Facebook Bullying Lawsuit Could Net $3 Million

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.

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By John Del Signore in News on March 3, 2009 10:37 AM

Comments [rss]

Clarice City

Good. I hope these bullying little shits and their parents are hung up to dry.

Hopefully this trial will begin to put serious measures in place to protect young people from internet hassasment.

just saying

"The defendants—MICHAEL DAUBER, JEFFREY SCHWARTZ, LEAH HERZ and MELINDA DANOWITZ—are, like Finkel, 2008 graduates of Oceanside High School. The suit claims they asserted that Finkel, among other things, participated in bestiality and contracted AIDS."

The defendants sound like over-indulged peanut brains. They couldn't think of better things to do with their time than to bully other students?

And what's with their obsession with bestiality and AID's? Hmmm.

robingee

No names mentioned, no case, right?

BigNick

And the page was Private.

handsomedevil

You sound a little worried, there.

robingee

Yes, god knows I am on Facebook constantly talking smack about 8th graders and their gay beastiality adventures. PHEW.

Splicer

I'd love to see the court give a tremendous slap to the alleged Alpha Girlies. It's not that I care about the Plaintiff but I would mind seeing rich, anorexic [insert inappropriate term here] get knocked down a peg.

Splicer

Would not mind is what I meant to say. An edit button would be nice.

valeriob

Facebook has a terrible response team when it comes to breaches of privacy and account hacks.

Also, the NYPD is incredibly unwilling to pursue any Hate Crime related incidents on Facebook.

A friend of mine has documented proof of their lack of effort. Let me know if you'd like to extend an arm. :)

felixthecat2

your facebook picture make Tony Soprano look GQ, what a peasant.

Brado

G*d, I hate fat chicks.

ed_Extinct

if she wasn't named, it's gonna be real heard for her lawyer to prove her peers were speaking of her.

Guest

Unless she actually screwed her dog, of course.

barryap

Great minds think alike about sex with animals.

barryap

Unless she really did have AIDS and a penchant for bestiality...

Dirk

It's kind of sad that a bunch of people would take the time to create a Facebook page specifically for the purpose of making fun of one person.

Felix Hoenikker

What's the difference between a lawyer and a hooker?

A hooker stops fucking you when you're dead.

felixthecat2

dude, can I sue Gothamist and valeriob for his insulting my mother and all the anti-vegan rhetoric from the same haters such as thefacts, theedge, etc? Nah, i am no crybaby, I just play the mega millions tonight.