Students worry about a lawsuit’s allegation that school district is spying on them

Like many other students Harriton senior Michael Selarnick keeps his laptop open nearly everywhere, nearly all the time. And now he’s worried.

The parents of a Harriton High student are suing the Lower Merion School District. In a federal lawsuit, the parents say officials used the webcam on a school-issued laptop to spy on their son.
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Like many other students Harriton senior Michael Selarnick keeps his laptop open nearly everywhere, nearly all the time. And now he’s worried.

Selarnick: When I’m in my room and I’m on my computer and I’m on the internet looking up sports and I’ve just gotten out of the shower and I’m dressing myself I would never expect for anybody to be watching me.

The laptop lawsuit has raised red flags for parents, too.

Rosemary Zurzolo has two daughters at Harriton. She says she was shocked when her husband told her about the allegations.

Zurzolo: I thought that was really infringing on somebody’s privacy. I was very shocked that they could do that. And would do that.

Zurzolo worries about her daughter Casey, who’s a sophomore.

Zurzolo: If they can do that, they can do that with anybody and my daughter always has her laptop open. So you know she’s in her room doing her homework you know, then she takes a shower and you know her laptop is just open all the time.

Zurzolo’s other daughter, Marissa, says she plans to put post it notes over the webcam’s lens.