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Facebook Bullying Lawsuit Could Net $3 Million
By
John Del Signore
Published Mar 3, 2009
Modified Mar 3, 2009
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By
John Del Signore
Published Mar 3, 2009
Modified Mar 3, 2009
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A freshman at SUNY Albany is suing four former Long Island high school classmates, their parents and Facebook for $3 million for humiliating her in a password-protected page on the social-networking site. Denise Finkel, who graduated from Oceanside High School last year, filed the lawsuit in State Supreme Court in Manhattan, accusing the former classmates of holding her up to "public hatred, ridicule and disgrace" in a private Facebook forum. Though the nasty comments did not identify Finkel by name, her attorney Mark Altschul insists everyone knew exactly who the bullies were talking about when they gossiped about an unidentified teen who supposedly had AIDS and a penchant for bestiality. Altschul tells Newsday, "She had a very difficult time in high school." If Finkel wins, a class-action lawsuit by everyone who ever attended high school could cost the Internet trillions.
Tagged
bullying
lawsuit
long island
suing
SUNY Albany
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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