Some kids in Quebec posted a video on the 'net which embarrasses another kid horribly--so much he has to permanently leave the school. The kid and his parents sued the families of the three bullying kids. It went to court and now appears as if there was a settlement--against the parents!
This is an interesting case: parents having to (it seems) pay damages for their kids' school prank gone wild on the 'net. It doesn't get more "life and technology" than this. I don't ever recall having previously heard of such a case.
What people tend to forget is what a magnifier the Internet really is. I doubt whether the pranksters ever considered they would generate 76 million hits on the embarrassing video. But the Internet knows no bounds when it comes to the sharing of information. Strike the right balance and a typical poking of fun which would normally would attract the interest of less than a hundred people transmogrifies into a worldwide, viral media phenomenon.
Link: globeandmail.com : 'Star Wars Kid' cuts a deal with his tormentors.
"No one would comment yesterday about the settlement, including whether it included monetary compensation.
However, previous proceedings in the case had included discussions about whether the families of the three defendants had liability insurance.
The families of the three defendants have varying financial situations, court documents suggest. Mr. Caron's court filings include a letter from an insurer refusing to provide liability insurance coverage, whereas Mr. Laflamme says in his examination that his father had savings of $500,000 from an inheritance."