Insurer Won’t Pay Legal Costs in Pennsylvania Webcam Spying

An insurance company is balking at paying legal costs for a suburban Philadelphia school district accused of spying on students through laptop webcams.

Meanwhile, a lawyer for a student suing the Lower Merion School District said the two sides met for several hours last month but are far from reaching a settlement.

Sophomore Blake Robbins charges that the district invaded his privacy when it remotely activated a webcam to take photographs of him at home, sometimes when he was in bed or partially undressed. “No settlement can take place until the full scope of the spying on Blake and the other students is fully known,” lawyer Mark Haltzman said.

The district admits it secretly captured at least 56,000 images through the remote tracking program, but said it did so only to locate lost or stolen laptops.

More than half of that total came in a search for six laptops stolen from a school gym. The tracking program was left on for months, and helped identify a suspect who was later prosecuted. School Spokesman Doug Young said the insurance case has been referred to lawyers.

In its suit, Graphic Arts Mutual Insurance Co. said that costs stemming from the Robbins lawsuit are not covered under its personal injury policy with the district.

The insurance company’s stance, if upheld, could leave the district responsible for litigation and any settlement costs.

The district has admitted its policies about when to turn the software on and off were lax at best.