Legal, Suspension, or Jail time

<p>Okay I did something really stupid. To cut the long story short I have done some many idiotic actions this past month. It mainly involved imperosnation of kids in my hs online (id make a fake screenname thats like the real one) and IM the kids pretending to be the kid I impersonated. After I got caught obviously those being impersonated got angry. I replied, from online of course, calling them all sorts of names (some sexual). So in the end, I impersonated 2 people and now one of them and another person claim they will take the story to the guidance counselor. Keep in mind I did this all from home. Did I do anything the school would have the legal right to suspend me for? Or did I do anything illegal that the cops could get involved? Or both? Thank you and please dont berate me I know what I did was wrong.</p>

<p>Can someone please help I have till Monday Morning!</p>

<p>Yes, depending on your high school's rules you could be suspended or even expelled. You also could be sued for slander. Yes, you might also face legal charges.</p>

<p>And what's even much worse, your insensitive, thoughtless actions could contribute to a student's committing suicide. Don't believe me? Read this from the Herald Tribune in Florida.</p>

<p>Instead of worrying about saving your butt, take the time to think about what you can do to help those whom you harmed heal.</p>

<p>"CAPE CORAL -- Debbie Johnston is out of breath and just hanging up the phone when she opens the door to her home.</p>

<p>"We have to go back to Tallahassee today. They're hearing the bill again tomorrow....."</p>

<p>Two years have passed since her son, Jeff, hanged himself by his book bag strap in his bedroom closet.</p>

<p>Two years since she found him there. Two years since she became obsessed with preventing it from happening again.</p>

<p>Johnston, mother to six others, has with sheer will and perseverance brought the Legislature to what looks like certain passage this year of Florida's first anti-bullying policy, one that targets why she thinks her son killed himself at age 15.</p>

<p>Jeff's classmates used the Internet to torment him, calling him a faggot, a stalker and a creep. It lasted for three years.</p>

<p>Johnston knew about the bullying and the effect it was having on her son, but even though she was a teacher she could not stop it or get the school to take action.</p>

<p>The proposed bill would obligate schools to address cases of Internet bullying and give them the authority to punish students who bully others, even if they're using computers at home...."
<a href="http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070410/NEWS/704100418/1060%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070410/NEWS/704100418/1060&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>LOL...are you 10 years old...impersonating people online. Haven't heard that in a while.</p>

<p>You're worried about 2 things.</p>

<ol>
<li>Impersonating people</li>
<li>Verbally abusing them</li>
</ol>

<p>You said you made a fake screenname that was similar to the real one. I don't think anyone can fault you for that AS LONG AS YOU DIDN'T HACK THE REAL ACCOUNT. If the people you were talking to were dumb enough not to check the screenname properly, it's their own business. So I don't think the cops could get involved unless you tried to steal their SSN or credit card #. </p>

<p>The verbal abuse was dumb, though. It won't reflect well on your character in your GC's report or teacher recs if the whole thing blows up. I guess the best thing to do is apologize profusely, tell them you were having a little fun with the screennames and that you lost your head with the verbal abuse. </p>

<p>Never thought i'd see a post like this on CC...hahaha</p>

<p>Edit: After reading NSM's article, I guess you are in a bit of trouble. Then again, the boy shouldn't have been so obssessed with what was posted on the internet. As long as he was protected by the school bullying policy in real life, he was pretty much free and clear. Hit the books and lay off the internet. That's my motto.</p>

<p>Well I go to a public school the rules are sorta vague on this one</p>

<p>People used to do that kind of stuff in middle school. You deserve what ever is coming to you. Probably sexual harassment and some other stuff, learn your lesson.</p>

<p>well they had the ability to block me on AIM so is it legally sexual harassment?</p>

<p>You should be fine as long as you don't live in Florida. Check up on your state's/school board's "anti-online-bullying" laws. </p>

<p>Try to diffuse the situation if it blows up. If you know they are on their way to the GC, get there fast and make sure the GC hears your version first. Be humble and repentant (or at least appear to be). If you're young and dumb they like to see that you're sorry and that you've learnt your lesson.</p>

<p>i dont i live in the northeast</p>

<p>"After reading NSM's article, I guess you are in a bit of trouble. Then again, the boy shouldn't have been so obssessed with what was posted on the internet. "</p>

<p>I had the occasion to meet Jeffrey's mom and to meet some of his friends. The bully did things like impersonate various people on-line and then contacted Jeffrey's friends, spread lies about Jeffrey to them (such as saying that Jeff was saying vicious things about them to other people), and the friends ended their relations with Jeffrey. The bully even tracked down Jeffrey's friends who had moved to other schools and told the lies to them.</p>

<p>What the bully did basically wrecked Jeffrey's life.</p>

<p>Bullying is one of the cruelest things that anyone can do to another, and the scars can last far into adulthood. I hope that Introuble has the decency to start caring about how his behavior hurt other people, and I hope he has the decency to do what he can to help the people he hurt heal. </p>

<p>I also hope that his school and the legal system holds him accountable for what he did. Perhaps by seeing the OP be held accountable for his actions, other people will be deterred from doing similar insensitive things.</p>

<p>Well it was on a different level NSM. I mean I understand it was cruel but it wasnt to the point of destroying someone else's life. Also, I dont know if the school itself could have me suspended. I know its not slander cuz that requires newspaper/ mass spreading. Neither of which I did. However, is it still considered harassment if the ppl could block me on AIM?</p>

<p>No family should have to deal with anything like that, but I'm just saying there are ways to deal with this. Talk to your friends in real life and make sure they know you're not the backstabbing type. Anything is better than killing yourself.</p>

<p>Edit: OP, you just don't get it. What you did is no different from what happened in that article, except that the consequences haven't come back to bite you in the rear end yet. You can't possibly get out of this scot free so you might as well come clean with your GC.</p>

<p>We're not lawyers, so we can't give you legal advice. One thing I will tell you, delete this thread.</p>

<p>Well you cant exactly delete the thread and noone at my school uses CC.</p>

<p>just stop doing it and if the counselor says anything blatantly deny everything</p>

<p>You did something clearly wrong, and now you will have to suffer the consequences.</p>

<p>In my state at least (Louisiana), you could face jail time for you did. Impersonating someone online is illegal. I think there may even be federal laws about it.</p>

<p>You'll be lucky if you only get a suspension.</p>

<p>I have stopped doing it. Wow jail time...</p>

<p>Hm is online conversation evidence viable as real evidence (aka recording of conversations online with someone)</p>

<p>yea i think so if its a professional logger program [not just microsoft word]</p>

<p>first of all, people who get 'abused' make a way too big deal out of it. i mean, like the OP said, they could have blocked him, etc.</p>

<p>did they ever tell you to stop?</p>

<p>No they kept on iming me telling me i am a loser</p>