The family situation is irrelevant. If the school activated the laptop to find it they should have then shut if off and retrieved it or informed the family. The kid was called into the principal’s office because he was doing something ‘inappropriate’ at home - not because he stole the laptop or because the laptop didn’t have the security deposit. This is a red-herring defense.
AND - this news comes from a newspaper and we all know how accurate they are.
“The kid was called into the principal’s office because he was doing something ‘inappropriate’ at home...”
According to the student, or according to the principal? We all know that children always tell the truth about the reason that they are called to the Office!