Two years ago, a national flap ensued when the Lower Merion School District was sued by several students for invasion of privacy. Now, Paige Robbins, the sister of the original the student-plaintiff in the first webcam lawsuit, has filed her own lawsuit against the district.
Robbins claims that her school-issued computer caught compromising pictures of her and she is seeking monetary damages. The school claims the now 19-year-woman is simply engaged in a money grab.
The Lower Merion School District had issued students laptop computers. To discourage theft, the district utilized a system where the webcam would sometimes turn on and catch the image of whoever was in the frame, reports The Philadelphia Inquirer.
In the first lawsuit, Blake Robbins (Paige's brother) agreed to a $175,000 settlement after the webcam took a photo of him asleep in his bed, reports the Inquirer.
Paige Robbins claims her privacy rights were also invaded when the laptop snapped photos of her "in the bathroom, or in the nude, or partially dressed or sleeping or in her bedroom in a compromised state."
However, the school district disputes that any compromising photos of Robbins were viewed and says that Robbins waited two years to file suit just so that she could collect money.
While it's true that Paige Robbins was running into the two-year statute of limitations period, this fact alone does not mean that her lawsuit has no merit.
The statute of limitations means the time limit that someone can bring a lawsuit. If you are injured, you do not have forever to file suit. Instead, depending upon your claim, you have certain deadlines you have to meet.
In the case of a personal injury like invasion of privacy, Paige Robbins had two years to sue. The fact that she waited two years really has no bearing on her credibility. She could have waited to sue for strategic reasons or simply because she was lazy or even just reluctant. It doesn't matter so long as she files on time.
Paige Robbins is the latest (and the school hopes last) webcam lawsuit against the Lower Merion School District. Even if there are other potential plaintiffs out there, they will soon run out of time to sue.
Related Resources:
- Find a Philadelphia Personal Injury Attorney (FindLaw)
- Laptop Lawsuit Redux: Robbins Family Sues School District Again (Patch)
- Ten Commonly Asked Questions on Student Rights (FindLaw)
- Lower Merion School District Sued Again Over School Spying (FindLaw's Philadelphia Personal Injury Law Blog)
- Ask A Question about Personal Injury now (FindLaw Answers)
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