show-template">
   <p id="comment_${'<%- id %>'}">
     ${'<% if (deep) {%>'}
     <a href="#comment_${'<%- parent_id %>'}">@${'<%- parent_username %>'}</a>: