Videos of teachers and students posted on an Internet site trouble school administrators, who may review the school district’s technology and cell phone policies. One teacher said he felt violated by a posting of himself online without his knowledge.
By Jonathan Friedman / Assistant Editor
Malibu High School officials are facing a problem they probably didn’t envision even two years ago. Several videos of students and teachers at the school, some of them less flattering than others, have appeared on the video Web site, YouTube.com.
Sarah Paxton, Malibu High’s representative on the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Board of Education, said videos have appeared on YouTube showing two students, implying they are homosexuals. Also, a video appeared of a popular teacher and an unpopular substitute teacher, with the portrayal of the latter being less than flattering, Paxton said.
The ability to access YouTube at Malibu High was restricted by school officials in response to an article about this issue appearing in last week’s issue of the Malibu High student newspaper, The Current.
“We really haven’t had the time to unpack the whole issue yet,” said Malibu High principal Mark Kelly. “We have had some communications with YouTube. We’re trying to encourage them to be cooperative with schools like MySpace has.”
MySpace is an Internet Web site where users can create personal Web pages complete with photos, videos, uploaded music, blog space and more. It is often used as a personal networking site, as well as professional. YouTube, on the other hand, is mainly used to post videos, ranging from the homemade variety to portions of television shows and movies.
“YouTube originally started as a personal video-sharing service, and has grown into an entertainment destination with people watching more than 70 million videos on the site daily,” it is stated on the YouTube site.
The Web site was founded in February 2005, and was acquired late last year by Google.
A request for an interview with YouTube officials by The Malibu Times did not garner a response.
School board President Kathy Wisnicki said, with new technology, the school district might have to think about new policies it would never even have had to contemplate a few years ago.
“This is a new age, and there are new problems we’re facing” Wisnicki said. “What we can do about it is a real big question, and one that we really need to research and get some legal counsel on. And because technology like this is so new, we’re just now starting to see the way it can be used and abused.”
Local nonprofit groups like California Coastal Advocates, which is lobbying against the proposed liquefied natural gas port for Malibu’s coast, and the California Wildlife Center have utilized YouTube’s reach to millions.
Most likely the videos taken of students and teachers at the school were taped using cell phone cameras. Malibu High has a policy that students can bring cell phones to school, but they only can be used before and after the school day. The phones must be turned off and placed in the backpack while school is in session. Kelly said the phones are taken away from the students for the day if the teachers see them, but sometimes it can be a difficult situation, especially when students are receiving calls from their parents.
Ruben Scott, the teacher who appeared on a YouTube video, told The Current that he initially became angered when he saw the video. He said he soon realized there was not a malicious intent, but he still felt violated. Harry Keiley, president of the teachers union, told The Malibu Times that the issue has become a concern for the teachers, and there are plans to talk about it with the administration.
“The use of cameras and cell phones with video cameras without those being taped knowing about it, and their image being shared with the general public is something the district should not tolerate,” Keiley said. “Not only is it an invasion of their privacy, it also may be illegal to do that. And we’re [the union] very concerned about protecting our members’ rights.”
Sarah Paxton raised the topic of teachers and students appearing on YouTube during last week’s school board meeting. Superintendent Dianne Talarico and some board members expressed interest in revisiting the school district’s technology and cell phone policies.