# 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:** 2
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hol-eeee-crap-school-suspends-student-after-spying-on-him/529510/21 "2010-02-18T20:30:26Z")
According to the [Philadelphia Daily News](http://www.philly.com/philly/news/homepage/84715297.html?cmpid=15585797), the school issues notebook systems to all of the students. If I were one of them, I’d return the computer, disable the camera or disable the spying software. ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hol-eeee-crap-school-suspends-student-after-spying-on-him/529510/22 "2010-02-18T20:32:12Z")
What the hell was the “improper behavior”?! ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hol-eeee-crap-school-suspends-student-after-spying-on-him/529510/23 "2010-02-18T20:33:01Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > Some more information from [philly.com](http://www.philly.com/philly/news/breaking/84715512.html?cmpid=15585797): > > At this point, this appears to be only an allegation from a lawsuit filed last week by one boy’s parents, and the school district is denying any knowledge of the spying. It may be that the only idiot is one school administrator. This would make a lot more sense to me than supposed several people or a whole school district thought this was a good idea. > Roddy But _someone_ set up the laptops so the cameras could be remotely controlled. Or are they going to claim the one administrator obtained software to do this and somehow installed it on a district system? ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hol-eeee-crap-school-suspends-student-after-spying-on-him/529510/24 "2010-02-18T20:33:50Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > According to the [Philadelphia Daily News](http://www.philly.com/philly/news/homepage/84715297.html?cmpid=15585797), the school issues notebook systems to all of the students. If I were one of them, I’d return the computer, disable the camera or disable the spying software. No need to do anything that drastic. A bit of electrical tape over the webcam lens works just as well. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hol-eeee-crap-school-suspends-student-after-spying-on-him/529510/25 "2010-02-18T20:34:02Z")
Wow. I’m not one to jump on the latest RO bandwagon, but WOW. It’s like they distilled all the stupid out of everyone who’s ever been banned here and put it in charge of a school. ---
**Author:** ![Agent\_Foxtrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Agent\_Foxtrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agent_Foxtrot)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hol-eeee-crap-school-suspends-student-after-spying-on-him/529510/26 "2010-02-18T20:34:13Z")
I hope the administrators involved will be prohibited from even looking at a school for the rest of their lives. This was the mother of all boneheaded decisions. I read the legal complaint and I’m very curious to find out what the school system’s defense will be. Is there actually a school policy stating you’re not allowed to beat your pud in your own home? ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hol-eeee-crap-school-suspends-student-after-spying-on-him/529510/27 "2010-02-18T20:34:18Z")
> [@Chessic\_Sense](#): > > What the hell was the “improper behavior”?! Probably spying on someone. We can’t have our students doing that now! ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hol-eeee-crap-school-suspends-student-after-spying-on-him/529510/28 "2010-02-18T20:34:31Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > At this point, this appears to be only an allegation from a lawsuit filed last week by one boy’s parents, and the school district is denying any knowledge of the spying. It may be that the only idiot is one school administrator. This would make a lot more sense to me than supposed several people or a whole school district thought this was a good idea. I doubt it was approved, board-sanctioned spying. My guess would be one or two idiot administrators. In any case, those responsible should lose their credentialing if this turns out to be true. As to the software issue - there _may be_ a legitimate use for remotely-activated cameras. I just can’t think of one right now. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hol-eeee-crap-school-suspends-student-after-spying-on-him/529510/29 "2010-02-18T20:35:14Z")
> [@LouisB](#): > > It makes no difference what the inappropriate behavior was; no school has any right at all to remotely activate a web cam and spy on students at home. I agree with you. It’s a related issue, though. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hol-eeee-crap-school-suspends-student-after-spying-on-him/529510/30 "2010-02-18T20:35:23Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > Probably thoroughly buried as who would agree to such a thing if they knew? Not necessarily buried, so much as couched in obscure legalese without specifically mentioning remote control of the webcam. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hol-eeee-crap-school-suspends-student-after-spying-on-him/529510/31 "2010-02-18T20:36:15Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > It may be that the only idiot is one school administrator. That sounds totally implausible to me. Schools do things by committee, and it would take more than one person to come up with this idea, get the software, authorize the spending, and monitor the images. Man, to think we thought the school was staffed by wannabe-fascists in my day. If it’s all what it sounds like, this is beyond the pale, and from the school’s point of view, spying on the kids was not only incredibly inappropriate and invasive, it’s monumentally stupid. If this is true they’ll be sued into the ground. ---
**Author:** ![Vihaga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Vihaga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vihaga)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hol-eeee-crap-school-suspends-student-after-spying-on-him/529510/32 "2010-02-18T20:36:34Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > Understand that this is probably the wealthiest and best school district in the state, in the tonier suburbs of Philly. If there’s any chance of the class action succeeding, it will, because these folks aren’t going to be using ambulance-chaser law firms that advertise on TV for this. This is the part that made me laugh. The administrator(s) picked the worst possible place to try a stunt like this with any chance of getting away with it. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hol-eeee-crap-school-suspends-student-after-spying-on-him/529510/33 "2010-02-18T20:36:59Z")
Suppose that one of those webcams caught an underaged student in a suggestive pose. Given the strict liability imposed for possession of child pornography, does that mean that the principal, the superintendent and the board of the school district are now liable to being treated as sex offenders? I don’t understand how any of them could have thought it was a good idea. ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hol-eeee-crap-school-suspends-student-after-spying-on-him/529510/34 "2010-02-18T20:40:18Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > Wow. I’m not one to jump on the latest RO bandwagon, but WOW. It’s like they distilled all the stupid out of everyone who’s ever been banned here and put it in charge of a school. Whoa now. That seems a little bit extreme, don’t you think? People don’t get banned here for this kind of behavior. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Lurker\_Above](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dc4da7/32.png) [@The\_Lurker\_Above](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Lurker_Above)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hol-eeee-crap-school-suspends-student-after-spying-on-him/529510/35 "2010-02-18T20:40:46Z")
:eek: Truly, you have to wonder what’s passing their mind when someone thinks ‘remotely spying on students at home with webcams’ is a good idea. And how someone that dumb manages to remember to breathe. I was watching a PBS program online last night with something slightly similar that struck me as perfectly appropriate. A vice-principal was remotely spot checking school-issued laptops during class time; he checked to see that programs open on the screen were schoolwork related and not goofing off on facebook. **That’s** the kind of monitoring I would expect on school-issued laptops ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hol-eeee-crap-school-suspends-student-after-spying-on-him/529510/36 "2010-02-18T20:43:17Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > But _someone_ set up the laptops so the cameras could be remotely controlled. > > Or are they going to claim the one administrator obtained software to do this and somehow installed it on a district system? It’s easy to set it up so the entire computer can be remotely controlled. Maybe all the computers were set up this way and some bone head administrator thought it would be a good idea to activate the camera. ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hol-eeee-crap-school-suspends-student-after-spying-on-him/529510/37 "2010-02-18T20:43:50Z")
This sounds insane, but I’d like to wait and see more evidence that it actually occurred the way the complaint alleges it did. I can easily imagine it eventually coming out that the picture, whatever it was, was actually obtained by other means (e.g., the student taking it himself and showing it to friends who then proceeded to share it in turn, getting out of hand). ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hol-eeee-crap-school-suspends-student-after-spying-on-him/529510/38 "2010-02-18T20:47:05Z")
> [@](#): > > Doug Young, spokesman for the Lower Merion School District, said all 2,290 high school students in the district had been issued Apple laptops. How could they even hope to monitor that many students outside of school hours; or, to put it another way, how much money did they blow on paying the people who did the spying? The school couldn’t hope to watch them all, all the time. If there’s any truth to this story, I suspect they had some sort of trigger built in so that someone was notified and the camera activated if the student surfed to an unapproved website. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hol-eeee-crap-school-suspends-student-after-spying-on-him/529510/39 "2010-02-18T20:47:55Z")
I’m not really all that surprised. Look at the other thread here in the Pit about spying on kids, and all the people defending their right to search their kids, their rooms, read their diaries and in general treat kids like inmates in prison. Given that schools act as more-or-less secondary parents, I find it quite believable that the same kind of people who say they have a right to read their kid’s diary would feel they have a right to spy on their students with a webcam. One attitude is a pretty straightfoward extension of the other. ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hol-eeee-crap-school-suspends-student-after-spying-on-him/529510/40 "2010-02-18T20:49:06Z")
[Link to PDF of class-action lawsuit filed.](http://craphound.com/robbins17.pdf) Just another data point on the continuum we’ve been setting up for decades. Check out the documentary _[The War on Kids](http://www.openleft.com/diary/17423/#217076)._ Link goes to a review and interview with the creator, link to website for the movie itself in the article. Fascinating, disturbing, horrifying. Readily available to those who know how. ETA: The filing asserts that no information/releases given to parents acknowledged the presence of remote web cam access. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hol-eeee-crap-school-suspends-student-after-spying-on-him/529510.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hol-eeee-crap-school-suspends-student-after-spying-on-him/529510.md?page=3)