2016-04-05 Cybertraps for Educators from Frederick Lane A 2-hour presentation on the legal risks arising out of the use and misuse of digital devices, delivered to the Great Prairie Area Education Association in Des Moines, IA on April 5, 2016. If you are interested in discussing a presentation or professional development program for your organization…
2016-03-20 Technology and the Blurring of Boundaries from Frederick Lane A 45-minute presentation delivered on March 20, 2016 during the final general session of the annual conference of the National Association of Community College Teacher Education Programs in Chicago, IL. If you are interested in discussing a presentation or professional development program for your organization…
2016-03-18 Ethics & Social Media from Frederick Lane A 90-minute presentation delivered at the National Association of Community College Teacher Education Programs (NACCTEP) on March 18, 2016 in Chicago, IL. If you are interested in discussing a presentation or professional development program for your organization on this topic, please contact me for information regarding my…
As I travel around the United States lecturing to school districts, educators, students, and parents, I am often asked about the definition of the word “cybertrap.” While I can’t claim credit for coining the word, I have developed a body of work using the term, which so far has not been formally defined. I think…
[Update on 2017-04-03]: Arthur apparently decided to drop her lawsuit against the school district on December 2, 2016. Neither Arthur nor her attorney issued a public statement regarding her decision. [Update on 2016-04-26]: Last week, the student who accessed Arthur’s phone and shared her nude photos with other students pleaded guilty to computer fraud in…
At first blush (if anyone actually does that anymore), this seemed like a fairly straightforward, technology-facilitated teacher-student boundary violation. But then the legal documents began flying … Sex and a Guilty Plea In May 2014, a 17-year-old student showed a cellphone video to the principal of Richard King High School in Corpus Christi, Texas. The…
A 25-year-old Las Vegas teacher named Jill Lafave is charged with having sex with an 16-year-old male student in classroom at Valley High School, just east of the city’s infamous Strip. Lafave, who is currently on paid administrative leave, was an English and special education teacher at the high school. The two were reportedly seen…
Invisible Target: Breaking the Cycle of Educator Sexual Abuse. Andrea Clemens. 2015. Hickory Nut Publishing. 302 pages. [Source: Review copy from author] In the fall of 1981, Andrea Clemens entered the ninth grade and was upset to find out that one of her instructors was Robert Baker, a science teacher at Norwood Junior High School.…
One of the ongoing challenges in investigating cases of educator misconduct is that so many of them involve text messages, which are a particularly ephemeral form digital evidence. Unlike files on a hard drive, which typically linger long after they are “deleted,” or emails, which are routinely archived in multiple locations (just ask Ollie North!),…
It gives me pleasure to announce that Anonymous Alerts, a leader in the mobile reporting sector for school technology, has asked me to join its advisory board. I look forward to assisting this innovative company with its efforts to improve school and student safety. You can read the company’s press release by clicking here. The…
