Writing on Facebook, beware of Forfeiture

Carefully commented on the Facebook page. You don't get hit by fines up to tens of thousands of dollars, as experienced by two students of a school in Australia.

Preached at ABC television, a former principal in the remote South Australia, Sue Barthenshaw, finally get compensation of $40,000 over Facebook Page created by the parents of his students.

A Facebook page was created in 2010 by the parents of two students of a school in the area of Coober Pedy (845 kilometres from Adelaide), and also students of the school in Adelaide, Gepps Cross, where Sue Burtenshaw was a principal.

According to ABC television report, agreements to solve this problem have already been reached with the result that the Court in Adelaide set maximum punitive damages that could be awarded by law. Lawyer Burtenshaw, Carey Goodall, of course delighted with the end result.

"I think this is an indication that when someone decided to make a comment smacks of disfigure without evidence on social media like Facebook, then the Court will drop the penalty is appropriate for those who do it." says Goodall.

Magistrate Bill Morris, who led the trial, said the head of the school is the teachers Burtenshaw full dedication, but his reputation collapsed with the comments that appear on Facebook. "I am satisfied that the publication of the principal is not true and has led to its reputation as the principal for the worse," said Morris.

In a decision giving the penalty compensation of $40,000, Morris said that Facebook page is getting a lot of attention in the population only Perdy Coober 3,000 inhabitants. On the Facebook page, 177 people become members of that page.

Earlier in July, the issue has been settled out of court because the parent who wrote the Facebook page (Knueppel family) did not give details or evidence of the reason to write various things about the principal.

"Knueppel Family use Facebook to publish things that are not true, and it is then easily spread by others so that is the reason why the granting of indemnity set out maximum." added Morris.

In addition to having to pay thousands of dollars compensation, Kneuppel also was ordered to pay attorney's fees that can reach Burtenshaw figures of $100,000.