Minnesota teen wins settlement after school takes Facebook password

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.

I guess the truth hurt a little too much so the school administrators tried to take it out on a little girl. Seriously? If the school tried to get my daughter's password to anything they would need a court order. I am so glad the ACLU took on this case.

If teens aren't allowed to bitch about their teachers and school then the world has gone completely mad. Talking bad about your teachers, homework and even parents is all part of being a kid.

Source

reply to post by Metallicus


true - but I don't understand. Why did they take her passwords? What were they trying to achieve there??

DingDing
reply to post by Metallicus

 

true - but I don't understand. Why did they take her passwords? What were they trying to achieve there??

Apparently she said she didn't like her teacher(s) on Facebook and the administration decided to do a full investigation of what else this girl might have said by going through her emails and texts as well. Talk about overreach by a school administrator. Ugh.

It's a shame it's the taxpayers who will be paying the settlement.

These government employee goons will never learn until the money comes straight out of their own pockets.

Stop making the taxpayers suffer for the stupidity and crimes of police, teachers, administrators, etc...

With a sheriff deputy looking on, she complied, and they browsed her Facebook page in front of her, according to the report.

Sometimes I think these "authorities" just make # up as they go along. Moron administrator figures if he can find a moron cop to say "duh" then everything the moron administrator does is okay.

Makes these idiots pay up!

DingDing
reply to post by Metallicus

 

true - but I don't understand. Why did they take her passwords? What were they trying to achieve there??

They wanted to know what she was saying about them.

They need to learn an old lesson....
Eavesdroppers seldom hear anything flattering.

thisguyrighthere
It's a shame it's the taxpayers who will be paying the settlement.

These government employee goons will never learn until the money comes straight out of their own pockets.

Stop making the taxpayers suffer for the stupidity and crimes of police, teachers, administrators, etc...

With a sheriff deputy looking on, she complied, and they browsed her Facebook page in front of her, according to the report.

Sometimes I think these "authorities" just make # up as they go along. Moron administrator figures if he can find a moron cop to say "duh" then everything the moron administrator does is okay.

Makes these idiots pay up!

edit on 27-3-2014 by thisguyrighthere because: (no reason given)

That's entirely up to your school board, city/county government, etc. They could sue the individual(s) for their negligence. And those people could file a countersuit claiming improper training or whatever...either way the only people that win are the lawyers who will get tons of billable hours and other fees, maybe even half of the cut on top of everything else.

Lawyers writing laws to be used by lawyers to make money...

Can anyone imagine the response from any school administrator if they were asked to give up their email accounts to be rifled through by a school board member?

I'm sorry but these stories put me into a little rage. Ever seen a raging bunny? It's not pretty. Bits of carrot flying in all directions as one rants and raves around the 'ol humble abode.

“I was in tears,” Riley told the Star-Tribune on Tuesday. “I was embarrassed when they made me give over my password.”

Excuse me? Made her? *MADE HER?!* This is why we have another story on ATS today about the 2nd amendment being willfully and deliberately misquoted and lied about to school children. They CANNOT afford children to be taught our REAL values and how that translates to THEIR REAL RIGHTS. They have some. They have MANY, in fact, and I don't give two hoots if it's in a court room, a school room or before God himself at the Pearly Gates. There are only THREE things we MUST do in life.

#1. Live

#2. Pay Taxes

#3. Die

Well most of us have done 2 out of 3 with only one left to go under the "MUST do" list in life.

Instead of paying people settlements to form a big payday? Why not have an outcome on a case like this where EVERY SINGLE ADULT working at that school MUST, by order of the court, attend AND PASS a no B.S. civics course. They need reminded...every American can say no and *NO* American...OF ANY AGE...can EVER BE forced to give evidence against themselves.

It's a shame this girl didn't know, cops or not, she had every right and EVERY obligation (given her definite LACK of free will) to politely tell them "No, I will not comply at this time, and will not assist until such time as a properly issued warrant exists to compel my cooperation, with my attorney present."

It'll piss them off...but so WHAT!? What have they already done, to ever get to that point? If we do not use our rights, we surely will lose every last one of them....one by one....one child at a time.

Bravo Ms. Stratton and the ACLU! Bravo! Finally, a win for the civil liberties...haven't been too many of those lately. When will the noodniks in charge of institutions and government stop urinating all over the Bill of Rights, i.e. the core values of the American people? To erode or devalue civil liberties, for any reason, is inherently un-American!


(Pardon the histrionics)

thisguyrighthere
It's a shame it's the taxpayers who will be paying the settlement.

And that is the crux of this issue. When I get into the discussions about rogue police, the general attitude seems to be that lawsuits will fix the behavior by financial penalties to the department.

The problem is, not only does it not necessarily remove the offending officer, the cost is footed by you and me. Furthermore, there may be raised taxes associated with the settlement which effectively rewards the department with a budget increase which never goes back down once the settlement is complete.

DingDing
reply to post by Metallicus

 

true - but I don't understand. Why did they take her passwords? What were they trying to achieve there??

They were trying to intimidate every child in the school by making an example of this girl.

Really, no different than hanging her by her toenails in the schoolyard and flogging her (ok, that was hyperbolic but, you know what I mean).

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


I had a job interview last year and the hiring manager said I would be required to add the company to my Facebook page if I was hired so they could insure I was not running down the company. I immediately got up and walked out of the interview.

Really glad I'm not on bookface, twatter, or any other stupid waste of precious time, especially since that guy got prosecuted using 'evidence' from his facebook page.

reply to post by Metallicus


You've got to wonder what's going on in the life of an adult who makes it their quest to punish a child for criticizing their teacher. Then again, you gotta wonder what's NOT going on in that adult's life too.

What a heel. Good for the family who stood up for their child. Many families would've kept on bending over.

Just say no.
You are not required to give over your passwords or any information at all.
They cannot make you aside from torture..

Think there needs to be a "Ye old rights and constitution" class.

Sure, have my cellphone.. no, im not giving you my swipe code, or my pin code.

The School District should be able to pay this amount quite easily.
All they need to do is divert the salaries of the teachers who will no doubt be fired over this and that of the senior officials that allowed the actions in the first place.

Amerika, Land of the Free, Home of Big Brother.

I should start making a facebook account for this purpose. MAKING MONEY of government and private companies

Christian Voice
reply to post by Wrabbit2000

 

I had a job interview last year and the hiring manager said I would be required to add the company to my Facebook page if I was hired so they could insure I was not running down the company. I immediately got up and walked out of the interview.

You know, I haven't run into that in my own life yet but I am sure I will. I've put a bit of thought into how I'm going to handle it, depending on entirely how important the job is for me to get. I'll not take a knee, figurative or otherwise, to ANY man for my very life...let alone a job. Somethings are worth it on principle alone...

However..I came up with an idea I'll try out if I get to where I am faced with this. IRB is one of several 'tier 1' databases for personal information and with a P.I. license (and a bit more), you too can enter a name and have a few pages of details from schools to work to civil history. The employers use it, or something just like it. They'll know what it is, if not by name.

So..... I figure when put on the spot like this, and I'm willing to risk losing what they've almost killed my interest in by asking that anyway? I believe I'll ask if they don't mind that I run their name to determine their personal criminal, civil, family, education and basic political background ...so I can be sure they are dealing with ME in good faith, as much as they seem paranoid to find my intentions with them.

on them!

Christian Voice
reply to post by Wrabbit2000

 

I had a job interview last year and the hiring manager said I would be required to add the company to my Facebook page if I was hired so they could insure I was not running down the company. I immediately got up and walked out of the interview.

Have a made up account handy, give them it, if you dont get the job, take them to court, and win money
Same if they fire you shortly after, same process

Lots of money to be made here. In fact this could be your new job

reply to post by kathat


Why lower yourself to their scumbag level? If you make a fake, you've thrown you're own integrity through a shredder for the convenience of the moment. Just as they have, it's choosing what feels right over what IS right.

Just my two cents...but if we don't stand UP...we will be stood ON...and the fact one of those two things will happen is just a fact of nature, IMO.