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Cosmetology School Sues Student for Activity on FaceBook

Do you know the fine-line between your 1st Amendment rights and libelous, slanderous behavior on the Internet? Apparently, administrators at The Salon Professional Academy in Elgin, Ill. feel they have a case. They are suing a student for $50,000 for the unauthorized use of the schools logo and emotional damage caused by defamatory comments posted this students FaceBook page.

Nicholas Blacconiere, created the FaceBook page, TSPA Robinhood, mocking teacher and classes and offered fellow students a place to vent. Is this really an issue for the courts or couldn’t better teacher/student communications rectify matters? Evidently, similar type lawsuits are popping up on this type of thing all across the country.
“Cosmetology School Shoots Own Foot”
According to the Chicago Tribune News, “As social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and MySpace continue to consume young people’s free time, the lawsuit could set a precedent in how students are held accountable for insults posted on the Web. Those who study Internet trends say lawsuits involving so-called electronic harassmentor suck sites — pages created to mock a person or place — are on the rise. But because such technological lawsuits are a new concept, courts are just now developing guidelines for how to handle them. So far, electronic harassment cases involving schools versus students have brought mixed results.” Read more here.

What is your take? The opinions are rolling in everywhere on who’s right, who’s wrong and whose got a leg to stand on.

A salon owner writes in, “Boo-hoo!  Would you hire this student to work for you?”  And on the other side another comments,” When the school charges students $15,000 for their education, they should be above lawsuits — can’t they just ask him to take it down?

My personal take is the Cosmetology School is out of their minds for bringing so much negative attention to themselves for what appears to be some hurt feelings. Had they ignored the issue the FaceBook entries would have been seen by a handful of people, most of whom are wise enough to spot a righteous indignation rant. Instead it is being reported all across the country, because of their vindictiveness the FaceBook site will be seen by thousands. Seems to me the student has accomplished his objectives beyond his wildest imagination.

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