By Matthew Stucker
CNN
The former head of a private preparatory school in Miami, Florida is out an $80,000 discrimination settlement after his daughter boasted about it on Facebook.
Patrick Snay, 69 — the former head of Guillver Preparatory School — filed an age discrimination complaint when his 2010-11 contract wasn’t renewed.
In November 2011, the school and Snay came to an agreement in which Snay would be paid $10,000 in back pay, and an $80,000 settlement. Gulliver Schools also agreed to cut Snay’s attorneys a check for $60,000.
But before the ink could dry on the deal, Snay’s daughter took to Facebook, boasting, “Mama and Papa Snay won the case against Gulliver. Gulliver is now officially paying for my vacation to Europe this summer. SUCK IT.”
Snay’s daughter blasted the message to her 1,200 Facebook followers, which included many current and former Gulliver students. Word of the post spread like wildfire back to school officials.
Within a few days, Gulliver Schools sent a letter to Snay’s attorneys stating that Snay had broken a confidentiality agreement and that he would not be receiving the $80,000 settlement. Continue reading
Chairman of Rose Law Group Cyber Law Department, Chris Ingle, had this to say:
“This is a hard lesson about the dangers of posting things on the internet. The judge is absolutely correct that Mr. Snay’s daughter violated the settlement agreement. Gulliver Prep included specific language in its settlement contract, including a non-disclosure clause, in exchange for its agreement to pay $80,000. By posting the comment on the internet, Ms. Snay did exactly what what that settlement agreement was supposed to prevent. Since the Snay family did not keep its end of the bargain, Gulliver Prep does not have to keep its end either. In practical terms, that means that Gulliver Prep gets its $80,000 back. The ironic thing is that Ms. Snay posted the comment on Facebook because she wanted everyone to know that Gulliver Prep had to pay for its alleged wrongdoing, and now the only thing anyone is ever going to remember about this case is that Gulliver Prep did not have to pay a penny.
In the larger context, this case demonstrates how quickly people can land themselves in trouble by doing something on the internet. It seems likely that Ms. Snay spent only a few seconds on her Facebook post, but that few seconds ended up costing her family more than most people make in a year. These kinds of things are happening more and more often. For example, it is possible to download a new movie or a song in just a few clicks. Most illegal downloads go unnoticed, but if you happen to be one of the unlucky few that get caught, the ensuing lawsuit can cost tens of thousands of dollars. Depending on the illegal content that is downloaded, a person could face criminal charges, fines, or even prison time for their actions. Similarly, more and more people are finding themselves in court because they posted false, insulting comments on the internet. As the public increasingly uses the internet to research companies, purchase goods and services, and review their experiences, the damage that a person can cause by intentionally defaming someone is growing exponentially. Stated simply, the internet does not give people a free pass to do whatever they want. In today’s world it is important to understand that if your online activity is likely to harm someone else, you may very well find yourself in court, and you may very well end up paying for the consequences of your actions.
Let’s end with a few words of advice. As this case shows us, a few seconds of online activity can have staggeringly important consequences, so always pay attention to what you are posting on the internet and sending to your friends via social media. If it seems possible that your online activity could come back to haunt you, or that it could upset someone else enough that they would actually file a lawsuit, then you should probably think twice about whether you really need to download the latest TV show or post that snarky comment about your ex. If you think there could be legal consequences but you decide to move forward anyway, you should consult with a qualified lawyer before doing anything irrevocable. A few minutes on the phone with your lawyer could end up saving you a lot of trouble in the long run.”
Chris Ingle may be contacted at cingle@roselawgroup.com
