Girl, 12, 'interrogated' by school staff until she gives up Facebook password

[Donjeta]

This was taken directly out of the article, it says this happened after the incident and she continues to post. I have a feeling this little girl is a trouble maker and I am sure the judge will see right through her. The court will probable recommend counseling, which I think the whole family needs. JMO.

The quote said "shortly thereafter" but it does not mean "shortly after the interrogation incident".

-she posted that the monitor was mean
-after that the principal gave her detention
-after that she posted asking who turned her in
-after that she was suspended and missed a class trip
-after that someone complained that she had had a conversation about sex
-that is when she was called in and interrogated with the deputy sheriff
Daily Mail does not say anything about whether she is still posting after being interrogated.


If the schools call in law enforcement to deal with every pre-teen who has had a conversation about sex they'll have time to do nothing else.

She is just a child.

 

[No Stone Unturned]

Why exactly are school personnel lurking around their students' Facebook pages anyway?

 

[jjenny]

Since she is only 12, she shouldn't be on facebook to begin with.

 

[Donjeta]

Since she is only 12, she shouldn't be on facebook to begin with.

I agree.

You can report under age children's accounts to FB and they will close them.
That's what the school, or the parents, should have done IMO.

If there was something criminal about her FB posts they should have gotten a warrant.

 

[legalmania]

Since she is only 12, she shouldn't be on facebook to begin with.

That's right she has to have what the legal world calls clean hands and by being under age and lying about her age could cause the lawsuit to be thrown out of court.

 

[legalmania]

I agree.

You can report under age children's accounts to FB and they will close them.
That's what the school, or the parents, should have done IMO.

If there was something criminal about her FB posts they should have gotten a warrant.

That's the question here since most schools have zero tolerance does she waive her rights in certain situations. It will be interesting to see how this turns out.

 

[angelmom]

It really makes me wonder who is complaining. Is it another 12yo with a facebook page?

If that person doesn't like what this child is posting, that person should unfriend her. Why go running to the principal over what someone posts on facebook? It didn't happen at school.

If it is an adult, well then they clearly broke my personal rule about not being friends with kids on facebook.


*Before the attacks start, I have my kids' facebook passwords. That way I see not only what they post, but can view their friends' pages, their private groups, and their messages, which is where they hide all the good stuff. Much better than just being friends with your own kids.

 

[daisy7]

Since she is only 12, she shouldn't be on facebook to begin with.

What is she was 15? Does that give the school the right to try and get her password or monitor her FB posts? Also, I don't know why she was punished at school for FB posts?

Here, students can be punished by the school district for out of school things like being arrested. But, not for FB posts. Has anyone been able to find the school board policy for this district that would allow this?

 

[legalmania]

What is she was 15? Does that give the school the right to try and get her password or monitor her FB posts? Also, I don't know why she was punished at school for FB posts?

Here, students can be punished by the school district for out of school things like being arrested. But, not for FB posts. Has anyone been able to find the school board policy for this district that would allow this?

It's a federal law that a 12 yr old can't be on a social media site. It's called COPPA. Link below. I would say that because she was addressing a staff member that they had a right to see if any threats were mentioned. She also continued to post after the initial punishment.

http://www.allfacebook.com/facebook-age-limit-2011-11

 

[Donjeta]

JMO, if there is a serious, legitimate concern that someone may be expressing threats on FB or elsewhere on the internet (as opposed to ridiculous overreaction to commonplace remarks) IMO a warrant is the way to go, not intimidating the suspect to make them give up their passwords. If a dangerous individual is threatening someone I wouldn't want to take any risks that the evidence is thrown out of court because it was obtained inappropriately or even illegally. Not sure what the Minnesota laws say about minors' rights to have a parent present when questioned by a deputy.

Anyway, the incident that was followed by the interrogation by a deputy was apparently about a conversation about sex. It doesn't sound threatening to me.

 

[menmo]

Snipped by me for space

Look IMO if your going to let your kid have a facebook then you need to make sure they realize that every single thing they post is going to follow them around forever! MOO

Amen to that! Unfortunately some adults don't understand that either. People, kids and adults alike, need to realize what they say and do off of social media sites will follow them forever, too! There is always someone around that doesn't forget your past and at some point and time, regardless if you've grown and gone on with your life, they'll use it.

The girl seems paranoid to me, the adult monitor doesn't like me she's picking on me. Everyone plays it down until someone gets hurt.

So is she paranoid or did it happen and everyone playing it down? I think the hall monitor likely is mean and likely has favorites. For whatever reason this girl isn't it. Is that her fault? We just don't know!

This girl was not humiliated because according to the article she continues to post after the fact.

Not one of us knows if she was humiliated or not. I'd say she was. This could have been her lashing out because she was humiliated that everyone, even those that didn't belong in it, knows her business!

I have a feeling this little girl is a trouble maker and I am sure the judge will see right through her. The court will probable recommend counseling, which I think the whole family needs. JMO.

She might be. She might not. I am concerned with all of them, the child and the school. You say the court will probably recommend counseling. I sure hope so and I hope the school now has to pay for it. I also would like for all of those adults in authority positions involved with this to get retrained because it sounds like they need it desperately.

It's a federal law that a 12 yr old can't be on a social media site. It's called COPPA. Link below. I would say that because she was addressing a staff member that they had a right to see if any threats were mentioned. She also continued to post after the initial punishment.

http://www.allfacebook.com/facebook-age-limit-2011-11

So if she said something about me on FB I have a right to see it? I disagree.

MOO

 

[daisy7]

It's a federal law that a 12 yr old can't be on a social media site. It's called COPPA. Link below. I would say that because she was addressing a staff member that they had a right to see if any threats were mentioned. She also continued to post after the initial punishment.

http://www.allfacebook.com/facebook-age-limit-2011-11

I am NOT am attorney, but am very familiar with COPPA via my work. It is NOT a violation of federal law for children under 13 to be on social media sites. What COPPA does is limit the information that website owners can collect from children under 13 for privacy reasons and also limit how they can contact them. The burden of responsibility is placed on the site owners, not the child. COPPA requires steps for parents to give their permission for their child to be on the site and many site owners have decided these steps are too time-intensive and have instead implemented a no under 13 rule, including FB.

Here's the full COPPA for your reference:

http://www.ftc.gov/ogc/coppa1.htm

 

[menmo]

The girl claims she felt that one of the school's adult hall monitors was picking on her, so she wrote on her Facebook wall that she hated the monitor because she was mean.
Somehow, the school principal got a hold of a screenshot of the message, and punished R.S. with detention and made her apologize to the hall monitor.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ff-gives-Facebook-password.html#ixzz1p2ugU0e0

This speaks volumes to me. She was bullied by the administration because she said something negative about someone on staff. Ridiculous!

MOO

 

[angelmom]

The girl claims she felt that one of the school's adult hall monitors was picking on her, so she wrote on her Facebook wall that she hated the monitor because she was mean.
Somehow, the school principal got a hold of a screenshot of the message, and punished R.S. with detention and made her apologize to the hall monitor.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ff-gives-Facebook-password.html#ixzz1p2ugU0e0

This speaks volumes to me. She was bullied by the administration because she said something negative about someone on staff. Ridiculous!

MOO

Yes, the funny part of this to me is that, while I've been posting on this thread and others, my 40-something-yo friends and I have just been having a facebook conversation (with over 20 responses) about how "mean" the administration is at our kids' school because they have changed the no-hw/extra-recess during standardized testing week policy. I mean really, that is MEAN.

Even funnier, several of us are friends with some of the teachers and administrators of the school, and none of us are hiding this conversation. But we won't get called to the office or threatened. In fact, my friend who is a teacher may pile on. I guess only adults have the right to an opinion.

 

[legalmania]

I am NOT am attorney, but am very familiar with COPPA via my work. It is NOT a violation of federal law for children under 13 to be on social media sites. What COPPA does is limit the information that website owners can collect from children under 13 for privacy reasons and also limit how they can contact them. The burden of responsibility is placed on the site owners, not the child. COPPA requires steps for parents to give their permission for their child to be on the site and many site owners have decided these steps are too time-intensive and have instead implemented a no under 13 rule, including FB.

Here's the full COPPA for your reference:

http://www.ftc.gov/ogc/coppa1.htm

I couldn't get your link to work but being a paralegal, I understand what Coppa is. Children under 13 can use a social media site with their parents permission but most sites have initiated their own policy not to include children under 13 because of the paper work involved to stop their information from being used. What I should have said it is in violation of the FTC to use information from children under 13.

Children's Online Privacy Protection Act - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Donjeta]

Well it seems to me that the school violated the spirit of the Children's online privacy act when they used the information from a child under 13

 

[menmo]

Yes, the funny part of this to me is that, while I've been posting on this thread and others, my 40-something-yo friends and I have just been having a facebook conversation (with over 20 responses) about how "mean" the administration is at our kids' school because they have changed the no-hw/extra-recess during standardized testing week policy. I mean really, that is MEAN.

Even funnier, several of us are friends with some of the teachers and administrators of the school, and none of us are hiding this conversation. But we won't get called to the office or threatened. In fact, my friend who is a teacher may pile on. I guess only adults have the right to an opinion.

Uh-Oh, now you're going to have to hand over your password to the staff.
lol

 

[legalmania]

Well it seems to me that the school violated the spirit of the Children's online privacy act when they used the information from a child under 13

What my problem with RS is that she continued to post after she was so traumatized. Also she was talking about a staff member so I still believe they had a right to question her and see what she wrote, to make sure she didn't have violent tendencies.

 

[Angelonline]

So if the child was 14 had a FB and said Mrs So and So is mean at school should the school have a right to call her in and ask her to stop? Should they punish her for this on 3 separate occasions and force her to turn over her FB password so they can investigage further? This sounds absolutely crazy to me! I used to say one of my teachers was mean all the time to my friends when I was in high school, the only difference was I said it on the phone instead of online. So for all the ones who think the girl was in the wrong, what if my phone calls had been monitored and I had been punished at school for telling a friend, via phone, that my math teacher was mean? Same difference, this school had absolutely no right to punish a student over online posts, if the child said something threatening then they should have alerted the authorities and let them handle it from there. As the mother of 4 girls, I would absolutely sue and sue big if this happened to me and I am not normally a fan of lawsuits.

 

[menmo]

This twelve year old girl, regardless of anything else, has a right to her opinion just as you and I do.

MOO