Free speech at Skutt School
p2p news / p2pnet: In a brief but interesting item, "Some eyebrow-raising words about Skutt Catholic High School appeared on www.wikipedia.org in June," says the Omaha World-Herald.
Anyone can edit Wikipedia, it observes, stating, "Skutt officials have filed a lawsuit, but it’s uncertain how far they will get, as issues such as privacy, free speech and libel can conflict in cyberspace."
"In July 2006, the school filed a lawsuit against ‘John and Jane Doe’, one or more anonymous Wikipedia users accused of posting libelous information in the article about this school," says a Wikipedia stub.
"The lawsuit allows the school to subpoena account information for the alleged offender’s IP address from their ISP."
Skutt says among other things, it empowers students to, "promote justice and initiate change".
Those danged libel suits.
Good thing Wikipedia isn’t in Canada.
Also See:
Omaha World-Herald – Skutt sues over Internet posts, July 12, 2006
Good thing – Online Freedom of Speech Fundraiser, July 24, 2006
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July 24th, 2006 at 11:07 pm
These stories really need to contain the aleged “libelous information” so readers can judge for themselves. The public has a right to know. What if the supposedly libelous information is true and the school is simply using a lawsuit to suppress it?
July 25th, 2006 at 5:48 pm
With all the publicity over child sexual predation by religious sects it does make one wonder, “What do they have to hide?”
July 25th, 2006 at 8:05 pm
Also in the article it states that…
“That opinion showed up in June on http://www.wikipedia.org. And Skutt officials say there have been three other objectionable entries since February. They include sharp criticism of Skutt principal Patrick Slattery, obscene language and a note about drug use by students.”