Posted on 02/21/2010 7:10:37 AM PST by JoeProBono
Lower Merion School District officials brag that they give every one of their 1,800 high-schoolers laptop computers to "ensure that all students have 24/7 access to school-based resources."
Instead, they ensured they got a 24/7 sneak peek into students’ private lives by secretly monitoring webcams embedded in the laptops to spy on teens and their families at home, according to a federal, class-action lawsuit filed this week in Philadelphia.
The suit alleges the remotely controlled covert cameras violate everything from the Fourth Amendment to wiretapping, electronic communications and computer fraud laws.....
(Excerpt) Read more at philly.com ...
Big Brother has arrived!
“The family first learned of the embedded webcams on Nov. 11, when Harriton High’s Assistant Principal Lindy Matsko reprimanded Blake Robbins for “improper behavior in his home,” according to the lawsuit. Matsko cited as evidence a photograph from the webcam on the boy’s school-issued laptop.”
In America??
Does someone need to loose a job? Nope... maybe an old fashion thrashing and then loose a job would be appropriate.
The stupidest... dumbest... most ignorant stooge in America has enough sense to bloody well know this was WRONG. Anyone who does not understand that needs to live in another country of their choosing or better yet... my choosing.
The newest, hottest school supply for students:
1/2” wide opaque tape.
These kids will own this school.
Harriton High's Gestapo Chief Lindy Matsko. I think that its very important that we use the proper title when discussing our government at work.
In all seriousness, the school district administrators must have believed the 47 students they spied on were either doing or dealing drugs, and so they were surreptitiously gathering evidence, but in doing so broke the law. Howard vs. Colonial School District gave them no such authority, but they abuse that legal ruling to justify anything.
Keep in mind that this was PHILLY. They were probably looking for guns to confiscate. What percent of those spied on were minority? I assume one can inactivate the web cams by turning the PC off? Or maybe they broadcast all the time! Hehe...like our cell phones do!
This is one of those cases where you hope the victims rake in LOADS of cash. Truly an unbelievable story.
In all seriousness, the school district administrators must have believed the 47 students they spied on were either doing or dealing drugs, and so they were surreptitiously gathering evidence, but in doing so broke the law. Howard vs. Colonial School District gave them no such authority, but they abuse that legal ruling to justify anything.
I think this is a very affluent area outside of the city. Beats me why the school was supplying computers to kids with well-off parents.
Just go to the Device Manager in Windows and disable the bloody webcam. Easy and neeater than tape.
I saw Blake Robbins interviewed on Fox News yesterday morning. I was very impressed. He was well spoken, clear, concise and his grammar was impecable. Not once did he use the words, "Umm, like...".
I swear he could be the president of the Lower Merion Young Republicans Club....if there is one.
Not the kind of student you'd think of as a gun toting, drug using high schooler. Not at all. I cannot attest to anything concerning any of the other students.
AFAIC, everyone involved in this perverted peeping 1)should do jail time and 2) never be allowed within 500 feet of a school again.
Thanks for posting. BTTT!
The entire School District are Pedophiles Amen !
trafficking in child pornography.
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/computersecurity/2005-08-28-kutztown-deal_x.htm
Similar case: Students charged with felonies for changing setting on their school issued laptops.
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