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This is nuts.  A dozen kids at Kutztown Area High School “hacked” into the school’s network.  Ok, it’s very wrong, but the clueless luddites at the high school are pressing felony charges.  

From an editorial in the local newspaper..

“…Nobody is accused of altering grades or stealing personal information. The school district likens the tampering to vandalism of school property, saying it had to spend time and money for its technicians (who seem to have been outwitted by the savvier students at every turn) to restore the altered software to its original state….Felony charges against the students also fail to reflect the school district’s culpability here. The district inadvertently gave out its password to students by taping it to the back of the laptops. No computer system is invulnerable, but the district’s firewalls have looked more like speedbumps.”

What these kids did is completely wrong and should be punished.  However, I think most techies can see themselves as bright, bored (and usually nerdy) teenagers having maybe done the same thing.  

What happened to the normal disciplinary actions like suspension, detention or God forbid, being forced to do extra PE? 

I know what I might do as principal: Have the kids make up the damage by working as sys admins for the school. 

But felony charges? Give me a break.

Feel free to comment.

Alex Eckelberry