Legal Question in Technology Law in Texas
Fraternity investigation based on facebook pictures
St. Mary's University is conducting an investigation over a fraternity by researching for pictures over facebook without consent. During the investigation the school is calling people in the office whose pictures were found on facebook threatening to fire them from there work study if they don't confess what they were doing i.e underage drinking. If they didn't confess, 4 did not, those people were fired from there work study jobs. The people who did confess caused the fraternity to get charges pressed on it, and those students also received sanctions or tickets from the campus police for drinking underage. This seemed liked coercion which I thought was illegal. Can a school hold up these charges based on facebook pictures alone, and are these confessions brought upon by coercion even valid. Also, can the peope who were fired press charges on the school for illegally firing them.
1 Answer from Attorneys
Re: Fraternity investigation based on facebook pictures
A private institution can punish its students and even expel them for illegal activities. Underage drinking is illegal.