FLORIDA — The Hernando County State’s Attorney’s Office announcedThursday that it will not press criminal charges against the student creatorsof a Web site that parodied their high school.
Assistant State’s Attorney Bill Catto said charges were dropped whenprosecutors found no evidence of criminal wrongdoing.
The site, which was shut down by its server in December, was createdby students at Springstead High School in Spring Hill. It contained storiesthat portrayed one teacher as a pedophile and another as a drunk, as wellas doctored photographs of several school officials participating in sexacts.
Although state prosecutors have concluded the investigation, Catto saidcivil suits could still be filed against any responsible parties.
The U.S. Postal Service is continuing its own investigation into copiesof pages from the Web site that were mailed to school administrators alongwith an offer from the owners to sell the rights to the site for $10,000.
In addition, school officials have said the students could still bepunished for violating school rules.
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Fla.prosecutors investigate students’ Web site mocking school officials(1/19/01)