# Hol-eeee Crap!! School Suspends Student...After Spying on Him **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 18, 2010, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hol-eeee-crap-school-suspends-student-after-spying-on-him/529510 "2010-02-18T19:42:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 17
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hol-eeee-crap-school-suspends-student-after-spying-on-him/529510/321 "2010-02-23T23:08:06Z")
> [@E-Sabbath](#): > > Provided the ‘insurance’ wasn’t paid. Apparently, therefore, if the insurance was paid, it could be brought home. Ah, and now they’re claiming there was a problem with the insurance. Doesn’t matter, really, they’re still bitching the kid out for something he did at home. Not for ‘stealing’ the laptop. We are seeing evolution, as it happens. The story is evolving. 1. inappropriate action 2. drugs 3. Mike n Ike candy 4. computer theft 5. unpaid security fee How many times is the story gonna change before someone calls bullshit? ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hol-eeee-crap-school-suspends-student-after-spying-on-him/529510/322 "2010-02-23T23:16:41Z")
> [@Sidney Evgeni Jordan](#): > > [Here is a copy of the court’s Order](http://americasright.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Robbins-Order.pdf) (PDF) and an excerpt from the Order Oh, yes. Let’s do a forensic image many days later. Brilliant. -Joe ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2010, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hol-eeee-crap-school-suspends-student-after-spying-on-him/529510/323 "2010-02-24T03:03:34Z")
> [@RaftPeople](#): > > If this is true, then they would have told him he wasn’t supposed to bring home a loaner, as opposed to telling him he shouldn’t eat Mike and Ikes. We have no evidence the School District said anything like that. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2010, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hol-eeee-crap-school-suspends-student-after-spying-on-him/529510/324 "2010-02-24T03:05:51Z")
> [@SteveG1](#): > > We are seeing evolution, as it happens. The story is evolving. > > 1. inappropriate action > 2. drugs > 3. Mike n Ike candy > 4. computer theft > 5. unpaid security fee > > How many times is the story gonna change before someone calls bullshit? The School District has never mentioned 2, or 3. All they have said is in their general policy statement I have posted. They aren’t changing their story, they have never HAD a story. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2010, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hol-eeee-crap-school-suspends-student-after-spying-on-him/529510/325 "2010-02-24T03:07:42Z")
> [@RaftPeople](#): > > From ComputerWorld: Susan is correct. Note from your cite “…the Robbins **accused** school district employees,…” bolding mine. ---
**Author:** ![RaftPeople](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@RaftPeople](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RaftPeople)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2010, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hol-eeee-crap-school-suspends-student-after-spying-on-him/529510/326 "2010-02-24T03:14:52Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > We have no evidence the School District said anything like that. Yes, I know, they did not say “don’t eat Mike and Ikes”, that was not really a serious statement. ---
**Author:** ![RaftPeople](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@RaftPeople](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RaftPeople)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2010, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hol-eeee-crap-school-suspends-student-after-spying-on-him/529510/327 "2010-02-24T03:16:54Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Susan is correct. Note from your cite “…the Robbins **accused** school district employees,…” bolding mine. I didn’t say Susan is incorrect. I merely posted something that claims the school district was attempting to do the image mgmt she was speaking of. It doesn’t mean anyone is wrong or right, it’s just a new development. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2010, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hol-eeee-crap-school-suspends-student-after-spying-on-him/529510/328 "2010-02-24T03:39:22Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > The School District has never mentioned 2, or 3. > > All they have said is in their general policy statement I have posted. They aren’t changing their story, they have never HAD a story. I was trying to set up a “chronological” order, and was not separating the “who says what”. Very sloppy, yes. ---
**Author:** ![Pray\_for\_peace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Pray\_for\_peace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pray_for_peace)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2010, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hol-eeee-crap-school-suspends-student-after-spying-on-him/529510/329 "2010-02-24T03:40:38Z")
The school is in a bit of a double bind, though. They have to protect the student’s privacy, but they also have a whole bunch of taxpayers demanding information about what is going on. The compromise in the Order seems reasonable under the circumstances. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2010, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hol-eeee-crap-school-suspends-student-after-spying-on-him/529510/330 "2010-02-24T03:49:57Z")
> [@RaftPeople](#): > > I didn’t say Susan is incorrect. > > I merely posted something that claims the school district was attempting to do the image mgmt she was speaking of. It doesn’t mean anyone is wrong or right, it’s just a new development. I read it as an addition; I just saw that article today, too. ---
**Author:** ![RaftPeople](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@RaftPeople](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RaftPeople)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2010, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hol-eeee-crap-school-suspends-student-after-spying-on-him/529510/331 "2010-02-24T07:04:39Z")
I was googling around about this topic because I saw Mike Perbix’s blog entry about how to enable and disable iSight (including remotely). Found a forum where everyone was trying to figure out how to permanently disable the camera (due to work security issues, school legal issues, etc.), including the following post from someone that was worried about legal issues. What’s my point? no real point, it’s just interesting. > [@](#): > > I disagree > Authored by: chafnerjr on Tue, Mar 27 2007 at 8:28AM PDT > Again I apologize for pointing to the NSA articles. I was being a bit ahead of myself. This “tip” is really intended for the educational community where users do not have admin access. As you can imagine there could be much legal trouble if an underage student were to appear on the internet doing what teenagers do. We could, in theory, be held accountable for providing said student with web cams. > > In this particular situation it is critical for private institutions using mac’s. I should have thought out my initial tip before writing it. Also I didn’t know if it was going to be re-written as this was my first “tip” sent here. ---
**Author:** ![Pray\_for\_peace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Pray\_for\_peace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pray_for_peace)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2010, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hol-eeee-crap-school-suspends-student-after-spying-on-him/529510/332 "2010-02-24T22:39:25Z")
Asst. Principal Lindy Matsko read a prepared statement today, but did not answer questions (link below includes video.) The Robbins family was interviewed by the press today; they said that they are the victims, not Matsko. The Robbins’ attorneys have said that they will release a response to the press this evening. > **[Principal Accused in “WebcamGate”: I'm No Spy](https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/principal-accused-in-webcamgate-im-no-spy/2138343/)** > > “At no time have I ever monitored a student via a laptop webcam.” ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2010, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hol-eeee-crap-school-suspends-student-after-spying-on-him/529510/333 "2010-02-24T23:12:57Z")
> [@Sidney Evgeni Jordan](#): > > Asst. Principal Lindy Matsko read a prepared statement today, but did not answer questions (link below includes video.) The Robbins family was interviewed by the press today; they said that they are the victims, not Matsko. The Robbins’ attorneys have said that they will release a response to the press this evening. > > [Principal Accused in “WebcamGate”: I’m No Spy – NBC10 Philadelphia](http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local-beat/Principal-Accused-in-WebcamGate-Im-No-Spy-85220137.html) Interesting statement in what was said and not said. That Matsko herself did not do the monitoring or set up the monitoring is hardly surprising. What is surprising is that when she was handed the picture she did not tell whichever IP guy giving it to her to stop immediately. What is also surprising is that she didn’t think that the parents would hit the roof about this. Does this mean that the school administration knew about it, or that she learned about it when given the picture and didn’t consider the implications? ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2010, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hol-eeee-crap-school-suspends-student-after-spying-on-him/529510/334 "2010-02-24T23:18:44Z")
> [@Sidney Evgeni Jordan](#): > > The school is in a bit of a double bind, though. They have to protect the student’s privacy, but they also have a whole bunch of taxpayers demanding information about what is going on. The compromise in the Order seems reasonable under the circumstances. Before the Order, they could have described both their policy about this and how the policy was implemented without violating the privacy of any particular student. I doubt it would be a good idea legally, but not for privacy reasons. Now their hands are tied. ---
**Author:** ![Pray\_for\_peace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Pray\_for\_peace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pray_for_peace)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2010, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hol-eeee-crap-school-suspends-student-after-spying-on-him/529510/335 "2010-02-25T00:34:34Z")
The Robbins’ response includes a request for the school district to promptly turn over all webcam pictures and screenshots to the Robbins’ attorney, and asks other parents to contact the district to demand that the information is turned over. [http://www.philly.com/philly/news/85250742.html](http://www.philly.com/philly/news/85250742.html) ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2010, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hol-eeee-crap-school-suspends-student-after-spying-on-him/529510/336 "2010-04-16T20:54:10Z")
I posted earlier that I was waiting for more facts. Now there are some. And I don’t think it’s looking good for the district. [1,000s of Web cam images, suit says](http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20100416_1_000s_of_Web_cam_images__suit_says.html) And the most damning quote in the article. > [@](#): > > Back at district offices, the Robbins motion says, employees with access to the images marveled at the tracking software. It was like a window into “a little LMSD soap opera,” a staffer is quoted as saying in an e-mail to Carol Cafiero, the administrator running the program. > > “I know, I love it,” she is quoted as having replied. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2010, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hol-eeee-crap-school-suspends-student-after-spying-on-him/529510/337 "2010-04-16T21:15:26Z")
The thing I don’t understand, from the school district’s perspective: they say the monitoring software was turned on because the student had not paid the insurance fee to take the laptop home. If that’s the case, why didn’t they confront the student after the first picture of him at home was taken? Apparently the photos were taken every 15 minutes the laptop was on for at least two weeks, according to the story, and the school didn’t do anything until they suspected the student was taking drugs (which turned out to be candy). That, plus the program administrator that **Projammer** quoted pleaded the 5th amendment when questioned, and there are accusations she downloaded some of the images to her home computer. I agree it does not look good for them right now. ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2010, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hol-eeee-crap-school-suspends-student-after-spying-on-him/529510/338 "2010-04-16T21:41:37Z")
> [@Projammer](#): > > I posted earlier that I was waiting for more facts. Now there are some. > > And I don’t think it’s looking good for the district. > > [1,000s of Web cam images, suit says](http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20100416_1_000s_of_Web_cam_images__suit_says.html) > > And the most damning quote in the article. Holy crap, they are toast. With that many photos it is almost certain they caught some kids undressed or engaging in a sexual activity. I could see anyone who looked at the photos in any capacity other than to immediately notify the police that a laptop was stolen, as ending up as registered sex offenders. ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2010, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hol-eeee-crap-school-suspends-student-after-spying-on-him/529510/339 "2010-04-20T01:20:52Z")
School District admits to taking [56,000](http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36653986) webcam photos and screen shots. Yeah, I’d say there are a few finished careers here – or that’s a lot of lost or stolen laptops. ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2010, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hol-eeee-crap-school-suspends-student-after-spying-on-him/529510/340 "2010-04-20T01:42:09Z")
> [@descamisado](#): > > School District admits to taking [56,000](http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36653986) webcam photos and screen shots. Yeah, I’d say there are a few finished careers here – or that’s a lot of lost or stolen laptops. And, that’s all sad and everything, but was there nobody at any point who said, “Holy fuck, this is a terrible idea. I’d like to lodge an objection so that it’s in the record, please”? Joe [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hol-eeee-crap-school-suspends-student-after-spying-on-him/529510.md?page=16) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hol-eeee-crap-school-suspends-student-after-spying-on-him/529510.md?page=18)