Family Seeks $7.5 Million Because High School Read Daughter's Texts

You aren't telling all the facts about the Mcdonald's case. Her genitals were burned beyond working any longer. She had intermal memos from Store owners and managers of corporate stores asking to turn the heat down on the coffee machines. Corporate said no. That is how and why she won the award. She is physically damanged for life and McD's knew about the problem.

The student needs to be compensated but the school and police needs to pay dearly. Fire the school administrator and all that were involved. I was a teacher 48 years and there is a better way to handle the situation.

Everyone has a constitutional right against illegaj searches and seizures (most times warrantless). However, there are EXCEPTIONS. If the authority believes the evidence might be destroyed (deleted in this cae) they need not wait for a warrant. If a drug dealer is confronted and he takes flight into his house, the house can be barrraged, because the dealer can flush, or otherwise destroy the evidence by the time the warrant is obtained.

The only this this dad needs is a flogging, then put in the corner for his time out. Or better yet, give him a dollar for NOMINAL damages!!!

This father would be the first one screaming & crying that school officials didn't do anything if his daughter were shot at school. I don't want to swear here so I'll just say what a stupid, horrible, ignorant sob this man is. Oh, I forgot lazy & greedy. I hope they lose, are humiliated & have to pay everyone's court costs. Idiots!

Everyone has a constitutional right against illegal searches and seizures per A-4 (fourth Amendment). Most times these searches are warrantless. However, there are EXCEPTIONS. If the authority believes the evidence might be destroyed (deleted in this cae) they need not wait for a warrant. If a drug dealer is confronted and he takes flight into his house, the house can be barrraged, because the dealer can flush, or otherwise destroy the evidence by the time the warrant is obtained.

The only thibg this dad needs is a flogging, then put in the corner for his time out. Or better yet, give him a dollar for NOMINAL damages!!!

Couldn't even read the article. Another instance of the huge greed and ridiculously large lawsuits that have become rampant in ruining our country.

Why do U post this crap?

People sue over everything now, this lawsuit is ridiculous i hope the family loses.

I would be curious to know if cell phones are allowed at this school. If the school had done nothing and there was an incident, they would have come under fire for doing nothing. Schools used to be a place of learning and you could send your kids without worrying about their safety, but where I live they have police officers assigned to each school! Is it any wonder our kids aren't learning anything, other than how to file a lawsuit...

"We're not entirely certain if that applies in situations where that information could prevent harm to others, but we'll leave that up to the legal types to decide".........You should be certain, it's already happened. All the details of 911 were on a laptop computer that authorities were blocked from cracking. Ironically, an American is not protected by the law that protected an accomplice of the World Trade Center bombing (a foreign national) because of the report of a "gun" and "keying cars." Apparently "killing thousands of people by crashing airplanes into buildings" wasn't important enough to open up computer files but a single gun in a school cancels consitutional protections for American citizens.

I'd sue the hell out of them tooo! Particularly if my daughter didn;t do anything like I suspect of this girl. They didn't find a thing and agrred to give her a new phone. Why the hell didn;t they just give hers back when they were finished checking it? More republican honky nonsense!!!! What a country!!!!

Cell phones shouldn't be allowed in school - as for reading her texting - she could have said no and asked her father to come to school first. However, in the meantime if a student was hurt and she had the evidence on her phone, she should be held responsible - Yes, withholding evidence IS a crime - and if cell phones are not allowed in school, confiscating is proper - I think the father is just looking for "easy" money. Or maybe they discovered some child porn on the phone - you know sexting?

Your smug and mocking tone is out of line. The man has a case. It's outrageous that they did what they did. And in the McDonald's case, that same restaurant had many complaints about their scalding coffee. The case was settled appropriately and so too will this one--notwithstanding your sophomoric tone.

I might be for the school, except for one thing: they lied. They said she consented and even helped with operating the phone for them. Consented? Three principles and a cop against this young lady? What would YOU do?

Okay, I'm confused; how is a woman spilling hot coffee in her own lap directly related to school administrative suits and three knuckle draggers browbeating a kid? This article is journalism? So-called 'journalists' beat everyone over the head with the First Amendment, but don't give a damn about the requirement for a warrant 'particularly describing' the person or property to be seized. I guess the 'journalist' couldn't find a real job, so decided that crafting trash was the path to fame and glory. Get a life, you doofus - - - get a job, cause a journalist you ain't.

Actually a student's rights ARE limited at school: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Jersey_v._T._L._O.

I don' t think they should get anything, she willing gave her phone to them, It wasn't taken from her, or court order to get the phone they asked for the phone and she gave it to them willing that's her fault for showing her privacy she old enought to know what to do if some came to me want to see my texts I call my Father first.

I hope she wins in court. Back in High School my car was searched by and Administrator and it wasn't even parked on School property. He was some sort of Ex Marine or something. No illegal fireworks were found in my car. To this day I don't know why I even let him search my car. Mr. Paar or was it Par was a real piece of work! Something has to be done to teach these Little Hitlers who work in the school system what they can and can't do. I hope this leason start with this girl!

The article says "Madelyn handed over her phone even though she "knew they could not [confiscate] it" legally. " Since most students have been raised to fear authorities, they would be afraid to hand over the phone when it was demanded. This is why search and seizure laws were passed, because of abuse by authorities. The school can't use a "danger" was present, because Madelyn did not have a gun. Keyed cars aren't a danger to people, and who knows what info the school really had. May have later said a gun was involved, trying to cover their ass.