Principal Sues Students Who Posted Fake Profiles of Him on MySpace

Principal Sues Students Who Posted Fake Profiles of Him on MySpace

Source

The problems started in December 2005, when several students from Pennsylvania's Hickory High School posted fake MySpace profiles about their principal, Eric Trosch. All of the posts were mean-spirited; they accused Trosch of using steroids, marijuana, and alcohol; suggested that he had sex with students; and said that his interests included "Transgender, Appreciators of Alcoholic Beverages." In the year and a half since the four separate profiles were posted, the community has experienced the upheaval of multiple lawsuits, the most recent coming this week as Trosch sued the students involved.

(visit the link for the full news article)


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Parents Statement

Alledged First Fake Profile

[edit on 4/11/2007 by shots]

One student is using free speech as an excuse. :shk:

What I would really like to know what is wrong with the younger generations, they seem to think they can get away with anything they want and claim it is free speech?

Source
(visit the link for the full news article)


[edit on 4/11/2007 by shots]

Are light punishments actually doing any good? With school shootings, foiled shootings, fights being videoed and placed on the internet and fake websites, are school kids learning what is ok and what is not.

Guess there are more good kids than bad but there needs to be some solution. It reminds me of news clips where mom is stating that her boy is really a such a good child even though he just killed someone else's son or daughter.

Aren't punishments meant to be a deterent to prevent others from acting in the same way?

Originally posted by roadgravel
Are light punishments actually doing any good? With school shootings, foiled shootings, fights being videoed and placed on the internet and fake websites, are school kids learning what is ok and what is not.

What punishment would that be? The worst I seem to see is a few days suspension if that. It used to be far worse 45 years ago and they really should return to that style of teaching. Kids would listen to a ruler on their backside but a few words, nah never happen.

Shots, I tend to agree with you. A person stating that "they are sorry" is a start but what does it really do to influence this type of future actions in other school kids. It use to be that there was a pain of some sort tied to negative actions, therefore a person thought about it and just maybe did not repeat negative behavior.

The parents seem to think suspension is too tough a punishment. Maybe dishing out some money and embaressment will change their mind about their child's action. Seems like a very light sentence to me.

As for the end solution to this all, I don't really know what needs to change.

Originally posted by roadgravel
As for the end solution to this all, I don't really know what needs to change.

As far as I am concerned I would say give teacher back rulers and the right to use them. It worked on our parents and grandparents so it would work on today's children as well. Granted many would not like it because most of their parent probably do not use strict discipline but thousands of years experience has proven it does work.

I suspect that part of what is feeding situations like this is that students know that no serious punishments can be dealt out. No serious consequences so actions like this one must not be very wrong.

When teachers have to be fearful in the classroom at times, something is wrong.

In my high school days, coach dished out pops for not following the rules. Most students followed the rules and I don't believe parent one complained. I don't remember the rules being unfair or difficult to understand.

While I may disagree with what they are doing, they are well within
there legal rights to do so, as is protected by the first amendment.

I do not believe that the principal should be allowed to sue them,
however MySpace should remove it and ban them, as I would suspect
that slander and defemation of character and outright lies about an
indiviudal are not allowed under there terms and conditions of use.

Actually Iori, libel and slander are not fully protected by the first amendment. The students appear to have acted with malice, one of the requirements for libel to be applied in the court of law. Not to mention most of the information on that particular myspace would probably be made up anyway. Certainly looks like slander/libel.

Unless someone can enlighten me further, I think these kids can be held legally responsible for their actions.

I will agree... freedom of speech this is not... it's definately slander or defamation (I think that's the word)..

Looking at the profile in that link.. they really did a crappy job though... nearly every answer is "big." They don't look to be particularly bright boys, and the removal to 'alternative curriculum' probably won't affect them much..

And what's with the parents suing the school district? I mean... I'm glad I don't live in the US (no offence to the general public) - it seems that suing is the flavor of the day, and I don't want some parents suing me for sneezing in class, taking away 20 seconds of their valuable class time.

I think the teacher is wrong for suing too. That's an overreaction. Normal punishment should suffice - though I do agree with what some say here about the 'older methods'. I am a teacher, and I know how hard it can be to control them sometimes.

In my opinion, these kids should have the internet removed from their use by their parents until they prove they are mature enough to handle it.

It's a shame the damage is already done, but these kids have to learn about the consquences of their actions if they ever hope to become productive and contributing members of society.

It's a shame their parents just "handed them the internet" at such an age in the first place.

Heck - I had to wait until I was 32!

*walks uphill both ways to school as an afterthought*

Originally posted by iori_komei
While I may disagree with what they are doing, they are well within
there legal rights to do so, as is protected by the first amendment.

Oh no it is not protected under the first ammendment.
Now if these kids new about tort laws they would not be sitting in the position they are now.

Classic Defintion of libel

"a publication without justification or lawful excuse which is calculated to injure the reputation of another by exposing him to hatred, contempt or ridicule."
(Parke, B. in Parmiter v. Coupland (1840) GM&W 105 at 108)

Answers.com version stated in slightly more laymans terms

libel
Defamatory statement about a person that is published and thereby exposes that person to public ridicule. Libelous statements are not the same as slanderous statements. Libelous statements are printed, malicious (i.e., printed without just cause), and may be true; however, slanderous statements are spoken, not printed, and are not true.

[edit on 4/12/2007 by shots]

Well in a nation in which free speech is only in the eye of the beholder and political correctness has gone out of control , I guess they can sue each other anything they want after all this is the land of opportunity, justice and righteousness, depending which site you are own.

This is not about political correctness Marg it is about individuals who do not know what the laws are. Would you like it if someone posted your real name on the Internet and said false statements about you that were malicious? Lets see just as an EXMPLE lets say some of those signs/posters/statements read, she is a drug user, she steals food, she also shop lifts her clothes and those are just example that are all negative towards you and as we know they would be false and if viewed by a third person injure your reputation.

Originally posted by shots
Would you like it if someone posted your real name on the Internet and said false statements about you that were malicious?

Well I am glad that I am not her and when accusations like this comes . . . you are inocent until proven guilty.

And as for me, well the only internet activity I got is ATS.

I do not hold a public job, he does.

Loved your song and dance marg but that did not answer my question. Would you like it if someone posted false malious infomration about you?

See shot is not until it hit home that you will understand that when children complain about certain things even if not all is true, something is not right.

That happen in the high school my children attended, that's why I take this stance on the matter . . .

For two years my children and many others complain that something was not right with their principal . . .

But it was call slander and false accusations, everybody liked him the adults occurs, he even married one of the teachers and everything was all perfect . . .

Until somebody started listening to the kids and guess what, his case was one of the most followed case we had in our small town for years if no the first one ever.

He was found with child pornography in his computer at school . . .

I have learned that sometimes is worth to listen . . .

[edit on 12-4-2007 by marg6043]

marg I was not looking for your family history nor your likes and dislikes,

what is so hard about answering the question I put to you? I mean it only takes simple yes or no answer, no comments needed.

Now would you like it if someone posted false and malicious information about you on the Internet. YES or NO ?

[edit on 4/12/2007 by shots]

Originally posted by shots
Now would you like it if someone posted false and malicious information about you on the Internet. YES or NO ?

[edit on 4/12/2007 by shots]

How do you know is malicious and is not true, because the principal said so?

We all inocent until proven guilty, right?

Originally posted by marg6043


How do you know is malicious and is not true, because the principal said so?

We all inocent until proven guilty, right?

Marg you are not understanding my question this is not about wither this is true or not.

What I am asking is would you like it if someone did the same to
[YOU].



Now lets address the issue of guilt since you are so hell bent on his being innocent. Here from the parents statement

Justin was the only student in the school to have admitted creating one of the four websites. He has apologized twice to Mr. Trosch, once in person and once in writing. He did this without prompting from anyone else. He is sorry and embarrassed by what he calls a dumb mistake.

Admission of guilt

That is how I know if he is guilty or not he admitted it


[edit on 4/12/2007 by shots]