Are there any legal precedents regarding sexting?
• A Pennsylvania district attorney attempted to prosecute three girls for sexting. In this case, the prosecutor threatened to charge the girls with felony child pornography for sending partially-nude pictures of themselves to boys in their classes. (Source) • The Vermont legislature is currently considering a bill to legalize the consensual exchange of graphic images between two people ages 13 to 18 years old. (Source) What are the ramifications for schools? • In Seattle, parents are suing the school district for suspending two girls after finding semi-nude photos of the girls on other students’ cell phones. The parents claim the school did not handle the case properly. (Source) • Teachers, principals and administrators must safeguard themselves, too. In one case in Virginia, an assistant principal was charged with possession of child pornography after investigating a sexting case at his school. (Source) What should school districts do? • School districts should consider a variety of a
