School Computer Filters for Technophobes
A substitute teacher may face jail time because an outdated Internet filter didn't block adult content on a classroom computer. The school's computer monitoring software that filtered adult material was out of date.
Julie Amero, a substitute teacher at a middle school in Norwich, Connecticut, wanted to send an email to her husband but ended up exposing students to online pornography, according to The New York Times.
When Amero, 40, a seasoned substitute teacher, found students gathered around the computer screen looking at a hairstyle website, she tried to close the site. But pornographic ads kept popping up, and Amero, a computer novice, didn't know how to stop the pop-ups. Amero said, "I absolutely have no clue about computers."
But school administrators are accusing Amero of deliberately surfing pornography sites. School officials believe that if Amero really was a victim of technology, she would've asked for help, physically blocked the screen, or unplugged the computer.
During cross-examination, Amero explained that she'd never turned off a computer before and didn't know how to. Also, as a substitute teacher, Amero was taught never to touch anything in a teacher's classroom.
Robert Hatz, the information services manager for Norwich's schools, said that the school's Internet filter was not fully operational because they hadn't performed updates for several weeks. The updates were apparently delayed due to a typo on a mailing address, according to Pam Aubin, the superintendent of the Norwich schools.
Because of this incident, Amero faces up to 40 years in prison for four counts of risking injury to a child. She plans to appeal and lawyers have offered to take her case for free.
This situation could've been avoided if the school used current computer monitoring software. WebWatcher uses the latest Internet content filter technology available, and it can actually block inappropriate content on-the-fly, before students can see anything.
Even though Amero could've protected herself and her students by unplugging the computer, the school is partially at fault for not maintaining their software.
Julie Amero, a substitute teacher at a middle school in Norwich, Connecticut, wanted to send an email to her husband but ended up exposing students to online pornography, according to The New York Times.
When Amero, 40, a seasoned substitute teacher, found students gathered around the computer screen looking at a hairstyle website, she tried to close the site. But pornographic ads kept popping up, and Amero, a computer novice, didn't know how to stop the pop-ups. Amero said, "I absolutely have no clue about computers."
But school administrators are accusing Amero of deliberately surfing pornography sites. School officials believe that if Amero really was a victim of technology, she would've asked for help, physically blocked the screen, or unplugged the computer.
During cross-examination, Amero explained that she'd never turned off a computer before and didn't know how to. Also, as a substitute teacher, Amero was taught never to touch anything in a teacher's classroom.
Robert Hatz, the information services manager for Norwich's schools, said that the school's Internet filter was not fully operational because they hadn't performed updates for several weeks. The updates were apparently delayed due to a typo on a mailing address, according to Pam Aubin, the superintendent of the Norwich schools.
Because of this incident, Amero faces up to 40 years in prison for four counts of risking injury to a child. She plans to appeal and lawyers have offered to take her case for free.
This situation could've been avoided if the school used current computer monitoring software. WebWatcher uses the latest Internet content filter technology available, and it can actually block inappropriate content on-the-fly, before students can see anything.
Even though Amero could've protected herself and her students by unplugging the computer, the school is partially at fault for not maintaining their software.
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