Pearl Public School District v. Jackson [1]

Mandi Jackson, a former cheerleader at Pearl High School, filed a lawsuit against Tommie Hill, her former cheerleading coach, and other school officials, claiming that Hill and other teachers punished and humiliated Jackson after accessing and disseminating the content of private conversations from her Facebook account.

Jackson alleges in her eight-count complaint that on September 10, 2007, Hill requested that she turn over her password to her Facebook account. Compl. [2] ¶ 41. Jackson claims that she never accessed Facebook from a school computer or on school property. Compl. [2] ¶ 42. On that same day, Hill "breached Jackson's Facebook" and "disseminated [her information] to fellow . . . teacher . . . Tiffany Durr, cheer trainer Corey Byrd, Principal Ray Morgigno, Superintendant John Ladner, and other unknown individuals." Compl. [2] ¶¶ 43-44.

Jackson claims that Hill, Durr, Byrd, Morgigno, and Ladner "publicly repremanded, punished and humiliated [her] for a private discussion between [her] and another . . . student on Facebook." Compl. [2] ¶ 45.  Her punishment including being "forced to sit out of cheer and dance training and [to] refrain from participation at school sponsored events." Compl. [2] ¶ 46.

Jackson contends that Hill and the other school employees violated her rights to privacy, to free association, to free speech, and to due process. Further, Jackson claims that Hill and other school employees engaged in the intentional infliction of emotional distress, cruel and unusual punishment, defamation, and conspiracy.