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Webcam Spy Lawsuits Against PA School Have Been Settled

Webcam Spy Lawsuits Against PA School Have Been Settled
Adolescent Tips - Get the latest headlines from the About.com Parenting of Adolescents GuideSite.

The school district, Lower Merion, admitted to capturing thousands of webcam photographs and screen shots from student laptops when the students had them at home. It seems the school had a tracking program that could use the webcam while it was in the teen's room or anywhere else the teen happen to be with their school issued laptop.

A Harriton High School student Blake Robbins, brought a suit against his school in February, 2009 saying that the school was spying on him. His lawyer stated that Blake was photographed 400 times in a two-week period, sometimes as he slept in his bedroom. Yeah, the school over stepped their bounds more than a little here. That is what our community had thought when it happened.

Now, the settlement calls for $175,000 to be placed in a trust for Robbins and $10,000 for a second student who filed suit, Jalil Hassan. Their lawyer, Mark Haltzman, will get $425,000 for his work on the case. Seems fair enough, but I have to wonder if there will be any charges filed against the school or it's staff?

Asking our community of parents: Do you think the settlement is fair? Should there be other charges? Please share your thoughts and opinions in the comments section.

Suggested Reading:

• Quiz: Is your teen safe online?
• How to Oversee Your Teen's Blog or Social Networking Page
• What Parents Need To Know About Teens and Internet Usage

Source: About.com Parenting of Adolescents

Settled Have School PA Lawsuits Spy Webcam

I think it was the Lawyer who got the most out of this case. Did the school over step their bounds yes in a big way. That is a very clear invasion of privacy. IF the school wants to monitor everything on the issued laptop then maybe it should stay within the school grounds. I think the school has opened itself up to a massive lawsuit and that would not be a good things because it will end up being the students who suffer the most.