June 10, 2011
Judge Tom
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Secret Service questions 7th-grade student over Facebook post

In May, 2011, Vito LaPinta, Jr. was pulled out of his class at Truman Middle School in Tacoma, Washington. He was taken to the principal’s office where the 13-year-old met a man who identified himself as a Secret Service agent. It seems that after Osama Bin Laden was killed on May 1, 2011, Vito added a comment to his Facebook page about his concern for the safety of President Obama.

Vito’s mother was notified by a school security guard who told her what was happening. She denies receiving word about this before the questioning began. When she arrived at the school, Vito was released to her and told he wasn’t in any trouble. Vito stated that he was “very scared” and is more careful now about what he writes online.

Vito's Facebook Page

 

Vito’s decision to think ahead before posting anything online is a good idea. You never know who will read what you say or how it will be taken. Think B4 U Click.

You can watch an interview with Vito and his mother, Timi Robertson, below.

 

 
 

Judge Tom

The Author Judge Tom

Judge Tom is the founder and moderator of AsktheJudge.info. He is a retired juvenile judge and spent 23 years on the bench. He has written several books for lawyers and judges as well as teens and parents including 'Teen Cyberbullying Investigated' (Free Spirit Publishing) and 'Every Vote Matters: the Power of Your Voice, from Student Elections to the Supreme Court' (Free Spirit Publishing). In 2020, the American Bar Association published "Cyberbullying Law," the nation's first case-law book written for lawyers, judges and law students. When he's not answering teens' questions, Judge Tom volunteers with the American Red Cross and can be found hiking, traveling and reading.

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3 Comments

  • Divorce Lawyers Tulsa
    August 28, 2011 3:21 pm count( 0 )

    Really??? A seventh-grader???

  • Oklahoma City Divorce Attorney Matt Ingham
    June 26, 2011 11:38 am count( 1 )

    That seems like overkill. Do the members of the secret service honestly think that a 13-year-old middle schooler is capable of posing a serious threat on the President’s life…come on, for real???