Some Lower Merion parents seek to reduce potential cost of ‘laptop spying’ lawsuit

The group meeting last night consists primarily of families who
want to see the laptop lawsuit settled in a way that changes school
district policy without costing everyone an arm and a leg.

More than a hundred Lower Merion high school parents — concerned that a lawsuit over alleged computer spying could drain the school district’s coffers — met in Narberth last night. WHYY’s Jennifer Lynn reports many want to intervene in the case.

At issue is a suit filed last month alleging the district spied on a
15-year old through the webcam of his school-issued laptop. The student’s
lawyer wants the court to certify the case as a class-action, in effect
making every high school parent a plaintiff.

The group meeting last night consists primarily of families who
want to see the laptop lawsuit settled in a way that changes school
district policy without costing everyone an arm and a leg.

Organizer Michael Boni says he’s hearing from families who want to
intervene by taking the class action element out of the case. The suit
would then lose steam and be less costly.

“We have solidarity in the view that the school district needs
to be held accountable, of course. We just want it done in a way that is
inexpensive and efficient.”

The group is in what Boni calls a grassroots phase, collecting signatures
for a petition to see to it that the lawsuit is never certified as a
class action. He says attorneys working with the parents group have
offered their services pro bono.

The district says the cameras were activated only in attempts to track
down lost of stolen laptops.