High School busted for spying on students

[DrDawkinstein]

Unfortunately, I don't see it the same way as you all do.

 

so lets say that we all have company PCs and we all know they are monitoring what we use THEIR computers for. ok, that is fair and reasonable.

 

now let's say that besides the tracking software on your laptop, they also secretly setup a camera in your bedroom. they can watch you sleep. watch you get dressed. watch you with your wife. etc.

 

you are ok with this. you dont see any difference between monitoring use of their own equipment and having someone stand outside your bedroom window to watch what you do in the privacy of your own home even if you arent using the company laptop?

 

this has nothing to do with what they were using the laptop for. there are no accusations that a student did anything wrong online. they are monitoring your personal activity that has nothing to do with work or the company's equipment.

 

how is that even close?

[BuffaloBud]

so lets say that we all have company PCs and we all know they are monitoring what we use THEIR computers for. ok, that is fair and reasonable.

 

now let's say that besides the tracking software on your laptop, they also secretly setup a camera in your bedroom. they can watch you sleep. watch you get dressed. watch you with your wife. etc.

 

you are ok with this. you dont see any difference between monitoring use of their own equipment and having someone stand outside your bedroom window to watch what you do in the privacy of your own home even if you arent using the company laptop?

 

this has nothing to do with what they were using the laptop for. there are no accusations that a student did anything wrong online. they are monitoring your personal activity that has nothing to do with work or the company's equipment.

 

how is that even close?

 

True, however nothing is said in the contrary. So, I'm going to lean slightly to the schools side. Also, I would only have my work computer on when doing company work. Just because you have a computer doesn't mean you can do everything and anything and not be checked or have it come around back at you.

[DrDawkinstein]

Two points here...

 

True, however nothing is said in the contrary. So, I'm going to lean slightly to the schools side.

 

First, from the article:

The issue came to light when the Robbins's child was disciplined for "improper behavior in his home" and the Vice Principal used a photo taken by the webcam as evidence.

The report states nothing regarding inproper use of the laptop by the student. If the school had anything like that, they would have used it to relieve some of this pressure about spying on kids. The school took a picture of the kid doing something in his home. Again, nothing to do with how he was using the computer.

 

Also, I would only have my work computer on when doing company work. Just because you have a computer doesn't mean you can do everything and anything and not be checked or have it come around back at you.

 

Now, here I completely agree with you that the school/company computer should ONLY be used for school/work stuff. However, what we have here goes beyond that. Let's say that you finish with your work, save your document, and walk away from your laptop. Now, you arent using it for anything personal nor will you. But your office can still turn the camera on and spy on you.

 

This is where they are crossing the line. They are no longer just watching out for their own equipment, or for the company's best interest. They are perversely invading someone's personal space just so they can "see what they are up to".

 

We are waaaay past the realm of what a school or company should be monitoring. You have to be able to see where I'm coming from on this.

[Fan in San Diego]

This is so creepy and wrong. The number of ways this invades privacy and opens them up to abuse is beyond words. Lawyers will make mince meat out of the school. I can't believe a school district gave the OK for this badly concieved plan.

[BuffaloBud]

Two points here...

 

 

 

First, from the article:

 

The report states nothing regarding inproper use of the laptop by the student. If the school had anything like that, they would have used it to relieve some of this pressure about spying on kids. The school took a picture of the kid doing something in his home. Again, nothing to do with how he was using the computer.

 

 

 

Now, here I completely agree with you that the school/company computer should ONLY be used for school/work stuff. However, what we have here goes beyond that. Let's say that you finish with your work, save your document, and walk away from your laptop. Now, you arent using it for anything personal nor will you. But your office can still turn the camera on and spy on you.

 

This is where they are crossing the line. They are no longer just watching out for their own equipment, or for the company's best interest. They are perversely invading someone's personal space just so they can "see what they are up to".

 

We are waaaay past the realm of what a school or company should be monitoring. You have to be able to see where I'm coming from on this.

 

Oh, I do see where you're coming from. However, I have a different point of view. The "improper behavior" is not defined. Is it improper behavior with the intentional use of the computer or unintentional? Now on the far extreme, what if the kid what beating up your daughter or wife? Would you want the school to speak up or not?

[SuperKillerRobots]

Keep in mind that the people who thought this was a good idea are the ones "educating" the next generation.

 

We're so !@#$ed.

 

This is the most important thing to keep in mind in this situation.

 

Also, even though this violates many of our rights, it's actually not far off from what the government can do under the Patriot Act. It's just creepy when it's done on sucha small scale though.

[Booster4324]

Feds get involved

 

And the reason the kid got suspended...

 

Blake Robbins told KYW-TV on Friday that a school official described him in his room and mistook a piece of candy for a pill.

 

"She described what I was doing," he said. "She said she thought I had pills and said she thought that I was selling drugs."

 

Robbins said he was holding a Mike and Ike candy, not pills.

 

Holly Robbins said a school official told her that she had a picture of Blake holding up what she thought were pills.

[KD in CA]

Keep in mind that the people who thought this was a good idea are the ones "educating" the next generation.

 

And now those same people will go on "administrative leave" for the next 3 years at full pay.

Gee, I wonder why we can't balance a budget in this country?

[Fan in San Diego]

Oh, I do see where you're coming from. However, I have a different point of view. The "improper behavior" is not defined. Is it improper behavior with the intentional use of the computer or unintentional? Now on the far extreme, what if the kid what beating up your daughter or wife? Would you want the school to speak up or not?

 

They thought the kid was selling drugs, from what they could see with the web cam.

 

But what if the laptop was positioned where they can see the kid changing his clothes or taking a shower? That is so wrong. The pervert principal was probably hoping for just that incident.

Anyone with a bit of sense could see the potential abuse of this software. I think the principal should be fired for such a lapse of judgement.

[DrDawkinstein]

the school district is screwed now.

 

School IT allegedly took "thousands" of pics in webcam case

[Chandler#81]

the school district is screwed now.

 

School IT allegedly took "thousands" of pics in webcam case

 

"Understandably, the court has issued an order barring any of the 400+ photographs or screenshots from being made available to anyone but the lawyers."

 

I don't understand.

 

I thought more would come of this back in Feb, so this isn't surprizing. There's gonna be hell to pay for this, and rightly so, IMO.

[Booster4324]

I told you guys in the e-mail thread that IT was nothing but a bunch of snoops.

[Steely Dan]

the school district is screwed now.

 

School IT allegedly took "thousands" of pics in webcam case

Even worse, the IT staff responsible for implementing and monitoring the student laptops seemingly viewed the whole thing as entertainment. The motion cites e-mails sent between staffers—one says the pictures were "like a little [Lower Merion School District] soap opera." Carol Cafiero, one of the administrators responsible for the program responded "I know. I love it!" Cafiero is one of two staffers who have been placed on administrative leave.

 

The school district has always argued that it only turned on the webcams in the event that a laptop appeared to be lost or stolen, but the Robbins argue that there were numerous cases in which the school spied on students despite knowing exactly who had the laptops—sometimes, students absentmindedly forgot to return their computers on time or failed to pay the $55 insurance fee in a timely manner. The latter was the case for Blake; the school says it initially spied on him because he failed to pay the fee, though there appears to be no explanation as to why the IT staff watched him for at least two full weeks before he ended up getting disciplined for "improper behavior" at home.

 

There might be child porn charges coming out of this, at least I hope so.

[Steely Dan]

Link

 

The motion says Cafiero, who has been placed on paid leave, has failed to turn that computer over to the plaintiffs despite a court order to do so, and asks a judge to sanction her.

 

Cafiero's lawyer Thursday night disputed the suggestion that his client had downloaded any such photos to her home computer. Lawyer Charles Mandracchia said Cafiero has cooperated with federal investigators and is willing to let technicians hired by the district examine her computer if the judge so orders.

 

He also said Robbins' attorney had never asked him for Cafiero's personal computer. "He's making this up because his case is falling apart," Mandracchia said.

 

 

Nice try, your client is screwed!

[KD in CA]

The motion says Cafiero, who has been placed on paid leave, has failed to turn that computer over to the plaintiffs despite a court order to do so, and asks a judge to sanction her.

 

 

Gee, I can't wait for the next round of "we don't spend enough on education!" whining.

[DrDawkinstein]

Gee, I can't wait for the next round of "we don't spend enough on education!" whining.

 

that paid leave doesnt even hold a candle to the amount of American Dollars that simply "went missing" in Iraq. $12BILLION in cold hard cash, taken from the housing market and wall street, and tossed into the desert.

 

thanks, but id rather have my tax money sent to schools than to non-Wars. even if it's going to be mismanaged. it cant be any worse and at least it's going back to Americans.

[LeviF]

that paid leave doesnt even hold a candle to the amount of American Dollars that simply "went missing" in Iraq. $12BILLION in cold hard cash, taken from the housing market and wall street, and tossed into the dessert.

 

thanks, but id rather have my tax money sent to schools than to non-Wars. even if it's going to be mismanaged. it cant be any worse and at least it's going back to Americans.

Who's putting money in my pie?

[DrDawkinstein]

Who's putting money in my pie?

 

dammit! i momentarily forgot what my 3rd grade teacher taught me: "Desert only has 1 S because if youre stuck in the desert, you want to get out of it quickly. But you want to take a long time to eat your Dessert, that's why there is an extra S"

 

[KD in CA]

that paid leave doesnt even hold a candle to the amount of American Dollars that simply "went missing" in Iraq. $12BILLION in cold hard cash, taken from the housing market and wall street, and tossed into the dessert.

 

thanks, but id rather have my tax money sent to schools than to non-Wars. even if it's going to be mismanaged. it cant be any worse and at least it's going back to Americans.

 

What does one have to do with the other? One wasteful, corrupt clusterf--- means that all other wasteful, corrupt clusterf---s should be ignored?

 

And I bet we've spent far more than $12B on wasteful crap in our public school systems over the past couple of decades. This case is just one example of what happens hundreds of times every day in our schools. Some useless bureaucrat that contributes absolutely nothing to educating children is not only given a job that we don't need, but can't be fired from that job no matter how egregious their behavior. You want to spend money on education? Spend it in the classroom, where kids actually learn.

[DC Tom]

dammit! i momentarily forgot what my 3rd grade teacher taught me: "Desert only has 1 S because if youre stuck in the desert, you want to get out of it quickly. But you want to take a long time to eat your Dessert, that's why there is an extra S"

 

 

Even by third grade standards, that may very well be the stupidest !@#$ing mnemonic I've ever heard. What's wrong with "'Desert' has one 's', 'dessert' has two"?