The other day I reported on a class action lawsuit (PDF link) being filed against the Lower Merion School District over the discovery that the school district could remotely activate the webcams in the 2300 laptops it had issued to students.  The information came to light when 15-year-old Blake Robbins was called to the Asst. principals office and was accused of “improper behavior in his home.”  As evidence of his poor behavior, he was presented with prints outs of images taken from a laptop’s webcam.

District spokesman Doug Young said that the cameras had been activated 42 times in the past 18-months in an effort to to find lost or stolen computers, of which 18 had been recovered.  Although Mr. Young would not specify why this particular camera that saw Mr. Robbins had been activated, he told the Associated Press, “infer what you want.”  However, according to Philly.com, Mr. Robbins told the media gathered outside of his home recently that the image was of him eating Mike & Ike candies, which the school mistook for illegal pills.

Whatever the case may be in the situation with Mr. Robbins, the school district’s ability to activate the cameras had never been revealed to the students or their families in any way.  This has now gotten the attention of both the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Montgomery County detectives over the possibility that the school violated both wiretapping and computer-intrusion laws.

The school district reports that the software which allowed them to remotely activate the camera’s has now been deactivated, but that isn’t putting any student’s minds at ease.  Reportedly the students have begun placing tape over the webcams built into their school-issued Apple laptops, and who can blame them?  The school has given permission for the students to cover the cameras, but, honestly, did they have a choice at this point in time?  And furthermore, if I was a student in this school district, they would be finding the laptop on their front lawn the moment I learned they could do this.

Dr. Christopher W. McGinley, the superintendent of the school district, has released a letter and a list of answers to frequently asked questions, one of which somewhat supports Mr. Robbins claims about the candies if you read between the lines (which you kind of have to do with each of his very carefully worded answers):

1. Did an assistant principal at Harriton ever have the ability to remotely monitor a student at home? Did she utilize a photo taken by a school-issued laptop to discipline a student?

• No. At no time did any high school administrator have the ability or actually access the security- tracking software. We believe that the administrator at Harriton has been unfairly portrayed and unjustly attacked in connection with her attempts to be supportive of a student and his family. The district never did and never would use such tactics as a basis for disciplinary action.

Well, that’s nice and all, but the Asst. principal was never accused of being the one to access the camera, she simply had a print out of the image. Secondly, the lawsuit never mentions disciplinary action, it just says he was accused of “improper behavior in his home.”  And, I’m sorry, but being “supportive of a student and his family” involves showing a teenage boy an image that proves we can see in to your home?  Oh, I feel all warm and safe now!

No matter how you slice it, the school district messed up, and it messed up in a spectacular fashion.  No matter what Mr. Robbins did or did not do is not the point here.  The point is that a school district, no matter how altruistic its motives may have been, hid software capable of spying on someone in their own home without their knowledge.  Dr. McGinley admits it was wrong of them to not inform the students and their families of the software, which he fully admits they did not, and this shows such a spectacular lack of judgement that I would question every thing to do with this school system at this point.

A school is somewhere you are supposed to be able to send your children and feel safe in doing so.  Knowing that the school saw no problem in keeping vital information from you such as, “Oh, by the way, we can look at your child any time we want, even at home, without telling you” just goes beyond the pale.

Again I say, this is not about Mr. Robbins and what he may or may not have done, but it is very distinctly about a growing and worrying trend of schools overstepping the boundaries of common sensibilities.  What’s next?  Handcuffing a 12-year-old for doodling on her desk?  Oh … wait … that already happened.  Okay, how about handcuffing a six-year-old for throwing a temper tantrum?  Surely they wouldn’t … oh … dang it.

In short … are you sure you know what your public school is doing to “protect” your kids?

Post from: SeanPAune.com

Pennsylvania School Being Investigated For Wiretapping Over Webcam Access

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Haley Shalansky, a six-year-old first grader in Port St. Lucie, Fla. was handcuffed at Parkway Elementary on Fed. 3rd after throwing a tantrum. Because she only weight 37 lbs, both of her wrists were put into the same cuff, causing bruising.  According to a report on WPBF, the following day the girl threw another tantrum and reportedly hit the school principal who is eight months pregnant.  At that point the young girl was removed from school and taken to New Horizons mental health facility to be committed.

Reading over the two sides of the story, they differ greatly, but I think the only thing they do agree on is that the girl does have behavioral issues.  That being said, she needed to be handcuffed?  She needed to be “committed”?  They couldn’t have called her parents and simply told them to pick her up?  The school says that they have attempted multiple times to arrange meetings with the parents regarding Hayley’s behavior, but the parents have failed to show up for any of them.  Okay, fine, problem there, but that doesn’t excuse the seeming extreme measures the school took in the situations.

According to TCPalm, the parents, Kathy Franklin and Mickey Shalansky, have a history of problems with the school district, and were even arrested last year for failure to appear in truancy court when a nine-year-old daughter missed 17 days of school without doctor’s notes.  It doesn’t sound like these two are going to win any parenting awards, I get that, but simply going by the facts, the school and authorities mis-handled this situation.

The sheriff’s department claims that they handcuffed the girl to keep her from harming herself, but that still doesn’t seem like something that falls under their purview.  Why wasn’t child protective services called?  You leap immediately from tantrums to a mental institution?

I called my 89-year-old grandmother who is a retired school teacher.  She taught in inner city Phoenix and her class was made up exclusively of the students the school felt were “lost causes”, she dealt with weapons, tantrums and every other scenario you can think of under the sun, and even she thought this situation was handled incorrectly.  Her biggest issue was the handcuffing of the girl, “Her fight-or-flight instinct would have kicked in and she would have ended up harming herself even worse due to just her instincts taking over.”  I asked her if she would have ever had a child handcuffed for throwing a tantrum to which she replied, “Sean, I didn’t have them handcuffed for weapons, tantrums you just ignore.”

My grandmother is what you call “a tough cookie.”

This is the second case of a student being handcuffed in as many weeks.  The other case happened in Queens, NY where Alexa Gonzalez was taken away in handcuffs for doodling on a desk in erasable marker.  What is happening in our public schools?  When did handcuffing a student become a common practice for situations that would have previously called for detentions or just speaking to a mental health worker?  By today’s standards I’m not sure what would have happened to me in school.  I was well-known to school officials for my lack of respect and desire to question their authority.  True, I never threw things or damaged school property, but I probably would have been hauled off in handcuffs at some point.

Have schools lost so much control that they now have to rule by intimidation and fear of retribution?  Something is wrong in our schools, folks, and it isn’t the kids.

Thanks to Jo from Jo’s Cafe for bringing this story to my attention.

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Six-Year-Old Girl Handcuffed And Sent To Mental Institution For Tantrums

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Alexa Gonzalez, a 12-year-old girl from Queens, New York, was recently taken out of her school in handcuffs and walked over to a police prescient across from her school.  Once there she was detained for several hours until she was released to her mother.

Her crime?  She doodled on her school desk with erasable marker.

According to the New York Daily News, Ms. Gonzalez scribbled on her desk, again, in erasable marker, “I love my friends Abby and Faith” and “Lex was here. 2/1/10″ followed by a smiley face.  Upon discovery of the doodles, the police were called and that was when she was escorted from the school in handcuffs.

She is currently suspended from school and has gone to family court where her sentence was eight hours of community service, a book report and an essay about what she has learned from the experience.

Excuse me, but what in the heck is going on here?

Don’t get me wrong, the girl shouldn’t have doodled on her desk, but it was erasable.  Whatever happened to the teacher saying something like, “Ms. Gonzalez, you’re going to have to clean that up and you have after school detention”?  Since when was the proper procedure to handcuff a pre-teen causing her emotional anguish over some doodles? David Cantor, a spokesman for the Education Department, said, “We’re looking at the facts. Based on what we’ve seen so far, this shouldn’t have happened.”

Gee … you think?

What about the police, though? They are also coupable in this disgrace. “Even when we’re asked to make an arrest, common sense should prevail, and discretion used in deciding whether an arrest or handcuffs are really necessary,” said police spokesman Paul Browne.

Again … you think?

I don’t even agree with the suspension, and I certainly don’t agree with the sentence that family court handed down. All any of this has done is to make Ms. Gonzalez distrustful of the school and justice systems, and with good reason.  They were doodles, in erasable marker … make her clean them up, give her detention, end of story.

Admittedly we have not heard if Ms. Gonzalez had prior disciplinary problems, but it doesn’t sound as if she had, and even then, involving the police, let alone the handcuffs, are excessive unless she got violent and threw a fit.  Again, it does not sound like she did either of those things.

Where has common sense gone?  I can see one person failing in their thought process, but this took multiple people to act like idiots.  Did no one in this process not go, “Um … she doodled … that’s it.”  Nope, multiple people seem to have all lost sense of their faculties and gone along with this farce.

Someone stop the world, I wanna get off.

Post from: SeanPAune.com

Alexa Gonzalez Handcuffed For Doodling On A Desk

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According to Vanity Fair, the biggest money earning individual in Hollywood in 2009 was Michael Bay, director of Transformers Revenge of the Fallen.  His income apparently came from the following sources

• $75 million: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (back-end profit participation for directing and producing, based on worldwide box-office gross of $835 million)
• $28 million: Transformers: R.O.T.F. (share of estimated $280 million in DVD revenue)
• $12.5 million: Transformers: R.O.T.F. (share of toy and other licensing royalties)
• $4 million: Friday the 13th (back end for producing, based on worldwide gross of $90 million, and share of DVD)
• $2 million: The Unborn (back end for producing, based on worldwide gross of $77 million, and share of DVD)
• $2 million: A Nightmare on Elm Street (fee for producing inexplicable remake)
• $1.5 million: Royalties from older films, other income

While I think the whole thing is fairly silly, the part that is blowing me away is the fact he earned $12.5 million from a share of the toys and licensing … excuse me?

Michael Bay is brought in to make a movie based on characters he had nothing to do with.  He has to go to Hasbro, the makers of the toys, before each film to discuss with them what characters they will allow him to use.  So how in the world is he getting paid a cut of the toys, let alone licensing fees for the characters to be used elsewhere?  He didn’t create Optimus Prime, Megatron, Bumblebee or any of the others, so why should he be getting paid a dime?

The other stuff he earned … oh well, whatever, when you have no talent beyond making things look pretty when they explode, I guess you have to play to your strengths, and if it makes you some money in the meantime, why not?

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Michael Bay Earns $125 Million In 2009

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Lets get this out of the way first: the tragedy in Haiti is mind numbing in its magnitude.  Some estimates put the death toll at north of 500,000, and that is a number that is almost too large for the human mind to comprehend.  My heart goes out to the people of Haiti as they try to work through this horrific tragedy.

However, people like Pat Robertson are not helping.

In a recent segment on the Christian Broadcasting Network, Mr. Robertson said the following in regards to the tragedy in Haiti:

And, you know, Kristi, something happened a long time ago in Haiti, and people might not want to talk about it. They were under the heel of the French. You know, Napoleon III and whatever. And they got together and swore a pact to the devil. They said, “We will serve you if you will get us free from the French.” True story. And so, the devil said, “OK, it’s a deal.”

My personal favorite moment is when he says, “True story.” Really? You have documented proof of this, Mr. Robertson? Is it notarized by the Notary Public of Hell?

Where do you even start with how wrong this whole thing is?  Not only does he talk about some supposed pact with the Devil (true story!), but he calls the earthquake “a blessing in disguise” in the full video clip below.  Mr. Robertson, you sir, are an asshat.  Plain and simple.  Why, I would go so far as to call you the King of the Asshats.  Wear your crown with pride, sir.

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Pat Robertson Haiti Comments

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In the past U2 has allowed its manager, Paul McGuinness, to be the mouthpiece any time the band wanted to make pointed comments about the evils of file sharing.  He has never measured his words and even likened ISPs to shoplifters.  However, over the weekend, U2 front man Bono decided to finally speak for himself in an editorial he wrote for The New York Times.

Caution! The only thing protecting the movie and TV industries from the fate that has befallen music and indeed the newspaper business is the size of the files. The immutable laws of bandwidth tell us we’re just a few years away from being able to download an entire season of “24” in 24 seconds. Many will expect to get it free.

A decade’s worth of music file-sharing and swiping has made clear that the people it hurts are the creators — in this case, the young, fledgling songwriters who can’t live off ticket and T-shirt sales like the least sympathetic among us — and the people this reverse Robin Hooding benefits are rich service providers, whose swollen profits perfectly mirror the lost receipts of the music business.

We’re the post office, they tell us; who knows what’s in the brown-paper packages? But we know from America’s noble effort to stop child pornography, not to mention China’s ignoble effort to suppress online dissent, that it’s perfectly possible to track content. Perhaps movie moguls will succeed where musicians and their moguls have failed so far, and rally America to defend the most creative economy in the world, where music, film, TV and video games help to account for nearly 4 percent of gross domestic product. Note to self: Don’t get over-rewarded rock stars on this bully pulpit, or famous actors; find the next Cole Porter, if he/she hasn’t already left to write jingles.

Where do I even begin with how wrong he’s gotten this whole thing?

The fight to stop child pornography online is a very different creature than fighting copyright infringement that uses completely different technology.  Most file sharing is done via peer-to-peer software across what are known as BitTorrent services.  (I explained in-depth how the technology works in a past article, so you can go there if you want to read the full description.)  Most child pornography is traded in private message boards and not across open networks such as BitTorrent so that the parties involved can keep a closer eye on who is involved in the file trading.

In other words, Bono is comparing apples and oranges when it comes to technology and the manners in which those people can be hunted down and stopped.  As for the example he cites in China, again, apples and oranges.  His complete lack of understanding of the fundamentals of how file sharing is done is atrocious for a man who is putting himself out there at the forefront of the fight.  If you’re going to speak publicly on such matters, you might want to at least have a basic understanding of the subject at hand.

Note to self: Don’t get over-rewarded rock stars on this bully pulpit, or famous actors; find the next Cole Porter, if he/she hasn’t already left to write jingles.

I quoted this part again because the whole self-deprecating aspect of this was just so heavy-handed and an obvious attempt at trying to deflect any criticism of his saying all of this as to make it laughable.

Big rock stars have not had much luck taking on music piracy, just ask Lars Ulrich of Metallica how it worked out for him and his band.  They were some of the biggest critics of Napster back in the day, and it took them years to recover from the backlash of music fans that couldn’t stand the idea of one of the richest musicians in the world telling them how sharing music with one another was wrong.  Yeah, it didn’t work out too well for them, and it won’t work too well for you either, Bono.

The other issue is if you talk to small bands  – their interviews are all over the Web — they like file sharing.  Getting to be a known band in this day and age without major label support is next to impossible.  File sharing has provided them with a grassroots way to promote their work, and, in turn, get people to come to their shows and buy t-shirts.  This is where the real money is made for any act as the royalties paid on music are tiny at best, hence why t-shirts cost $25 at shows when it costs them only a dollar or two to produce them.  (note: I’ve been involved in t-shirt manufacturing … trust me on the cost …)

I spoke recently about how Bono is an idiot after the U2 concert was shown on YouTube.  Basically this man can’t open his mouth any more without sticking his foot in up to his ankle.  His inflated sense of self-importance has reached a point of sickening.  Whether it’s about how “green” his band is, or how he has no understanding about the evil technology he has chosen to attack, this guy really should just shut up before he makes himself look like an even bigger fool.

Post from: SeanPAune.com

Bono Is A Tool

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The evidence is growing that the government and security are at fault for Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab getting the opportunity to set burn himself in his failed terrorist attack on a flight arriving in Detroit, Michigan.  Thankfully the flight crew and passengers reacted quickly to thwart disaster, but it also appears that there were mistakes made well before he tried detonating his device.

According to CNN, Umaru Abdul Mutallab, father of the would be terrorist, contacted. the U.S. Embassy weeks before the attack with concerns that his son was going to attempt something.  A source also told CNN that Umaru had contacted other security agencies possibly up to three months ago about his worries over a text message his son had sent him about going to Yemen.

Umar was placed on a watch list, but not the “no fly” list.  He was allowed to keep his passport and visa which allowed him to board that Northwest flight that he tried to bring down.  Authorities are saying they didn’t have enough evidence to take these actions.

Bull.

If a family is coming to you and saying, “Hey, we think our son has fallen in with a bad crowd, we think he is talking with terrorists and we think he is going to take action,” then you do something about it.  I mean, I certainly don’t have access to how many such reports security agencies get like this, but I would think if a father is telling you they think their son has turned to terrorism, I think I would give it a bit more credence than some random report.

Add to this he was on a watch list, why was he not checked more throughly before his flight?  Was he pulled aside for extra screening?  The government of the Netherlands is saying they did everything properly, but have they released security tapes to show us this?

So now we all get punished with new regulations due to government officials not taking a threat seriously enough.  From Air Canada’s Web site:

New rules imposed by the U.S. Transportation Security Administration also limit on-board activities by customers and crew in U.S. airspace that may adversely impact on-board service. Among other things, during the final hour of flight customers must remain seated, will not be allowed to access carry-on baggage, or have personal belongings or other items on their laps.

This means no going to the bathroom folks.  Ever tried with a small child?  I haven’t, but I have observed enough of it to know this is not going to go over well with parents.  No accessing carry-on baggage?  Hope you don’t need to change a diaper.  Have type-1 diabetes?  Hope you don’t need an insulin shot.

Thus far these has been no word on these rules being put in place for domestic flights inside the United States or on outbound international flights, but I would be surprised to see some of these pop up this week.

I am all for safety, don’t get me wrong on that, but I find it infuriating that everyone is so quick to put new rules in place on the travelers as opposed to looking into what went wrong with the reports that were made about this man before he even boarded a flight.  Are these investigations coming?  Will they be made public?  Who knows, but until then, lets make sure we treat every air passenger as a criminal … and don’t you dare go to the bathroom.

Post from: SeanPAune.com

Even More Pointless Flight Security Regulations

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Last Christmas we had this “church” telling us Santa is Satanic and a pedophile, this year they’re planning to protest a Lady Gaga concert.  You can read the “press release” below.

I mean, sure I’m tired of hearing Lady Gaga everywhere I go, but I don’t feel the urge to protest her. Oh, wait, that isn’t why they’re protesting her? My bad.

Okay, I get it, they’re going after her “fashion sense”!  No?  Close?

So, they say she is teaching “rebellion.”  What, she’s buying her fans X-Wings and they’re going after the Death Star?  Again, no?  Man, I’m horrible at this game!

Okay, okay … they’re desperately seeking even more media attention for their crazy religious antics by going after a currently popular singer?  YAY!  I think I got it this time!

I was looking at the church schedule for protests (I refuse to link to them as it only helps them and their domain name is offensive … find it for yourselves), and the list is just filled with nonsensical rantings.  Not to mention the protest of the Lady Gaga concert is their third protest of the day.  Here is the description of the protest, it varies somewhat from the press release above: (formatting by them, enjoy)

Lady Gaga Concert at Fox Theatre 527 N. Grand Blvd. — Press Release: http://tiny.cc/LGSTL — “Lady” Gaga has no qualms about displaying her filth for all the world to see, using the platform given to her by God to teach rebellion against Him. She loudly and proudly proclaims her fornication and “sexual relations with women,” saying that she wants to “free” and “liberate” her young fans. Gag! She glories in her shame, encourages everyone she can get her hands on to do the same, and pretends that God is just great to go along with her plan. She wasn’t lying, however, when she said, “This is for God and the gays,” during the MTV VMA’s. What she meant by that was: “In your face, God! You can call gays abominable, but here I stand, Best New Artist, and I say gays are great!” There’s nothing new about the antics of this silly girl; she got here late! Like the many whores who came before her, “Lady of the night” Gaga thinks she can change God by teaching you to hate Him and “liberating” you from His standards. And like those whores, she will not escape the destruction that awaits her for her hatred and deceit. “Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore shall they fall among them that fall: in the time of their visitation they shall be cast down, saith the LORD.” Jer. 8:12. And to all those that would follow the example of this treacherous tart, know that God’s curses abide on the disobedient. That includes this warning from God: “And if ye will not for all this hearken unto me, but walk contrary unto me; Then I will walk contrary unto you also in fury; and I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins. And ye shall eat the flesh of your sons, and the flesh of your daughters shall ye eat. And I will destroy your high places, and cut down your images, and cast your carcases upon the carcases of your idols, and my soul shall abhor you.” Lev. 26:27-30. Catch that? Because you won’t obey, God will cause you to eat your children, He’ll cast your dead bodies on those of your idols, and He’ll abhor you. Obeying God is your only recourse at this hour. But because you heed the words of stupid rebels like Lady Gaga INSTEAD of the God who created you, this generation is doomed.

It’s fine that Fred Phelps, the head of the church, is a nut job, but how in the world does he find enough followers to actually listen to him?

The thing is, I don’t even care that much for Lady Gaga’s pop music, but I kinda wanna go to this St. Louis concert now … thanks, Westboro Baptist Church!

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Westboro Baptist Church Plans To Protest Lady Gaga

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Yes folks, it’s Dec. 23rd, and that means it is once again time to celebrate Festivus – “A festival for the rest of us”.  As I have talked about this in 2006, 2007 and 2008, this the holiday that was made up on the television series Seinfeld, and is possibly one of the only things about that show I found truly funny.

The idea is that it is a holiday like Christmas, except it doesn’t have all the gift giving associated with it.  Instead you do things like have the Airing of Grievances, since I air my grievances daily on this site, I don’t really need it.  There is also the Feats of Strength, but I don’t really feel like wrestling my father.  There is also a dinner, an aluminum Festivus pole in place of a tree and the hope of Festivus Miracles, but really, it’s just about taking a winter holiday back to being simple.

Each year I say how I hope to not be so tied to buying gifts for people, and yet every year I give in.  Course, it doesn’t help I usually forget about Festivus until the day before, and by then I’ve already given in to the gift giving, so what ya gonna do?

In short, I just hope as you all gather over the next few days with your friends and family, you remember that it is they who are important, and not the gift they bought you from Amazon.  If grandma knitted you a sweater, don’t be disappointed, just remember she knitted it with love, and honestly, is there anything in this world that will keep you warmer than a sweater knitted with love?

Post from: SeanPAune.com

Do You Have Your Festivus Pole Out?

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Amanda Watkins, a 38-year-old mother and teacher at Sheffield Jr. High School in Alabama, has been arrested on second degree rape charges.  According to the Shoals Insider, Ms. Watkins was discovered Saturday night by the police in a vehicle parked near the Covenant Christian school, off of Hwy. 43 in Muscle Shoals.

The officers responded to an alarm at the Christian school, and upon arrival they noticed a car with heavily fogged windows.  When the police approached the car, they discovered Ms. Watkins engaged in sexual activity with a 15-year-old African-American male.  It has now been confirmed the boy was in one of Ms. Watkins’ classes during the 2008 – 2009 school year.

Ms. Watkins has been placed on administrative leave from teaching 8th grade English and reading classes pending this investigation.  Although, it has been reported that Ms. Watkins has made a full confession, this has not yet been confirmed by an official source on the record.

She has been charged with sodomy and rape in the second degree, which is a class B felony and carries a sentence of 2-20 years imprisonment.  Upon her release she would be monitored and required to register as a sex offender.

Ms. Watkins has been released from jail on $15,000 bond.

These two now join the roll call of teacher sex scandals for 2009!

• Christine McCallum, Boston, MA
• Lisa Lavoie, Holyoke, MA
• Christy Lynn Martin, St. Petersburg, FL
• Linda Nef and Valynne Bowers, Bountiful, UT
• Sarah L. Tolzien, Richton Park, IL
• Autumn Faulkner, Randolph County, WV
• Lindsay Massaro, Hackettstown, NJ
• Lauren Breslin, Vineland, NJ
• Kristina Anna Baeta, Union City, CA
• Raeanna Jewell, Apache Junction, AZ
• Jennifer Lea Burton, Orangefield, TX
• Tamara Hofmann, Chandler, AZ
• Jennifer Marie Collier, Jacksonville, FL
• Gina Marie Watring, Durham, NC
• Alison M. Peck, Greenfield, MO
• Maria Guman Hernandez, Hialeah, FL
• Helen Goddard, London, UK
• Amy Rita Ellsworth & Brian Drake, Waterford, MI
• Alini Brito & Cindy Mauro, Brooklyn, NY

Post from: SeanPAune.com

38-Year-Old Alabama Teacher Charged With Rape Of Student

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