Suit: Lower Merion School District Allegedly Spied on Students Through Webcams

By: Kealan Oliver
Topics: Daily Blotter

(AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

PHILADELPHIA (CBS/AP) Was Pennsylvania's Lower Merion School District secretly spying on its students with school-issued webcams?

Photo: Harriton High School in Bryn Mawr, Pa.

A federal lawsuit filed by Blake Robbins, a student at Harriton High and his parents, claims the school remotely spied on their son at home through a webcam on a laptop the school had given him.

They found out, they said, because assistant principal Lindy Matsko told Blake Robbins that he was engaged in improper behavior at home and claimed the school had the webcam photo to prove it. The behavior was not specified in the suit.

The suit states there is evidence of "photography from the webcam embedded in minor plaintiff's personal laptop issued by the school district."

District Superintendent Christopher McGinley says the school can remotely activate webcams in laptops they give to students but said they only do so when the machines are lost or stolen.

The Robbins family doesn't buy that. They believe the cameras captured their family and others in embarrassing situations, such as getting undressed.

These alleged actions can amount to potentially illegal electronic wiretapping, said Witold J. Walczak, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania."School officials cannot, any more than police, enter into the home either electronically or physically without an invitation or a warrant," he said.

Some students are outraged.
Sophomore Tom Halpern, 15, said, "I just think it's really despicable that they have the ability to just watch me all the time."

Angry students are putting tape on their computer's webcams and microphones.

The school district's statement released late Thursday said the tracking feature would not be reactivated "without express written notification to all students and families."

The affluent district prides itself on its technology initiatives, which include giving Apple laptops to each of the approximately 2,300 students at its two high schools.

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by peterblaise February 23, 2010 9:51 AM EST: It's illegal to photograph someone's private parts in private without their permission:

http://www.google.com/search?&q=photograph+site%3Alaw.cornell.edu%2Fuscode%2F18%2F

... so, all anyone has to do it flash their private parts (or a centerfold-spread) in front of their computer's camera, then the the so-called "legit spyers" are breaking the law if they continue to use the camera.

Now show me a company or school that can get away with a unilateral contract that students or employees have to sign in order to use the laptop with camera saying that they pre-permit the school or employer to photograph the student's or employee's private parts in private so the school or employer can spy on the student or employee with impunity.

We gathered together to make a more perfect union for the people, of the people, by the people. Expecting someone to give up their privacy just to get a public education or to get and keep a job is inappropriate in any "land of the free".

However, with the current supreme court declaring corporations as first class citizens, effectively making the rest of us second class citizens, I guess we get what we paid for. Unless Obama is willing to stuff the supreme court with more than 9 justices, I doubt we'll see personal, real-human freedoms and civil rights come to front and center for a long, long time.; Reply to this comment


by Ayla87 February 22, 2010 6:08 PM EST: You're telling me the school gave laptops to every student and not one parent voiced a concern over privacy until this incident? If my child brought home electronic equipment from school I'd personally send it back the next day. There is just way too much room for abuse and error.; Reply to this comment


by lmstudent February 21, 2010 10:14 PM EST: Yes, he was given the computer. However we're only given the computers during the school year, so they don't belong to us. I heard that he either reported his own computer missing when it was not or took a loaner computer home which we're not supposed to do. Either way, my friends and I haven't heard anyone at school say they've actually seen their camera light go on. Being able to take home the computers is a really good thing and it's being ruined because of one kid.; Reply to this comment

by Clemsson February 20, 2010 7:22 PM EST

The brats who stole the schools laptops are CRIMINALS and should be in jail.

What IDIOT thinks a THIEF has an expectation of privacy on the computer HE STOLE FROM A SCHOOL?

Their hands should be chopped off and force fed to their irresponsible parents.

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by nitella40 February 20, 2010 10:09 PM EST: Wow, don't people actually read stories anymore? It says the school GAVE him the computer. Other students have seen the camera light come on and are wondering if they were also spied on. Would people like you want to have a cam that could be turned on anytime just in case you were doing something illegal? People that aren't doing anything wrong don't have to worry. Right? So volunteer.
What the school accused him of was doing pills which the entire family said were mike and ike's candies. This is despicable.


by XXXBorg February 19, 2010 11:39 PM EST: The ability the school had to monitor the webcams was being kept secret and only came out after the 1 boy was busted for something (someone from the same school says it was smoking pot in his room...but this is the web so take that with a grain of salt)
First I would like to point out it is NOT the schools job, nor is it in the schools power to spy on students at home.
Second What are the chances that they just so happen to look in on his webcam when he was doing whatever. How many other webcam were being MONITORED.
Im sure that NONE of the people monitoring the webcams EVER happen to see some of those cute little high school girls getting undressed or even having sex.
After all that would be illegal and we know the school would never over step its bounds.
I say an investigation by the FBI is in order here including a forensic scan of all of the computers involved to see if there are any pictures of any of these students on them in stages of undress or worse.
And if the FBI finds any the people responsible for those pics and the people responsible for setting up the system that allowed this to happen be Punished
1. Fines
2. Jail and/or Prison time
3. Be listed on the Sexual Offenders Registry (if peeing in public is enough to land you on the list this sure as heck is too)
4 The School Board should be SUED; Reply to this comment

by lmstudent February 19, 2010 10:17 PM EST

I'm a student at lower merion, and I think this is being completely blow out of proportion. The school is not spying on us! at the beginning of the year when we got our laptops we were told that if they were reported stolen the district would put it on a list so that when the computer was opened it would take a picture of the person who stole it. From what I hear, this kid reported his computer missing so that he would get a new one, and then proceded to smoke pot while on his computer. A picture was taken because the computer was on the missing list. Whether or not the school was right to repremand him is a different story, but the fact that they're being accused of looking at students changing is ridiculous

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by mcgroober February 20, 2010 12:36 PM EST: As you get older, you will discover that there are bad people in this world. Enjoy your youth and innocence while you can. Because reality sucks.


by small45gt February 19, 2010 7:50 PM EST: If school employees were viewing minors partly or fully undressed, or engaged in any sexual acts, they are guilty of viewing & possessing child pornography. Why are the police not seizing computers from the school district and investigating school personnel for these serious sexual crimes?

Their intent does not matter. This is a "results" type of crime. If you have the child pornography, you're guilty of possessing child pornography.

I like pornography as much as the next guy (OK, maybe more than the next guy), but all the naked bodies I view are consenting adults who willingly and knowingly got naked for my viewing pleasure.; Reply to this comment


by mcgroober February 19, 2010 5:12 PM EST: Absolutely ridiculous that these people thought this was ok or legal. Usually this type of seemingly gross ignorance is an indicator of something more sinister. The people who instigated this policy need to be carefully investigated and then fired.; Reply to this comment


by draqonfly February 19, 2010 4:53 PM EST: the school is supposed to use the webcam to DETECT the thief, then they captured a kid who engaged in an "improper behavior" and now they're making a deal out if it because they said, "McGinley says the school can remotely activate webcams in laptops they give to students but said they only do so when the machines are lost or stolen." and the laptop wasnt stolen, who said it was stolen, someone activated the cameras, then they caught the kid in a sexual behavior, but they said they are using this software for THEFT purposes, but not what they do at home.; Reply to this comment


by lesliesun February 19, 2010 4:29 PM EST: well, I am not sure about perverts. But, if anyone from the school saw any underage kids (like most of them in the high school) getting undressed or getting dressed, isn't that possible child pronography? What's to stop these people from keeping some of those pictures. What's to stop these kids from being taken advantage of?; Reply to this comment