Suzy Harriston appeared on Facebook. Her profile said she was from Clayton, and that she had more than 300 friends – many of them from Clayton High School. But on 5 April, a public denunciation appeared. “Whoever is friends with Suzy Harriston on Facebook needs to drop them. It is the Clayton Principal,” wrote Chase Haslett, a former pupil at the school. When asked, Haslett declined to comment on his source.
However, Suzy Harriston rapidly disappeared from Facebook; and the day after the accusation the district announced that principal Losos would begin a ‘leave of absence’. No further information emerged until a closed School Board meeting last Friday, after which Lasos resigned.
Most commentators are giving the former principal the benefit of doubt over her intentions. “She might have been able to use her insider knowledge to steer students away from discussing dangerous or illegal plans of action. Or, she perhaps wanted to keep a better eye on cyber bullies and/or their victims,” writes Carole Theriault on the Sophos NakedSecurity blog. Nevertheless, she added, “I imagine any kid that befriended her via Facebook feels betrayed.”
Losos action was clearly in breach of the Facebook terms and conditions, which state that users should sign up with their own names and should only have one account. “On the positive side,” writes Forbes, “the kids at Clayton were schooled in the art of legitimate paranoia. They’ll likely be more careful in the future about accepting friend requests from strangers.”
According to CBS St Louis, Lasos will receive a settlement check of $140,000 and a district letter of recommendation describing her as “a creative problem solver and articulate in communication.” In return, she agrees to take no legal action against the district.