Sexting scandal strikes Valley Central High School
MONTGOMERY – Some Valley Central High School students are at the center of a sexting scandal that’s being investigated by both law enforcement and the district, officials confirmed Monday.
School officials said they learned last week that the students were sharing sexually-explicit cell phone photos of one another.
“A number of students, male and female, were transferring indecent pictures, either nude or partially nude, and all are underage,” said superintendent Richard Hooley.
He would not elaborate how many students took part in the sexting or their ages, except to say it involved “more than two (students), and more than four.”
“We couldn’t identify the number (of students involved), because if we gave you a number, you could identify the kids,” said Hooley.
Hooley said he could not comment on one parent’s claim that as many as 20 or 30 students were suspended as a result of the controversy,
“The consequences are between the students, their parents and the district,” he said.
Town of Montgomery police chief Arnold “Butch” Amthor praised the district’s handling of the controversy when contacted by phone. He plans to release more details about the case on Tuesday.
The term sexting is a combination of the words “text messaging” and “sex.” It’s used to describe the sharing of provocative photos and videos to and from cell phones as well as computers. Surveys have shown that it’s on the rise among teens.
“Sexting is an epidemic in most schools, but it doesn’t always come to the attention of the administration that this is going on,” said Hooley.
According to law enforcement officials, sexting is sometimes used as a form of flirting or cyberbullying. In some states, teens involved in the sharing of such explicit images can face child pornography charges and be prosecuted as sex offenders.
In New York, where sexting is also considered a crime, a law was passed in 2011 that gives teens the option to complete an eight-hour education course in exchange for having charges dropped.
In response to the scandal, Hooley said that he would like to see the Valley Central School District “lead the way by offering an education component to help kids avoid this kind of incident in the future.”
The district plans to bring in an expert to provide the education course to students and there will also be a separate session offered for parents in the coming weeks, said Hooley.
“The great concern about this is how this behavior can haunt you for the rest of your life,” he said.
