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* Posts by philatonian

3 publicly visible posts • joined 19 Feb 2010

US school comes out fighting over webcam spy claim

philatonian
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Schools policing students

You're not missing anything at all. It is not the right or obligation of the school to police students off school property. School administrators aren't cops, and obviously don't know enough about policing to understand privacy rights and civil liberties. A student can be suspended, expelled, etc. for being charged with illegal activity, but only when charged through the proper legal channels - i.e. charged, tried, and convicted.

Public schools in the US have been increasingly pushing this line and it's getting scary. What is considered "inappropriate" by a public school is technically held to the same standard as law, being only what is illegal. More and more cases of children being expelled for personal behaviors that fall within the bounds of legality are cropping up. Recently a teenage girl was charged as a sex offender after her school found out she sent a picture of herself in a bra to a male colleague who was also a minor.

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philatonian

Not a Stolen Laptop

It wasn't a stolen laptop. Also, the Lower Merion school district provides Macbooks to all students regardless of financial criteria. In the U.S. public schools are funded primarily by local county taxes, not state or federal, and Lower Merion is a very wealthy township.

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/homepage/20100219_Student_claims_school_spied_on_him_via_computer_webcam.html

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philatonian

Creepy

Just FYI, it's Lynne Matsko, not Lindy Matsko, and Lower Merion is a suburb of Philadelphia, not in Philadelphia.

It's so sad that another Philly area native has set the bar even lower than it already was. What's even sadder is that it's made news internationally. Lynne Matsko should be jailed, if anything for stupidity. I'm still amazed this is only a civil matter and that the police aren't involved and no one has been arrested. This is creepy and borderline predatory. The school and all school employees involved should be charged with conspiracy, invasion of privacy, and child endangerment. Objectively, how is this any different than the creepy perv next door hiding a video camera in the neighbor's bedroom? Throw the book at them and set an example. Technology is getting creepy enough as it is without us having to worry about our teachers and principles watching our kids in the bedroom.

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