MySpace Hoax Results in Indictment! Lori Drew Faces 20 Years In Prison

Two years after Megan Meier committed suicide Lori Drew, age 49, was indicted for her alleged role in Meier’s death.

In an earlier blog I wrote:

In 2006 a Missouri teenager hanged herself after being rejected by a 16 year old boy she met on MySpace. Well, at least that’s what she thought. The reality was the “16 year old boy” was really the mother of one of the girls former friends.

The motive? It seems the mother was allegedly trying to exact revenge on Meier, who had allegedly dissed her daughter. This sick, twisted and childish choice took and emotional toll on a young person who was emotionally vulnerable and cost her - her life!

The earlier blog is presented in full here.

According to a CNN report -

Drew faces up to 20 years in prison on charges of conspiracy and accessing protected computers to obtain information to inflict emotional distress.

The indictment, which was filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, accuses Drew and others of registering on MySpace as “Josh Evans” and using the account to lure Meier into an an online romance.

Authorities have previously said that Drew set up the account to find out what Meier, who lived in her neighborhood, was saying about her daughter.

Lori Drew of O’Fallon, Missouri, was named in a four-count indictment returned this morning by a federal grand jury. The indictment charges one count of conspiracy and three counts of accessing protected computers without authorization to obtain information to inflict emotional distress on the girl who,
because of juvenile privacy rules, is referred to in the indictment only as M.T.M.

After approximately four weeks of flirtatious communications between “Josh Evans” and M.T.M., Drew and her co-conspirators broke off the relationship. Within an hour, M.T.M. had hanged herself in her room. She died the next day. “This adult woman allegedly used the Internet to target a young teenage girl, with horrendous ramifications,” said United States Attorney Thomas P. O’Brien. “After a thorough investigation, we have charged Ms. Drew with criminally accessing MySpace and violating rules established to protect young, vulnerable people. Any adult who uses the Internet or a social gathering website to bully or harass another person, particularly a young teenage girl, needs to realize that their actions can have serious consequences.”

MYSPACE RULES: It seems that to become a member of MySpace, individuals are required to submit registration information – including name and date of birth – and have to agree to certain TOS that regulate their use of the website. Among other things, the MySpace TOS require prospective members to provide truthful and accurate registration information; to refrain from using any information obtained from MySpace services to harass, abuse, or harm other people; to refrain from soliciting personal information from anyone under 18; to refrain from promoting information that they know is false or misleading; and to refrain from posting photographs of other people without their consent. The indictment alleges that Drew and her coconspirators violated all of those provisions.

The indictment, while not a conviction, alleges that the defendant - Drew - did commit a crime. Characterized as “cyber-bullying” the actions that have not been disputed show a pattern of abuse and a clear violation of the terms of MySpace.

Ron Meier, Megan’s father, watched television newscasts announcing the indictment and was overcome with emotion

“It’s a a good day,” he said. “It’s an awesome feeling.”

He said now he expects the Drews to feel some of the pain and suffering “that I’m going to feel for the rest of my life, not having Megan here.”

COMMENTS:

Ron Meier’s comments are understandable. However, every choice has a consequence and healing can’t truly take place until the negative emotions are dealt with. Revenge, hatred, anger - whatever is felt may be justifiable on one hand. Yet, emotions that have a negative base will not move one forward. They are not the foundation for positive results.

As a speaker to youth and parents alike about social networking - mostly MySpace and Facebook, etc. - I have the opportunity to help folks understand how to effectively us the tools without becoming a victim of them.

The Meier’s have suffered a terrible loss - a senseless loss - yet, across the board there were more people involved in what took place than just Megan or Drew. As parents, if we want to protect our children, we must understand the playing field of social networking and help to monitor what is taking place and bring understanding and order to MySpace and other forms of internet communication. It is too easy to take on a role that can have a terrible consequence.

Every choice has a consequence. Lori Drew and others will soon be finding out the consequences of their actions. No - there is nothing that can be done to bring Megan back. However, the choices that are made now can bring meaning and value to her death.

For now, teen ethics speaker - Chuck Gallagher - signing off…

RELATED LINK

Read the indictment against Lori Drew

The Power of Giving - Jada Carlson, Hannah Montana and The Rest of the Story!

The other day I received a wonderful e-mail from an unexpected source - Jada Carlsons mother - Faith.

As a reminder and for a little background, many months back there was a story about a young girl in Garland, Texas who (with the help of her month) created a fictious story to win Hannah Montana tickets. When uncovered it took the news media by storm. As a teen ethics speaker through the Choices Foundation, I wrote a blog about the lesson that this young girls mother taught and the consequences that followed.

Soon after the story broke another that was 180 degrees opposite captured the attention of the media. This story was filled with love, compassion, giving and helped to restore faith that our youth can have ethics and morals - knowing that doing the right thing is the best and will produce positive results.

Faith’s e-mail stated the following:

Mr. Gallagher,

I just wanted to send you a quick thank you for highlighting Jada Carlsons gift and the concept to so many that giving does not have to have expectations in the least. I am Jada Carlsons mom Faith and she is the little girl that at 5 years old “gets it”.

I was not sure if you heard the back story but after givng the Miley Cyrus tickets to Gabby, Jada recieved 4 front row tickets to that concert, backstage passes and 3 hours on the tour bus eating lunch and sifting through all the tour bus treasures all gifts from the Miley Cyrus group that saw her deed on ShowBiz Tonight.

I, like yourself, understand life is not about getting ahead or how much money you make but about positive choices and more importantly making the choices to help others. Some people get it and some people do not but I hope your book coming out can help a few “Life has no purpose” individuals. I truely think we all have a calling and I like yourself have also published a book but by choice have not really publicly promoted it yet. If you have chance to peek at it the title is ” My Life My Story” on Dorrance Publishing’’s website. long story short I wanted to let you know that has you mentioned in your article the rewards were yet to come from Jada’’s gift…What comes around came around and she was delighted to enjoy the concert from her front row seats.

Recently as she has begun to read (she is only 5 and in kindergarten) we have made it a choice to visit a local nursing home and “adopt a grandma” to read to on Fridays. This recently has been the next big “adventure” and she has met a very friendly elderly resident “Margaret Kamping with a K” Jada now calls her Grandma Kamping…they have only met 2x so far.

With hopes your success continues and again thank you for the pleasant article about Jada, we printed it and placed it with the photos from the concert. God Bless and keep up the great work.. as Oprah Whinfrey said The Universe can dream a bigger dream then you ever could imagine when you are of service to one another!

Well Faith…I know that you didn’t send this to me to be published, but I think others need to know the rest of the story about Jada and her giving perspective. It is true - if you plant the right seeds you will have an abundant harvest. Jada is living proof that you reap what you sow. I hope you forgive me for letting the world know about your story as well and the book you’ve written. For Faith’s book information click here.

My best to you both and as you have time drop me a line and let me know how Jada is doing. Perhaps she might find it in her heart to be a part of the Choices Foundation - an organization dedicated to helping youth understand the power of choice in their lives.

For any readers - your comments are welcome!

6 Dead in a Senseless Act of Violence at Northern Illinois University - What Provokes Such Anger?

As reported all over the news - both broadcast and internet - a lone gunman walked into a lecture hall at Northern Illinois University and wounded 18 people and killed 6 including himself.

According to CNN the shooting occurred shortly after 3 p.m. (4 p.m. ET) in Cole Hall. The class runs from 2 p.m. until 3:15 p.m., University President John Peters said.

“It started and it stopped very quickly,” said Police Chief Donald Grady. The gunman, whose identity has not been revealed publicly, was not a student at the NIU campus in DeKalb, west of Chicago, but “may have been a student somewhere else.”

Police do not have an apparent motive now, Grady said.

While at this moment little is know about the motive, as the days move forward and the investigation proceeds more will be revealed.

According to reports from cbs2chicago.com A viewer who e-mailed CBS 2 said that her brother was in the lecture hall where the shooting happened. “He says that the gunmen was a white male dressed in all black. He kicked the door in and opened fire. My brother dove under the desk, and popped his head up to see the gunmen was reloading. He grabbed his girlfriend’s hand and ran to the library where they been in lockdown since.”

Katie Wagner, a student who was inside the classroom, tells CBS 2 that there were 70 students inside room 101 at Cole Hall when the shooting happened. She said the gunman entered from a side door near the front of the lecture hall and started to fire shots.

Is it just me - with too much media access - or is there a pattern of anger today that is acted out in violent ways. We seems hear of unprovoked senseless acts of violence - much like the Virginia Tech University massacre of 33 people. It’s just amazing. This grabs the headlines today, but in reality it’s everywhere you turn.

In Oxnard, California a fifteen year old student was shot in the head by an unidentified 14 year old. Police have not alleged a motive for the shooting, but said there appeared to have been “bad blood” between the teens. Police said a handgun was used in the attack, which occurred with more than 20 other students in the room.

As a teen ethics speaker, (www.chuckgallagher.com) I often get the question from parents - where does the anger and violence come from?

As we struggle to make sense of the headlines we see weekly, the question that begs an answer - what makes kids these days more angry?

And more importantly, what can we do to stop the violence?

Your comments welcome!

Michael Vick - Keep The $20 Million Says The Judge!

Michael Vick must be sleeping a bit better now that a federal judge ruled that Vick can keep the nearly $20 million bonus he received from the Atlanta Falcons.

The Falcons sought to recover the bonuses after Vick pleaded guilty to federal charges in a dogfighting operation. The bonuses were paid from 2004 to 2007.

A special master ruled in October that the Falcons were entitled to recover the bonuses. The Falcons argued that Vick used proceeds from a contract he signed in 2004 to finance his illicit activities. But U.S. District Judge David Doty of Minneapolis ruled that the Falcons’ recovering the bonus money would violate the NFL collective bargaining agreement. The agreement does not allow signing bonuses to be forfeited for years a player has already performed.

Sentenced to 23 months in federal prison, Vick entered a minimum-security prison in Leavenworth, Kansas this past month.

Considering that Every Choice Has A Consequence, Vick is beginning to see the opposite side of that comment. Consequences are not necessarily bad - the are just consequences. Vick is suffering today as a result of the choices he made. However, he has the capacity to turn his life lessons into good for the people who would look up to him - perhaps that is beginning now as he sees a positive event or decision fall his way.

As a teen ethics speaker (www.chuckgallagher.com) and founder of the Choices Foundation, I hope that Vick learns from his incarceration and leaves prison a changed man.

Project Safe Childhood - Protecting Children for Sexual Predators - Comments by Teen Ethics Speaker Chuck Gallagher

A program in North Carolina is active in protecting children from sexual predators. Robert Martin Kutzer, age 32 from Leicester, North Carolina, was convicted of online enticement of a minor to engage in an unlawful sex act.

The jury found that Kutzer engaged in several online chat conversations with an undercover detective from the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office in a Yahoo! chat room. Evidence also showed that the defendant believed the detective to be a 14-year-old girl from Buncombe County. The jury heard evidence that Kutzer steered the online conversation to the topic of sex and that the defendant was responsible for injecting explicit and sexually graphic content into the online chat and that the defendant then arranged to meet this person whom he believed to be a 14-year-old girl. Robert Martin Kutzer was taken into custody by United States Marshals following the pronouncement of the verdict on Friday, January 25, 2007.

This federal prosecution was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims.

The online enticement charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of ten years in prison and a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison. In July of 2006 the mandatory minimum penalty for this crime was increased from five to ten years via The Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006. There is no possibility of parole in the federal system.

There are many concerns in our environment today about social networking - something that adults don’t feel comfortable with in general. Sites such as MySpace and Facebook make it easy for teens to post and share personal information, pictures, and video, which change the environment for the predators to function.

Years back, for most adults with teenage children, we advised our kids to avoid talking to strangers. Frankly, the place(s) where predators sought their prey was limited to physical gathering spots for children and teens. Today, however, the pond is much different. Today, the predator is not limited to the physical location of the kids, they, instead, prey in the much larger pond of the internet. Unfortunately, adults don’t know how to monitor that environment and the kids feel safe at home with their social networking sites - assuming that most people are honest. Reality is that most kids are unsuspecting and vulnerable. Teenage girls are particularly at risk of online sexual exploitation. A recent study by University of New Hampshire researchers for National Center for Missing and Exploited Children found that of the approximately one in seven youth who received a sexual solicitation or approach over the Internet, 70 percent were girls.

As a teen ethics speaker (www.chuckgallagher.com) I address teens and young adults about the effects of the choices that they make. Every choice has a consequence. More importantly, however, I have recently begun a series of programs aimed at educating parents about social networking, the internet and how to help keep kids safe. For information contact me at www.chuckgallagher.com.

Project Safe Childhood Press Releases for January 2008:

• Missouri Man Sentenced to 30 Years on Federal Child Porn Charges
• Arizona Man Charged with Receiving Child Porn Through The Mail
• Connecticut Resident Enters Guilty Plea to Enticement of a Minor
• Dallas, TX Couple Sentenced to Lengthy Prison Term for Producing Child Porn
• Montana Man Sentenced for Possession of Child Porn
• Frisco, TX Teacher Sentenced to 10 Years for Child Porn
• Former Boy Scout Leader Pleads Guilty to Child Porn Related Activity

Comments or questions are welcome!

Teens and Sexual Predators - MySpace Social Networking - How Can Parents Protect Kids From Harm? (Post One of Three) Comments by Teen Ethics Speaker Chuck Gallagher

“What is a parents’ roll in protecting their children from harm when they are using MySpace, Facebook or other social networking media,” asked a reporter of me yesterday. As I listened to the message on my cell phone and prepared to call him back, it caused me to think about the content of my response - after all when being interviewed one wants to sound clear and concise in response and thought.

Reality was, as I was driving, I was flooded with seemingly simple ideas about what we can parents can do to help our children - many of which were so simple that perhaps they would go unnoticed. So, while the writer of the article will likely be more articulate than I - I woke this morning with the strong feeling that I should take some time in this blog to share some ideas that perhaps - just perhaps - might help those of us who are parents with the question of how we protect our children in a social networking world that is unfamiliar territory to most of us. So here are some specific thoughts which might help:

Parents: How Do You Teach?

As a parent, it occurred to me that when I taught my children (consciously) I was teaching from a framework of what I had been taught or what I had experienced. For example, my mother taught me to be careful when talking to “strangers” - in fact, she said, “Never talk to strangers.” Her words were clear although our actions were different as she and I would talk to people we didn’t know - most of the time - as long as the person and location felt safe.

Explore that with me a second…feeling was the key word in the above sentence. We as parents and our parents had a significant benefit that our children don’t have with MySpace - Facebook, etc. — we had the benefit of face to face interaction. One of the God given gifts we have as humans is the intuitiveness to sense danger and flee. Have you ever been in someone’s presence that felt wrong? Most of us have and we left - we escaped to danger we felt.

So what do we teach? We teach our children to be cautious of strangers, etc. because that is our paradigm. Tough question for parents! So how many of you are comfortable with social networking when you are not face to face with the other person? How many of you could set up a MySpace account immediately after reading this? And, if you set it up, what would you do with it then? If you honestly answer - I wouldn’t really know what to do - then you’re teaching from your paradigm (face to face interaction) but they (our children) are working in a virtual world where there is no face to face - at least not at the outset.

Rule One: If you want to be an effective parent, you must recognize that the world your children live is is not the world you come from.

The rules that we all learned by (and I am speaking to parents here) still work - they just need to be modified for the environment. I think I am somewhat computer savvy. (Really I’m not, but I still like to think so) I am connected to LinkedIn, a business social network. Now, I have to be honest, I’m still trying to figure out how to make that work for me. On the other hand, kids get the concept and through MySpace - Facebook, etc. can live in environments that we don’t imagine. Hint: You don’t have to become an expert in social networking to understand how it works and therefore the correct advice to give your children.

Advice: Tell your children as it relates to social networking with MySpace, etc. - if they don’t physically know the person they are talking to - if they can’t identify the person (either because they have seen or know them or someone they trust has seen or knows them) then be cautious - extremely cautious.

I won’t go so far as to say, don’t talk to strangers (some would - I Know), but talking to strangers in a safe environment is, to me, acceptable. Shucks…if you didn’t talk to strangers we’d never meet anyone new. Reality is - talking to strangers is O.K. as long as the environment is safe. Our challenge as parents is, we don’t know or understand the environment.

As a teen ethics speaker, (www.chuckgallagher.com) I have the opportunity to speak to parental groups, teens and young adults about choices and consequences. I am the father of two wonderful boys. Through my love for them, I accept my duty to help them grow and mature. With that comes the opportunity to learn to expand beyond where they are now to become what they can be - and becoming ones best generally requires leaps of faith and risk. While I encourage the risks for growth, I also help them understand the potential pitfalls so they can be protected in their journey. Perhaps as parents we can grow so we can be effecting in helping our children do the same.

Motivational speaker, Chuck Gallagher signing off…

OH…see recent blog on MySpace’s “Safer Measures“

MySpace Agrees To “Safer Space” Measures! Great Move Says Teen Ethics Speaker Chuck Gallagher

MySpace, the huge social networking site that attracts millions of users announced Monday (January 14, 200 that it will make changes designed to help prevent sexual predators from misusing the site. This was done with the agreement of more than 45 states.

According to an article from the Associated Press, the agreement was announced by various attorney generals from New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Ohio and others. The article states:

Several states’ attorneys general said in a statement that the huge social networking Web site has agreed to add several protections and participate in a working group to develop new technologies, including a way to verify the ages of users. Other social networking sites will be invited to participate.

There have been well publicised issues with fraud, fake identification and a variety of inappropriate uses by those who would prey on our children. A clear example of issues that our youth can face was the 2006 web suicide reported in an earlier blog.

“The Internet can be a dangerous place for children and young adults, with sexual predators surfing social networking sites in search of potential victims and cyber bullies sending threatening and anonymous messages,” said New Jersey Attorney General Anne Milgram.

“We thank the attorneys general for a thoughtful and constructive conversation on Internet safety,” MySpace Chief Security Officer Hemanshu Nigam said in a written statement. “This is an industrywide challenge, and we must all work together to create a safer Internet.”

MySpace, which is owned by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp., will also accept independent monitoring and changes the structure of its site.

MySpace agreed to the following changes (to name a few):

• Parents can submit their children’s e-mail addresses to MySpace to prevent anyone from misusing the e-mail address to set up fake profiles
• The default setting for 16 and 17 year olds will be marked “private”
• Strengthen the software to identify underage users
• Add more staff and resources to classify photos and discussion groups
• Respond to complaints about inappropriate content within 72 hours
• Create a high school section for users under 18 years of age

Social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook have come under intense scrutiny as it has almost become a playground for sexual predators. It has been reported that New York officials created (fake) profiles as 12 to 14 year olds and were quickly contacted by others who were seeking sex. This type of behavior has created the furor over making “cyberspace” a safer place to truly social network.

As a teen ethics speaker, I often find kids who will share interesting stories about the solicitations they have received from Facebook and MySpace. And, if they will share with me, then I know that I’ve only touched the tip of the iceberg. Teens are often open and venera

ble to attack as they have yet to develop the defense in knowing what is safe. I applaud MySpace on their actions thus far…

What do you think of the actions taken my MySpace thus far? What would you suggest as additional measures that MySpace could take to improve safety?

Hannah Montana Tickets and A Heart Warming Positive Ethics Story!

No doubt most people have heard of the terrible incident where a Dallas area mother made up a story for her child in order to win prized Hannah Montana tickets. The story entitled “My Daddy Died This Year In Iraq.” Of course, the story was later found to be false and the tickets were withdrawn.

Showbiz tonight (part of CNN) has reported a truly touching story - in fact a polar opposite story compared to the which made headlines across the country. Here (as reported) a five year old girl - Jada Carlson - donated her Hannah Montana tickets to another for a truly selfless reason.

According to the report, Jada received expensive Hannah Montana tickets for Christmas from her mom Faith. While Jada was excited about going to the show, there was a story about one of Jada’s school mates - Gabby. It was reported that Gabby had been in and out of the hospital and people in her community have held fund raisers for her family to help with doctor bills.

Jada felt that Gabby needed one more thing to help her with the difficult time she was facing. So, in an act of selfless love, Jada gave Gabby her tickets so that “Gabby would know that Jada really did care!”

According to Jada’s mother - the only thing she asked of Gabby was that sometime in the future 30 years from now, she would remember and “pay it forward.”

Watching that video story was heart warming. To see the video click here: http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/showbiz/2008/01/10/anderson.sbt.montana.miracle.cnn

Kudos to a child who saw past the personal value of self-gratification and enjoyed the greater value of “giving!”  As a teen ethics speaker and founder of the Choices Foundation, you bet that this story will be used to contrast the difference between the consequences that come from right acts.

Every choice has a consequence.  I speak about the “Truth about Consequences.”  http://www.chuckgallagher.com    In the first example the consequences for lying were humiliation and loss of the tickets.  In this example the benefits for right actions have been incredible publicity and benefits that are yet to come.

What do you think?  Feel free to comment!

Web Suicide - A MySpace Teen Tragedy! Teen Ethics Speaker Chuck Gallagher Comments

In 2006 a Missouri teenager hanged herself after being rejected by a 16 year old boy she met on MySpace. Well, at least that’s what she thought. The reality was the “16 year old boy” was really the mother of one of the girls former friends.

The motive? It seems the mother was allegedly trying to exact revenge on Meier, who had allegedly dissed her daughter. This sick, twisted and childish choice took and emotional toll on a young person who was emotionally vulnerable and cost her - her life!

According to the Wall Street Journal Law Blog: “

Missouri authorities looked into the case, but didn’t file any charges against the mother for her alleged role in the hoax. They couldn’t find any criminal statute under which to try and hold her responsible for the girl’s death. The case touched off a national uproar over Internet laws and cyber-bullying.”

The Los Angeles Times reports:

But after months of investigation, no charges were filed against Lori Drew for her alleged role in the hoax. Prosecutors in Missouri said they were unable to find a statute under which to pursue a criminal case.

Prosecutors in the U.S. attorney’s office in Los Angeles, however, are exploring the possibility of charging Drew with defrauding the MySpace social networking website by allegedly creating the false account, according to the sources, who insisted on anonymity because they are not authorized to speak publicly about the case.

The sources said prosecutors are looking at federal wire fraud and cyber fraud statutes as they consider the case. Prosecutors believe they have jurisdiction because MySpace is headquartered in Beverly Hills, the sources said.

First, I think we would all agree that an adult’s actions perpetrated in fraud that contributed to the death of a teen is an extraordinary tragedy. But what should be done? What should the consequence be if you use fraud to contribute to the death of another? What pain was wrought on the parents of this young girl? And, what pain, if any, has the mother involved here felt - knowing that a fraudulent MySpace account was a contributing factor leading to the death of this young girl?

Every choice has a consequence!

As an ethics speaker, I routinely speak to young people - both college and high school - about the choice they make and the consequences that follow. http://www.chuckgallagher.com

I readily admit that this story is a tragic example of how easily an unsuspecting person can become caught up in something where the consequences are beyond belief.

Reported in the Suburban Journals on November 13, 2007 by Steve Pokin is the following excerpt:

His name was Josh Evans. He was 16 years old. And he was hot.

“Mom! Mom! Mom! Look at him!” Tina Meier recalls her daughter saying.

Josh had contacted Megan Meier through her MySpace page and wanted to be added as a friend.Yes, he’s cute, Tina Meier told her daughter. “Do you know who he is?”

“No, but look at him! He’s hot! Please, please, can I add him?”

Mom said yes. And for six weeks Megan and Josh - under Tina’s watchful eye - became acquainted in the virtual world of MySpace.

Josh said he was born in Florida and recently had moved to O’Fallon. He was homeschooled. He played the guitar and drums.

He was from a broken home: “when i was 7 my dad left me and my mom and my older brother and my newborn brother 3 boys god i know poor mom yeah she had such a hard time when we were younger finding work to pay for us after he loeft.”

As for 13-year-old Megan, of Dardenne Prairie, this is how she expressed who she was:

M is for Modern

E is for Enthusiastic

G is for Goofy

A is for Alluring

N is for Neglected.

She loved swimming, boating, fishing, dogs, rap music and boys. But her life had not always been easy, her mother says.

She was heavy and for years had tried to lose weight. She had attention deficit disorder and battled depression. Back in third grade she had talked about suicide, Tina says, and ever since had seen a therapist.

But things were going exceptionally well. She had shed 20 pounds, getting down to 175. She was 5 foot 5½ inches tall.

She had just started eighth grade at a new school, Immaculate Conception, in Dardenne Prairie, where she was on the volleyball team. She had attended Fort Zumwalt public schools before that.

Amid all these positives, Tina says, her daughter decided to end a friendship with a girlfriend who lived down the street from them. The girls had spent much of seventh grade alternating between being friends and, the next day, not being friends, Tina says.

Part of the reason for Megan’s rosy outlook was Josh, Tina says. After school, Megan would rush to the computer.

“Megan had a lifelong struggle with weight and self-esteem,” Tina says. “And now she finally had a boy who she thought really thought she was pretty.”

It did seem odd, Tina says, that Josh never asked for Megan’s phone number. And when Megan asked for his, she says, Josh said he didn’t have a cell and his mother did not yet have a landline.

And then on Sunday, Oct. 15, 2006, Megan received a puzzling and disturbing message from Josh. Tina recalls that it said: “I don’t know if I want to be friends with you anymore because I’ve heard that you are not very nice to your friends.”

Frantic, Megan shot back: “What are you talking about?”

Monday, Oct. 16, 2006, was a rainy, bleak day. At school, Megan had handed out invitations to her upcoming birthday party and when she got home she asked her mother to log on to MySpace to see if Josh had responded.

Why did he suddenly think she was mean? Who had he been talking to?

Tina signed on. But she was in a hurry. She had to take her younger daughter, Allison, to the orthodontist.

Before Tina could get out the door it was clear Megan was upset. Josh still was sending troubling messages. And he apparently had shared some of Megan’s messages with others.

Tina recalled telling Megan to sign off.

“I will Mom,” Megan said. “Let me finish up.”

Tina was pressed for time. She had to go. But once at the orthodontist’s office she called Megan: Did you sign off?

“No, Mom. They are all being so mean to me.”

“You are not listening to me, Megan! Sign off, now!”

Fifteen minutes later, Megan called her mother. By now Megan was in tears.

“They are posting bulletins about me.” A bulletin is like a survey. “Megan Meier is a slut. Megan Meier is fat.”

Megan was sobbing hysterically. Tina was furious that she had not signed off.

Once Tina returned home she rushed into the basement where the computer was. Tina was shocked at the vulgar language her daughter was firing back at people.

“I am so aggravated at you for doing this!” she told Megan.

Megan ran from the computer and left, but not without first telling Tina, “You’re supposed to be my mom! You’re supposed to be on my side!”

On the stairway leading to her second-story bedroom, Megan ran into her father, Ron.

“I grabbed her as she tried to go by,” Ron says. “She told me that some kids were saying horrible stuff about her and she didn’t understand why. I told her it’s OK. I told her that they obviously don’t know her. And that it would be fine.”

Megan went to her room and Ron went downstairs to the kitchen, where he and Tina talked about what had happened, the MySpace account, and made dinner.

Twenty minutes later, Tina suddenly froze in mid-sentence.

“I had this God-awful feeling and I ran up into her room and she had hung herself in the closet.”

Megan Taylor Meier died the next day, three weeks before her 14th birthday.

Later that day, Ron opened his daughter’s MySpace account and viewed what he believes to be the final message Megan saw - one the FBI would be unable to retrieve from the hard drive.

It was from Josh and, according to Ron’s best recollection, it said, “Everybody in O’Fallon knows how you are. You are a bad person and everybody hates you. Have a shitty rest of your life. The world would be a better place without you.”

To read the entire article click here: http://suburbanjournals.stltoday.com/articles/2007/11/13/news/sj2tn20071110-1111stc_pokin_1.ii1.txt

Some questions for your response:

• What, if anything, should happen to those who participated in this cruel hoax?
• Should there be laws that make such behavior (on-line) criminal (fraudulent accounts, etc.)?
• Do the parents have any culpability in this as they allowed their daughter on MySpace?

The copyrighted world wide definition of ETHICS involves TWO PARTS:

1. Doing specific things to make yourself and the world better, and
2. Avoiding doing other specific things (i.e. setting boundaries for yourself to avoid) so that you don’t needlessly hurting yourself, or others with BAD personal judgment

There is no question that the fake MySpace account was an ethical violation by any standard I can find. Perhaps our teens (and younger) need to learn early on the power of ethical choice.

Chuck Gallagher’s work with teens and ethics:

The Choices Foundation is a tax-exempt charitable non-profit organization established by Chuck Gallagher to accomplish two educational purposes.

First, the Choices Foundation supports providing ethical educational presentations, workshops, and keynotes to universities, colleges, high schools and religious organizations. Chuck, and other speakers, talk to young people about ethics, honesty, integrity, the choices they make and the consequences that follow.

The Choices Foundation believes that if you make an impression about ethics on young people before they enter into the business community or become established in adulthood by helping them see the relationship between choice and consequences, they may become more personally and professionally productive and ethical adults. After all, personal integrity and ethics are the backbone of adult society.

Second, the Choices Foundation provides educational scholarships to children who come from a disadvantaged background and/or whose parent(s) are incarcerated. Education can help break the cycles of poverty and poor choice, yet those who need an education the most are those who can least afford to receive the benefit. Hence, the Choices Foundation is established to help fund that need and uplift our underprivileged youth.

For information on my presentations to youth, please visit my web site at http://www.chuckgallagher.com/foundation.php

Comments are welcome!

Teen Violence - Must Be O.K. Based On The Consequences - A Truly Amazing Story

Names are withheld due to privacy issues - but the story is true.

His name was “Bud” (not really but you know we won’t use real names) and he was standing at his buddy’s car talking since school had just let out for Christmas break. All the students were leaving this western North Carolina high school (again unnamed - although it should be for the travesty committed). O.K., I couldn’t resist…so here’s they school’s logo.

Quickly from behind, seven kids (of a different ethnic origin) approached Bud - pressing him into the car (which kept his friend from being able to open the door to help) and began to beat Bud with a billy stick and tire iron. Serious injury was inflicted. Bud was defenseless. As soon as the attack was over, Bud - who had then dropped to his knees - arose and ran to his car - blood streaming down his face from the injury to his head from the tire iron.

The attackers quickly dispersed. The knew there was strength in numbers and surely they would be reported if they stayed for more violence.

What happened next is startling. School officials became involved, but did not take the responsibility to call Bud’s parents. The only way Bud’s mother knew of the attack was someone else - a friend - called her. Question: Wouldn’t you think that the school (especially since it happened on school property) would be the first to notify law enforcement and Bud’s parents since he was brutally attacked on school grounds? I would!

The school security officer along with administration that Bud could press charges, but as far as the school was concerned, they could do nothing till school resumed after the Christmas holiday.

Maybe it’s just me, but I find that amazing. Seven kids brutally attacked Bud and the school felt they could do nothing? I wonder how many parents in that sleepy western North Carolina town feel that their children are safe at this high school. Personally, I can’t say that I have any confidence that the school and it administration has safety as a first priority.

But the story continues.

Bud has multiple stitches in his head - both internal and external. His head is wrapped with a bandage - indicating a severe head wound - and he is sent home - driving privileges removed due to his injury. How do I know this - I saw him first hand.

“Bud, are you going to press charges,” I asked? “I don’t know. I want to see what the school is going to do,” he responded.

“What provoked this anyway?”

“Well, I stepped on this kids foot when we were playing tennis. He got real ticked off (he used other language) and said that he was going to get me for that. Several times later when I saw him, he stated that “they” would take care of me. I just laughed it off. I mean this kid is a lot smaller than me…so what did I think he could do? Nothing! I didn’t know he was in a gang.”

I must admit I had the real feeling that Bud was not going to press charges. For all his spoken bravado, I believe that he feared for his life. In his mind, without directly saying so and embarrassing himself in front of his friends, I feel that Bud knew that if the police took action, he would be the target of continued attacks. And the next attack might leave him dead!

Christmas came and went.

School is now back in session. Many in the community waited to see what school officials would do to those involved in such a brutal attack on school property.

The punishment: In school suspension and suspension for a day.

Really? That’s it? Yep - that’s it. A criminal attack occurs on school grounds and the outcome is a slap on the wrist.

Fear. I understand why Bud didn’t press charges. But what kept the school from taking more significant action? Fear? Perhaps. Perhaps it was fear that parents would know that violence can happen in their school to their kids. So perhaps it would be better to sweep it under the rug. Keep the publicity down. After all, sleepy little western North Carolina towns aren’t suppose to have teen violence (especially on school property) and gangs.

According the the Junior Achievement Teen Ethics Survey:

In a particularly alarming finding given recent cases of school violence, nearly one-quarter (23 percent) of all teens surveyed think violence toward another person is acceptable on some level. Of those who think so, the justifications for violence include settling an argument (27 percent) and revenge (20 percent).

I completely believe the report from Junior Achievement. It is true as evidenced by the violent attack Bud received.

Is there more to the story. I’m sure. Perhaps school officials would dare to comment. Perhaps they would care to discuss why they would not press criminal charges since the attack occurred on their property? Perhaps they could fill in the blanks - clarifying things that I would have no way of knowing? Perhaps they would care to answer why they failed to contact Bud’s parents? There are many questions yet to be answered.

The question is - what should be done to reduce teen violence? Likewise, what do you think the school officials should have done in this case?