PA
A 12-year-old girl is suing her school after teachers made her give them her Facebook password after they took exception to comments she had posted on the site.
The schoolgirl from Minnesota was, according to The Telegraph, given detention after criticising one of the school hall monitors online. She was then further punished when another pupil told staff the girl had been talking about sex online. The girl was said to be at home and on her own computer when she made the comments.
The American Civil Liberties Union have brought her case forward, saying her First and Fourth Amendment rights protecting freedom of speech and freedom from illegal searches have been violated.
The legal papers filed by the ACLU state that the girl - who has been identified only as 'RS' was 'intimidated, frightened, humiliated and sobbing while she was detained in the small school room' whilst teachers and the sheriff's deputy read her private Facebook messages.
It further claims: 'RS was extremely nervous and being called out of class and being interrogated.'
The child's mother allegedly did not grant permission for the child's messages to be read.
A spokesman for the school district said it was 'confident' that the school's conduct would be found to be 'reasonable and appropriate' once 'all facts come to light'.
What do you think?
How would you react if your children's school read your child's private Facebook messages in similar circumstances?
Or do you think the school has the right if a child is talking about fellow pupils?