Russell Lissau, Daily Herald
Libertyville-Vernon Hills Area High School District 128 Associate Superintendent Prentiss Lea was, quite literally, the school administrator heard ’round the world.Recognizing the growing popularity — and dangers — of blogs and social-networking Web sites, Lea and other District 128 officials decided to hold students accountable for what they post online.


For a few weeks this spring, Libertyville-Vernon Hills Area High School District 128 Associate Superintendent Prentiss Lea was, quite literally, the school administrator heard ’round the world.

Recognizing the growing popularity — and dangers — of blogs and social-networking Web sites, Lea and other District 128 officials decided to hold students accountable for what they post online.

They crafted a policy that would punish students involved in sports, music or other extracurricular activities that maintain or are identified on a Web site that depicts illegal or inappropriate behavior. Such teens were singled out because they already sign good-conduct agreements.

“We wanted to raise the level of awareness of what you do on the Internet,” Lea said. “Some of the things you put out there could hurt you way past high school.”

The strategy, believed to be among the first of its kind, was designed to discourage the type of cyber-shenanigans that led to nine Glenbard East High School cheerleaders being disciplined after photos of a drinking party appeared online.

Other cases have been more serious. An Aurora teen was arrested in June after police said he threatened a school administrator online.

For Lea, the policy also was about teen safety. He was particularly concerned about students being victimized by sexual predators or who post information online that later could prove embarrassing or could hurt their chances to get into college or get a job.

“If part of our mission is to prepare students … this is part of their reality,” he said.

District 128’s policy prompted international media attention and a spirited debate about free-speech rights. Lea became the district’s point man on the issue and was quoted in numerous newspaper articles and television reports.

At the peak of the media’s interest, he was doing four to six interviews a day.

“The magnitude was certainly surprising,” Lea recalled. “(It) demonstrated to all of us the keen interest in that particular topic. It just struck a nerve.”

As word spread, representatives from school districts and police departments across the nation sought advice from Lea on adopting similar policies. He even testified during a congressional hearing.

School board President Anne Landgraf was impressed with how Lea handled the spotlight.

“He was so professional,” she said. “He was so prepared on what we did and why we did it.”

District 128 officials haven’t needed to invoke the policy since it went into effect this fall. Looking back, Lea called the hubbub a “healthy conversation” that raised awareness of an important issue.

“Hopefully the parents in our community (have had) good conversations with their kids, and, hopefully, the kids have had good conversations with each other and then exercised good judgment,” Lea said.