School Superintendent Eric Witherspoon warned students and informed Evanston Township High School staff that students could be prosecuted for posting "malicious" content on a Facebook page named "Evanston Rats," according to the Chicago Tribune. That means that cyberbullies better watch out.
And according to the article, police also have gotten involved. So what's the big deal?
It may seem odd that someone would have to call a Chicago criminal attorney because of something they typed on Facebook. But the Cyberbullying Research Center shows just how hurtful this form of harassment can be. Cyberbullies can do a lot of damage.
The "Evanston Rats" page, which once had about 400 fans, appears to have been removed from the popular online networking site. It was described as a page "to tell you all about people in Evanston," but school personnel were notified more than a week ago that malicious and factually incorrect information had been posted.
Furthermore, they said many of the postings caused "embarrassment, humiliation and harm to many people." Eric Witherspoon made it clear that students engaging in such behavior could face a 10-day suspension, be barred from the prom or graduation, or expelled from school.
Getting "in trouble" at school is one thing, but he also warned about possible criminal prosecution:
"The police can subpoena the name and IP address of the account from which the Facebook page was created. The identity of every person that has visited the site can be documented by the authorities. People could be prosecuted."
In fact, a 2008 Illinois law specifically outlaws the creation of a web site or page that is intended to "torment or terrorize" a specific individual. The law has been in effect since Jan. 1, 2009.
If you have specific questions on what constitutes cyberbullying, it may help to speak with a Chicago criminal attorney. For more general information about cyberbullying, please visit our Related Resources links.
Related Resources:
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Cyberbullying: A Rundown of Cyberbullying Laws (FindLaw's Law & Daily Life Blog)
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Cyberbullying Suicide: How Do You Protect Your Kids? (FindLaw's Law & Daily Life Blog)
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Find a Chicago Criminal Defense Attorney (FindLaw)
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