Matthew David Keenan School Law Blog on Lawyers.com

            Most
parents are vaguely aware of the dangers of social media such as Facebook, at
least when it comes to their kids. 
Ill-advised remarks or embarrassing photos on a Facebook page can lead
to your child’s suspension at school or rejection from a college.

            But
students are not the only ones who must watch what they do in cyber world.  Parents in danger of a school residency
challenge should post with care.  Recently,
a Tennessee mother frustrated with her sons let the residency cat out of the
bag. (See http://rivals.yahoo.com/highschool/blog/prep_rally/post/Ten nessee-team-vacates-wins-after-mom-8217-s-Fa?urn=highschool-wp6392.)

In the
Tennessee incident, high school athletic association rules required that all
members of a family reside within the county in order for students to be eligible
to play on the high school football team. 
The two sons had transferred to the new school, and the team had won several
games.  Then, the athletic association
learned that the sons were not eligible for the new school’s team as the mother
was still living in the original school’s county.  And officials learned this fact from the
mother’s own Facebook post: 

“… the mother actually works in Henry County, and she posted
on her Facebook page that she sent the kids back to Perry County for the week
and that she would not see them again until Friday night….Then, later on her
Facebook page, she posted, 'How can two boys mess up their room as badly as
they do when they're only here on Saturday and Sunday?'"  (http://rivals.yahoo.com/highschool/blog/prep_rally/post/Ten nessee-team-vacates-wins-after-mom-8217-s-Fa?urn=highschool-wp6392.)

As
a result, the team’s first three wins of the season were vacated.  The story even made the United Kingdom Daily
Mail.  That is pretty
embarrassing, but in suburban Chicago, the consequences could have been much more
severe.  Suburban schools are actively on
the watch for students who do not legitimately reside in their district.  Any parent who gives false information about
their residency to a school can be charged with a criminal offense.  Non-resident students can be removed from school
and their parents can be stuck with a steep tuition bill.

If you have
questions about this or another school law matter, please contact Matt Keenan
at 847-568-0160 or email matt@mattkeenanlaw.com.

(Besides
Skokie, Matt Keenan also serves the communities of Arlington Heights, Chicago,
Deerfield, Des Plaines, Evanston, Glenview, Morton Grove, Mount Prospect,
Niles, Northbrook, Park Ridge, Rolling Meadows, Wilmette and Winnetka.)