The High school i went to is being investigated by the FBI.

[Free Trade is managed by the invisible hand.]

its a 4th amendment case, and it may effect the very foundation of privacy on company property while in the home, and it may effect the lap top security industry!

The FBI has opened an investigation into allegations that a Pennsylvania school official remotely monitored a student at home, a law enforcement official with knowledge of the case told CNN on Saturday.
The official, who asked not to be identified, said the FBI became involved in the case after a family filed a lawsuit against the Lower Merion School District, located outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The family accused an assistant principal at Harriton High School of watching their son through his laptop's webcam while he was at home and unaware he was being watched. The family also says the school official used a photo taken on a laptop as the basis for disciplining the student.

Alright here is what happened. The school put hidden cameras in the lap top that could be activated only if the lap top was stolen. one of these lap tops were stolen, and the camera activated itself, and took a picture of the student smoking weed. One of the vice principals mentioned it to the student, and then parents got pissed. FBI is now investigating.

Just for the record this is a school district that is centered in one of the richest towns in America, and thus if this was done in an inner city school I doubt the parents would immediately organize.

[Bo]

Interesting

[The Mikado]

I saw this story two days ago and couldn't believe my eyes.

[Free Trade is managed by the invisible hand.]

I saw this story two days ago and couldn't believe my eyes.

The stupidity of the school district and the knee jerk reactions/wealth of parents/community are the driving forces behind many events.....wether they be wrong or right.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Really scary.

[Free Trade is managed by the invisible hand.]

Really scary.

the camera is their for a security measure, and can only turn on if the lap top is stolen. So its not like some principal is going to be viewing students through a webcam 24/7.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Really scary.

the camera is their for a security measure, and can only turn on if the lap top is stolen. So its not like some principal is going to be viewing students through a webcam 24/7.

Remains a blatant violation of basic privacy rights...

[Free Trade is managed by the invisible hand.]

Really scary.

the camera is their for a security measure, and can only turn on if the lap top is stolen. So its not like some principal is going to be viewing students through a webcam 24/7.

Remains a blatant violation of basic privacy rights...

how so?

[bullmoose88]

This story is big news in the Philadelphia area.  I live in Bucks Co, and people have been talking about it quite a bit.

[dead0man]

If the camera only comes on when stolen and it was stolen....I don't see a problem.  You don't want your privacy violated, don't bring things that can take your picture into your private places if they aren't yours.

[they don't love you like i love you]

I don't see a problem with holding the student responsible for the stolen laptop, but there is with the marijuana smoking. Not that the school should have anything to do with stuff like that that happens off school property anyway. It's not the school's business.

Also rather messed up that smoking marijuana would give worse consequences than stealing a laptop too....reminds me of an incident I read a few years ago where a student repeatedly bullied other students including using physical violence a few times and openly made threats to teachers yet was never suspended or expelled, just repeatedly sentenced to detention and counseling. He finally did get suspended...when he dyed his hair blue.

[Tetro Kornbluth]

Also rather messed up that smoking marijuana would give worse consequences than stealing a laptop too....reminds me of an incident I read a few years ago where a student repeatedly bullied other students including using physical violence a few times and openly made threats to teachers yet was never suspended or expelled, just repeatedly sentenced to detention and counseling. He finally did get suspended...when he dyed his hair blue.

Violence is as American as apple pie.  Nonconformity, on the other hand, is bad for business.  And whatever is bad for business does not belong in schools.

^^^^^^^^
Couldn't put it better myself.

[dead0man]

Yeah, everybody in American public schools look and act the same.  Conformity is what teenagers crave after all.  The rebellion years come in your sixties.