Posted on 03/27/2014 4:08:40 AM PDT by servo1969
A Minnesota school district has agreed to pay $70,000 to settle a lawsuit that claimed school officials violated a student's constitutional rights by viewing her Facebook and email accounts without permission.
The lawsuit, filed in 2012 by the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota, alleged that Riley Stratton, now 15, was given detention after posting disparaging comments about a teacher's aide on her Facebook page, even though she was at home and not using school computers.
The ACLU also said administrators viewed her online conversations between the then-Minnewaska Area Middle School sixth-grader and a boy because of a complaint the two were using computers to talk about sex.
“I was in tears,” Riley told the Star-Tribune on Tuesday. “I was embarrassed when they made me give over my password.”
After a parent complained about the Facebook chat, the school called her in and demanded her password. With a sheriff deputy looking on, she complied, and they browsed her Facebook page in front of her, according to the report.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Good for her!
The shame of this whole thing is that the taxpayers pay the penalty, not the individuals performing the infraction.
It’s time to hold each teacher and administrator of our public schools PERSONALLY RESPONSIBLE for any (and all) violations of our personal freedoms...not the taxpayers.
What it comes to is the fact that our public school employees really have nothing to fear other than a “bad mark” on their records while the real penalties are paid by everyone else...the taxpayer.
Absolutely correct. Without personal sanctions, the statists just laughingly write another check from the taxpayers. The same things apply with general lawsuits by the taxpayers against an encroaching government. The money comes from those who are filing and winning the lawsuits, rather than individual violators.
Thankfully MY PUBLIC SCHOOL would NEVER do anything like this, because, well, it’s my public school - not hers, and we have BETTER PEOPLE running it here.
(how conservatives rationalize sending their kids to public schools...regardless of what they read here)
Unfortunately, unionization of teachers for the past 40+ years has helped them avoid personal responsibility for their actions. Have sex with a student; the union will bail them out. Beat a student; the union will bail them out. violate a student's constitutional rights; the union will bail them out.
After such a long time being unionized, teachers no longer even possess the built-in control, once known as a conscience, on their behavior. They're free to do anything without consideration.
“The ACLU also said administrators viewed her online conversations between the then-Minnewaska Area Middle School sixth-grader and a boy because of a complaint the two were using computers to talk about sex.”
Hmm. I would bet good money that the school also encouraged kids to “talk about sex” because it’s “perfectly normal”. Why would they then get upset if the kids take their advice?
They should be in jail including the deputy.
Should have been personal fines and not the district.
While I don’t believe a child has all of the rights of an adult, I don’t believe she should have been forced to give up her password.
And no doubt the school admins are all liberals.
The admins asked her to violate her user agreement with Facebook and they in turn violated FB by asking for it. If the admins have FB accts. then they should be banned from it.
Good for her!
***
Good for her in terms of the right to privacy, but her parents need to be slapped for letting a 6th grader on Facebook.
“The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated.”
Today’s version of “papers and effects” is the computer and digital files.
$70,000...
SHE DIDN’T SUE FOR ENOUGH!
Can you imagine what would have happened if her parents had tried the same stunt? They would have lost custody of her, and the police would be there protecting “her.” Weird world we live in.
What chick manure thin skinned wimps. The principal, sheriff, and whoever else was in the office should now be charged with a civil suit. A “disparaging” remark gets thisnattention? No, they just want that girl to know she lives in a police state and the state must not be mocked. Have fear.
That sex ruse was a fabrication to get the student for “bossifying” the student aide.
These adminsitrators think they are Teflon Don’s.
You’ll never get a good judgement against the government.
tHis is just another little sleepy little school district that got a rude awakening.
maybe some will now recognize the Spanish Inquisition
Age II that we live in..
Way to slam fellow FReepers there.
She only gets $35,000.
The ACLU gets the other half.
Last sentence in the article.
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