Lower Merion School District--4th Settlement on SpyCam Cases.

[msanthrope]

Just an update--Lower Merion SD has been settling these as quietly as possible...they've not only had to pay for this case (1.5 in attorney's fees) but have another fee-intensive case: LMSD redistricted 9 Black students to Harriton High. They found a federal judge who stated that yes, the school district took race into account, but it wasn't illegal to do so.

That racial-bias case is currently under appeal.

In the meantime--

"Another webcam claim settled in Lower Merion

SNIP
The settlements include $175,000 paid to Blake Robbins, a Harriton High School student who exposed the practice in a lawsuit that drew worldwide attention. Two other students received $10,000 last year to settle claims.

The district has since implemented policies banning any tracking of laptops without the knowledge and permission of students and their parents.

SNIP--more at link
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/128247973.html

The district is also asking for dismissal of this webcam case--where nearly 4,000 shots of a kid and his family were taken-

"The complaint states that Levin’s parents and Levin received a June 8, 2010 letter from the school district’s counsel, Henry E. Hockeimer, that said an investigation revealed 4,404 webcam photographs and 3,978 screenshots, taken between September 22, 2008 to March 12, 2009, were recovered from Levin’s laptop."

http://balacynwyd.patch.com/articles/ex-harriton-student-hits-school-district-with-latest-laptop-camera-lawsuit

And so it goes.