The suit is about principle, not money, the educator's lawyer said.
STAFF/WIRE REPORTS
HERMITAGE, Pa. — A school principal sued four former students who he contends posted parody MySpace.com profiles saying he smoked pot, kept beer at school and liked having sex with students.
In the lawsuit, Eric W. Trosch alleged that the three profiles created in December 2005 on the social networking Web site damaged his reputation, humiliated him and hurt his earning capacity.
The profiles "went far and beyond what you would see on a bathroom wall in a school," said Trosch's attorney, John E. Quinn.
Trosch was co-principal of Hickory High School at the time the profiles were created and is now principal of Hermitage Middle School, in the same school district.
According to the suit, which seeks unspecified punitive damages, a profile by defendant Justin Layshock said Trosch smoked marijuana and kept a keg of beer behind his desk. Trosch alleges that another profile created by Thomas Cooper said his favorite movie was pornographic, and a third created by brothers Brendan and Christopher Gebhart said Trosch liked having sex with students and brutalizing women.
Quinn said only the students are named in the lawsuit, not their parents. Three of the four, however, are being represented by attorneys from their parents' homeowners insurance policies.
'Horrible trend'
But, Quinn notes, this is not about money.
"There's a huge amount of principle involved here. He really believes this is a horrible trend," Quinn said of Trosch.
The attorney noted that MySpace has proved to be insulated from lawsuits through federal statute and the only alternative to stop this type of posting is to sue those who make up these phony pages.
Quinn added that there are similar lawsuits, some with the same sets of circumstances, filed across the country.
"It shouldn't be any different if you are 18 and talking about your principal, as it would be if you were an adult and saying someone was a thief," Quinn said. "People have to have a sense of responsibility."
Layshock was suspended and sent to an alternative program after Trosch learned of the profile. In an effort to return to regular classes, he sued, contending the profile was protected by the First Amendment, but a judge last year declined to order the school to transfer him back.
Layshock's father, Donald, said he could not comment on Trosch's lawsuit because of the pending federal suit. Attorneys for Cooper and the Gebharts also declined to comment.
Quinn said he hasn't yet identified who created a fourth MySpace profile that he described as "the most graphic and lurid of them all."
Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Saturday, April 7, 2007
The suit is about principle, not money, the educator's lawyer said.
STAFF/WIRE REPORTS
HERMITAGE, Pa. — A school principal sued four former students who he contends posted parody MySpace.com profiles saying he smoked pot, kept beer at school and liked having sex with students.
In the lawsuit, Eric W. Trosch alleged that the three profiles created in December 2005 on the social networking Web site damaged his reputation, humiliated him and hurt his earning capacity.
The profiles "went far and beyond what you would see on a bathroom wall in a school," said Trosch's attorney, John E. Quinn.
Trosch was co-principal of Hickory High School at the time the profiles were created and is now principal of Hermitage Middle School, in the same school district.
According to the suit, which seeks unspecified punitive damages, a profile by defendant Justin Layshock said Trosch smoked marijuana and kept a keg of beer behind his desk. Trosch alleges that another profile created by Thomas Cooper said his favorite movie was pornographic, and a third created by brothers Brendan and Christopher Gebhart said Trosch liked having sex with students and brutalizing women.
Quinn said only the students are named in the lawsuit, not their parents. Three of the four, however, are being represented by attorneys from their parents' homeowners insurance policies.
'Horrible trend'
But, Quinn notes, this is not about money.
"There's a huge amount of principle involved here. He really believes this is a horrible trend," Quinn said of Trosch.
The attorney noted that MySpace has proved to be insulated from lawsuits through federal statute and the only alternative to stop this type of posting is to sue those who make up these phony pages.
Quinn added that there are similar lawsuits, some with the same sets of circumstances, filed across the country.
"It shouldn't be any different if you are 18 and talking about your principal, as it would be if you were an adult and saying someone was a thief," Quinn said. "People have to have a sense of responsibility."
Layshock was suspended and sent to an alternative program after Trosch learned of the profile. In an effort to return to regular classes, he sued, contending the profile was protected by the First Amendment, but a judge last year declined to order the school to transfer him back.
Layshock's father, Donald, said he could not comment on Trosch's lawsuit because of the pending federal suit. Attorneys for Cooper and the Gebharts also declined to comment.
Quinn said he hasn't yet identified who created a fourth MySpace profile that he described as "the most graphic and lurid of them all."
Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Saturday, April 7, 2007
A school principal sued four former students who he contends posted parody MySpace.com profiles saying he smoked pot,...
