Posted on 06/08/2010 6:28:04 AM PDT by Kid Shelleen
Legal fees in the Lower Merion School District's webcam case are inching toward $1 million, a sum that could end up handed to local taxpayers.
A district spokesman on Monday disclosed that the bills to defend the use of the now-disabled laptop tracking system have grown to about $780,000.
At the same time, the lawyer whose lawsuit over the webcam monitoring drew worldwide attention disclosed in court papers that his fees - costs he is likely to ask Lower Merion to pay - were more than $148,000 and climbing.
And the district's insurance firm renewed its contention that it shouldn't have to foot the bill in the case
(Excerpt) Read more at philly.com ...
It’s a tidy system.
If any of them viewed kids in a state of undress I want them charged with child porn and sent to jail and then have to register as sex offenders
The lawyers and the school administrators deserve each other.
Perhaps this will provide a disincentive for taxpayers to provide laptops to students as well.
If this had been a private school, would there be these lawsuits? I doubt it. Why?...Because private schools have a limited amount of money. The limit would be the assets of the school and the assets of the school owners and employees.
With government, though, these parents and attorneys know that the taxpayer pocket is nearly infinitely deep.
This is just one more reason to have complete separation of **SCHOOL** and state!
Solution: Get government out of the education business!
Agree.
I like to know what the School Board was thinking when they authorized the expenditure. Also, what were the discussion before passing this. Were any parents at the meeting for ‘open discussion’? This School Board with this one decision would make me wonder about the entire board if it was mine.
Actually, for me, flies in the face of logic to get the children these sophisticated a laptop to assist with school work. The School District must have more money than brains on the Board.
I want them charged with child porn and sent to jail and then have to register as sex offenders
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Where’s the money for the attorneys, parents, and kids, if that happens?
Well who else? Couldn't have government employees actually held personally accountable for their actions
just proves the average school administrator/school board member is just too stupid to understand how technology works and to ask the right questions.
I would hope the entire board is facing many many questions from the parents and voters now. Also that the NEXT School Board election will no doubt see a change in the Board itself.
This decision flies in the face of common sense for me.
The first I heard about it was a month or so ago on the Neal Boortz radio show. I was flabbergasted then and frankly still am.
I’m guessing the School District will be paying many, much like a class action suit, parents. Hopefully their children’ s college funds will get some of these tax dollars from the District. Great payback.
Personally the School District should lose and also pay all court costs and damages. The School District will suffer a major loss of funds in their bank account and possibly end up using current tax revenue to pay these cases rather than funding the students needs in the coming school year.
Maybe appropriate reduction in Superintendent’s and even Principal’s and other administrative personnel’s pay would be in order. Any pay to the School District Board should be canceled in full as well as any expense accounts.
The insurance company should not have to pay for the criminal conduct of its insurees. I'm sure that's pretty basic law.
So rather than fire and/or prosecute the superintendent and other administrators responsible for this fiasco and move on put the taxpayers on the hook for $1 million and growing.
You are correct, the legal action would be much more limited, for the economic reasons.
I also believe the situation may not have even occurred in the first place. A private school would most probably require the parents to supply the laptops or charge the cost to tuition, resulting in the devices being property of the parents/students and the insurance/location/tracking would never have been a school issue. The school would never have snooped in the first place.
Make the administrators who started this fiasco responsible for the monitary damages. Garnish their wages until it is paid in full!
The problem is laws were broken and a bad policy was implemented, not that someone was seriously damaged.
A private school would most probably require the parents to supply the laptops or charge the cost to tuition, resulting in the devices being property of the parents/students and the insurance/location/tracking would never have been a school issue.
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Good point!
Just one more reason to have complete separation of **school** and state!
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