School vandals used Facebook to recruit supporters

It was more or less a typical but expensive act of school vandalism, the kind that occurs in schools everywhere.

Graffiti was painted around Cheyenne Mountain High School on two occasions in August, causing $4,000 to $6,000 in damages.

But the incidents differed in a couple of unusual ways.

The perpetrators signed their handiwork “Ethan Allen,” presumably after the 18th century activist who advocated property destruction to make his point.

And they created an Ethan Allen Facebook page to brag about it, plan other crimes and invite other kids to join them.

A new trend?

Colorado Springs Police Officer Bill Walsh, Cheyenne Mountain School District 12’s campus resource officer, has not heard of kids doing this sort of thing.

“Nothing surprises me anymore as to what kids will do with technology mediums,” said Walsh, who is investigating the crimes. No arrests have been made.

The graffiti was painted on outside surfaces on, and in one case the stone entrance sign was changed to read “Cheyenne Mountain Reform School.” Windows, walls and a maintenance vehicle were also targets.

The district sent a note to parents urging them to ask their kids to report what they might know. D-12 is offering a reward for information that leads to apprehension and conviction.

The amount hasn’t been determined.  

 “There is no doubt in our minds that these people have been seen by folks in the neighborhood and the identities are known to some of our kids,” said D-12 Superintendent Walt Cooper.  

Some kids even went on the rogue Facebook page, which has been taken down, to defend the school.

“They were probably afraid we would find out who posted it,” Cooper said.

Walsh would not discuss the ongoing investigation.

Does Facebook provide police with information?

When you call Facebook corporate headquarters in Palo Alto, Ca., they even have a special extension just for law enforcement calls.

A Faceboook spokesman said in an e-mail: "Like other companies holding personal records--from phone records to medical history--Facebook works with law enforcement to the extent required by law and where appropriate to ensure the safety of Facebook users.  Our goal is to respect the balance between law enforcement's need for information and the privacy rights of our users, and as a responsible company we adhere to the letter of the law.  We have, and will continue to, fight requests that we believe violate these statutes. 

 He noted  that as part of this process, they scrutinize "every single law enforcement request" requiring a detailed description of why the request is being made. If  it is deemed appropriate, they share only the minimum amount of information. " In very rare instances our policies and the law (ECPA) allow for emergency exemptions."

A good example, is the kidnapping of a child where every minute counts., the facebook spokesperson said. "It is in this type of instance where we have verified an emergency that we feel a responsibility to quickly share information that could save someone's life.  Even in this scenario, we would only share the minimum amount of information like whether a user has logged in."

In the past several years, school administrators and police nationwide have used information from Facebook pages as evidence, according to news reports.

Getting rid of a Facebook account isn’t like erasing fingerprints at a crime scene. Even those who aren’t criminals have criticized Facebook for lack of privacy in account settings.

Marc Rotenberg, executive director of the Washington, D.C.-based Electronic Information Center, heads a coalition of privacy groups that has asked regulators to investigate privacy settings on Facebook.

“It’s an interesting issue. We know there are user accounts that are actually undercover officers collecting information for criminal investigations. If Facebook is aware of that, they should consider whether it is appropriate.”

As for how easy it is for law officers to get account information, he isn’t sure.

An online posting by Facebook officials says: “If  a person deactivates their account, the profile and all information is made inaccessible to others. “What this means is that you effectively disappear from the Facebook service. However if you want to reactivate at some point, we do save your profile information and your account.”  

Cooper is hoping that old-fashioned sense of responsibility will win over the thrill of Facebook bragging about the vandalism. “Our best hope of stopping vandalism is to rely on those who take pride in the school and are offended by the actions.”

D-12 schools, like those elsewhere, have held workshops  and class sessions for kids on Internet  dangers and etiquette, and how to reveal wrongdoing.

The district asks students to report information about the vandalism to Safe2tell at  877-542-7233, or by calling Officer Walsh at 475-6110, ext. 219.