Student nabbed for classroom photo: Free-speech case, or rule-breaker?
From our story on the site today (and note, here’s a more updated story):
Seven grainy images of a teacher at her desk in a Lafayette High School classroom are at the center of a lawsuit filed by the student who took the photos and posted them on the Internet.
The lawsuit alleges that school officials violated constitutional rights of free speech and free expression when they disciplined the student, a sophomore, after learning of the incident.
The Rockwood School District, however, claims the student was suspended for disruptive behavior that violated school rules. They assert the boy and two fellow classmates scammed the teacher, Jessica Hauser, in order to take the pictures last month in a language arts class.
You’re the judge. You rule on the case.
Update: It was not a cell phone photo as earlier headline said. Regular camera.



Kurt is the director of social media for the Post-Dispatch, where he has worked since August 2002. He's been a journalist since 1982, covering municipal government, courts, education and two hurricanes as a reporter before becoming an editor.
Not enough info. How did they “scam” the teacher exactly?
But for the heck of it, here are some thoughts:
Can you publish photos of someone without their consent (and I assume by posting the photos on the internet they have been published by this kid)? Maybe the teacher ought to sue the kid and see how he reacts then…
What the school needs is someone in the class to say they were “offended” by the actions of the picture taker. After all, if even one student is “upset” about a moment of quiet during the day when someone could be (GASP!) praying, then all it should take is one kid to be bothered about this kid’s actions and the ACLU will have picture taking banned forever…