STC: Case over Facebook closed

The lawsuit against St. Theresa’s College for penalizing five graduating high school seniors over bikini photos posted in Facebook is over.

STC lawyer Joan Largo said the court approved a compromise agreement between the school and the main complainant with her parents.

In a press conference yesterday, Largo said the court ruling, in effect, dismissed the petition filed against STC which barred five seniors from attending their March 30 graduation rites for posting photos on Facebook which the school considers lewd and a violation of the Student Handbook.

“STC takes the dismissal of the civil case as a judicial imprimatur for the parties to put closure to the issue, while keeping in mind the valuable lessons learned therefrom of parental responsibility and good cyber citizenship,” Largo said.

But lawyer Cornelio Mercado, counsel of two other STC graduates who were unable to march in the graduation, said the case against STC is still alive.

“Let them (STC) believe what they want for the moment. I didn’t know where it (dismissal of the main case) came from. Why is STC pre-empting any action of the court? They have no right to say that,” Mercado told Cebu Daily News.

He said he filed in court an amended complaint which allowed the intervention of his clients.

But Largo said the court didn’t consider the intervention of the other high school graduates.

“The intervenors have no legal standing. We want to put a closure to this,” she said.

In return, she said parents should mold their childrens to be good citizens in this cyber age.

Originally, five STC graduating seniors were barred from attending their commencement rites as punishment for “serious” violations of the Student Handbook.

Four girls and their parents and guardian sued the school.

The main petitioner withdrew from the case a few months later.

Another girl also withdrew after an amicable settlement was reached.