Radio host castigates Pennsylvania teen accused of Web threats
The Associated Press
05.25.99
Printer-friendly page
BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Nationally syndicated radio talk-show host Dr. Laura Schlessinger is urging her listeners to support the Bethlehem Area School District's legal fight against an expelled student and his parents.
Her call last week was at least the fourth time in a month that Schlessinger, known as "Dr. Laura" on her syndicated show, talked about the case stemming from the boy's use of a Web site to allegedly threaten teachers and administrators.
Justin Swidler, now 15, was expelled last August after school district officials saw the site, in which he allegedly asked for donations to hire a hit man to kill Nitschmann Middle School math teacher Kathleen Fulmer. His family described the site as an attempt at satirical humor, not a terroristic threat. The site, which has long since been dismantled, also contained profanity and derogatory statements about Principal A. Thomas Kartsotis.
Schlessinger led off the second hour of her May 17 program by reading a lengthy letter from Kartsotis, who thanked her for supporting the school district on her show.
Swidler and his parents, Dr. Howard and Ilene Swidler of Bethlehem, sued the district, Kartsotis and Superintendent Thomas Doluisio last October, saying Justin's right to free speech was violated.
The Swidlers are seeking a reversal of the expulsion and money to cover Justin's relocation expenses and private school tuition.
Kartsotis and Fulmer sued the Swidlers for defamation because of the derogatory comments on the site. The lawsuits are pending in Northampton County Court.
After reading the letter, Schlessinger encouraged listeners to support Kartsotis and the school district's legal fight against the Swidlers.
"If you have legal expertise and would like to help, if you're rolling in money and would like to help," she said, "it's Nitschmann Middle School. It's in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania."
Kartsotis said on May 20 that he had received "quite a few phone calls from throughout the country" as a result of the radio program, but declined to comment further.
"You are totally correct in your impressions of the parents of this student," Kartsotis wrote in his letter to Schlessinger. "From the beginning, the parents had initially denied any involvement with the Web site and then attempted to make a mockery of the process that our school district took.
"The site had death threats to three staff members, foul language, slander, teacher images morphing to Hitler and included pornographic words and images. The parents have continually challenged our position, saying the site was only a joke."
Schlessinger responded to the letter by asking, "What kind of a father defends this behavior?"
In an interview several weeks ago, the father said he thought his son's behavior was abhorrent, but said the school district should not have expelled his son for something done at home.
Update
Pennsylvania high court upholds student's expulsion over Web site
Court said that while it didn't appear that 14-year-old intended to hurt teacher, the site disrupted school environment, which justified the expulsion.
09.27.02
