A Minnesota school district has agreed to pay a settlement of $70,000 after a student claimed they violated her constitutional rights.
Back in 2012, Riley Stratton, now 15, posted a status on her Facebook saying she did not like her teacher’s aide. She was not on a school computer and was at home.
“I posted on my Facebook and said I didn’t like this Kathy person,” Stratton told ABC News. “I hated this Kathy person because she was mean.”
After the post was published, school officials gave Stratton detention and made her write an apology letter. The school then demanded that Stratton give them her Facebook password.
“I didn’t want detention, so I had to give them this,” Stratton said.
According to the New York Daily News, the school searched through her profile, claiming they were checking her for cyber bullying. Stratton is reportedly being home schooled because of the ordeal.
As part of the $70,000 settlement, the school district will have to retrain its teachers about a student’s constitutional rights as well as change their policy about social media.