MySpace Victim's Mom Seeks Justice

MySpace Victim's Mom Seeks Justice

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

filed under: family

Tina Meier talks to momlogic.

myspace suicide mom tina meier with photos of megan meier

Last week, a federal judge tentatively threw out the convictions of Missouri mom Lori Drew, who had been charged with fraud in connection with a fake MySpace page targeting her 13-year-old neighbor, Megan Meier. Megan Meier later committed suicide.

Megan's mom, Tina Meier, talks to momlogic about this shocking ruling.

momlogic: When did you find out about the judge's decision, and what was your reaction?

Tina Meier: The decision came down on Thursday, July 2nd. I feel aggravation and disappointment. I truly feel that the message the judge is sending out is a bad one. It's stating that if we as individuals use the Internet and don't read the terms of service, we can still make a false profile, harass someone, impersonate someone, and do whatever we want ... and if something happens, we are not held liable because we didn't read the terms of service. This is a horrible message to be sending sexual predators, husbands, wives, exes, and anyone who wants to cause harm or get revenge on someone else. Now, what I am doing with the Megan Meier Foundation is asking anyone who disagrees with the judge's decision to please contact the judge's court clerk and let him know why you disagree. The judge's decision is not 100% until it's in writing. I am not sure when that will be, so I am asking people to write him as soon as possible. The AP did an article right after the decision and they did an online survey asking how many people agreed with the ruling. Over 90,000 people clicked on the survey and over 89% disagreed. These are people who use the Internet. We need to stand up and protect our children. This is one step towards asking the judge to do something positive and set a precedent.

ML: Where will you go from here?

Tina: I am fighting to let the judge know there are people out there who disagree with his ruling. If he doesn't read the letters or listen, then there is nothing more I can do, but we need to get our voices heard. The jury found Lori Drew guilty, but he threw out the decision and now she goes free. Right now, the decision is still tentative until it's in writing, which is again why I am asking people to write the judge as soon as possible.

I can't let this decision stop the course I am on. I am going to continue to get out there. There are two components. The first is legislative. There is a federal bill out there that has been proposed by Congresswoman Linda Sanchez in California. We need a law that will state if you use the Internet to harm or harass someone, you need to be held accountable -- just like when you drink and drive and kill an innocent family on the road, you need to be held responsible. On the federal level, it will cover everyone, and not just go state by state. The second component is to get into the schools and continue to talk and educate the kids, parents, educators, etc. We need kids to understand the effects this has on others, when they get into arguments or harass each other online. I want to show them real life stories of how people have taken their lives when this could have been prevented.

Do you think the judge's decision should be overruled? Comment below.

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While I agree the CHILD should have had more supervision…the ADULT here needs to be punished. If someone were verbally/physically harming someone they would face charges. Emotional/mental harm is just as bad. This judge needs to rethink his decision.

- Anonymous

Posted 07/07/09 03:12 PM

The judge’s decision is a disgraceful travesty of justice. The very idea that someone guilty of cruelty and harassment of a child was tried for violating terms of service of a website is beyond outrageous.

- Lana

Posted 07/07/09 03:12 PM

The woman deserves to go to jail. The judge made a very bad decision and you will see much more of this in the future. Its time to take back America and get the liberal judges off the bench.

- Marie

Posted 07/07/09 03:12 PM

I agree, the person who wrote the comments to megan whether a boy, girl, lady or man. This person should be held accountable and even more so that she knew her medical history, where will this end. I bet if it happened to the judges son or daughter heads would roll.

- SoKat07

Posted 07/07/09 03:13 PM

All these people on here berating Megan’s mother for allowing her to have a facebook account seem like they can’t wait to condemn somebody else’s parenting-because they are obviously far superior parents and would NEVER allow their child to be in that situation. Well congrats to you- you get the perfect parent award and Megan’s parents get a dead child. Feel better now? What those haters out there are forgetting is that Megan was 13, if she really wanted to, she could have figured out a way to get that account on her own- and that sick psycho of a woman would still have taunted an innocent child, and goaded her into suicide. Any way you slice it, megan’s parents may have had a lapse in judgment, but that psycho bit#h is still at least guilty of harassment, which last I checked is a crime. She should get away with this? What if God forbid it was one of you “perfect parents’” children, and it happened not on facebook (because your perfect) but on the soccer field or at cheerleading, or band practice, would you think she should go free then?

- diana

Posted 07/07/09 03:13 PM

Little girls dont just kill themselves on the spot. It builds up. Had her mother paid enough attention to see the signs she could have prevented the suicide. I understand the importance of making an adult pay for such actions but really when youre talking about a child isn’t it more important to just have your child be safe? Would we be as bothered if the daughter was still alive and the woman got a sentence for three years? Coming from a girl who attempted suicide at around 13, I would hold more blame against those close to me than anyone else. If those people care enough about you and treat you as such, you wouldnt be as bothered by a harassful friend over myspace. Both Lori and Tina are guilty here, each to their own extent but guilty nonetheless.

- Anon

Posted 07/07/09 03:13 PM

Is it possible for Lori Drew to be an evil, horrible person AND Tina Meier to be clueless and negligent, both at the same time? Yes.

- Henriette

Posted 07/07/09 03:13 PM

Regardless if this girl committed suicide and people say “she already had issues” or “anyone is to blame” look at the whole picture, an ADULT bulled this 13 yr old girl, which apparently pushed her to far. She deserves to be punished for her actions, this grown women acted like a child and it resulted in a childs death. She is a sick women.

- Mel

Posted 07/07/09 03:13 PM

We are a family of four adults being harrassed and stalked by a neighbor. It has taken eight months to get to the point to have enough to qualify for a temporary order of protection. We have to make the decision to seek out the temporary order and hope a judge extends it once we get a court date. We barely know the guy who has lived near us a short while. Until someone has to put up with daily attacks & fits from someone and having to wonder if his pitbull will be released when you go outside just to intimidate then you don’t understand how hard it is to be done that way. It drains your enrgy levels being on constant alert. It is sad this girl died after being tortured. Yes her mom could have controlled the computer,but if someone wants to do these things to you they will do like our neighbor and follow you and your guests, they will send the pitbull after your 18 year old daughter and only call it off after laughing at her as she tries to escape to the safety of her home,they will berate as you mow your lawn and etc. No the fence doesn’t stop the behavior, the dog issue is a code violation and since he lives near us the police say it isn’t stalking. Anyone who wants to live in my world is welcome.

- mim

Posted 07/07/09 03:14 PM

Vigilante justice is what is needed.

- dr moncure

Posted 07/07/09 03:14 PM

i think its a parents responsibility to put down their foot and not allow their child to even go near a computer especially when they are just 13yrs old… you have no idea what they are doing on there unless you know how to see through your fire wall with another computer. im not blamming anyone in this situation but i am saying that with the problem with making another clone of another person is illegal. its like stealing the identity of another such as an illegal alien stealing your social security card. same thing!!! if you have comments or hatred towards what i said then go email johnbadger88@gmail.com and i do think that a mother should be held responsible for her actions in causing the death of her own daughter!!! thats my personal beliefs.

- john badger

Posted 07/07/09 03:16 PM

Hey look if she couldn’t tell her own mother whats going on then she obviously shouldn’t have been allowed to be in such a large social group(MySpace). If the girl hadn’t committed suicide then who is to say a few days later some guy at school wouldn’t have hurt her feelings and caused her to do the same? If she was depressed (as a condition, not an emotion) it shows. Depression is a difficult thing to hide. So Tina can not pay attention to Megan when she was alive. but she can be super mom now. I’m writing to the judge to tell him he made an excellent decision. Also to combat your drinking and driving, if a family owns a gun it’s the parents who are responsible for keeping it away from children.

- Jon

Posted 07/07/09 03:16 PM

i feel for Tina in this situation. those who believe it is her own fault should remember that pretty much everyone had a myspace or facebook before it was supposed to be possible. what the neighbor did was sick and wrong, and she needs to be examined for mental illness. what sane human being would even consider doing this to another person, especially when it is known that that person is clinically depressed?

- Anonymous

Posted 07/07/09 03:17 PM

The mom who “lied” on the Internet MySpace” is definitely mentally ill. There are much better ways of handling the problem that her own daughter was facing. When a person understands what the “teenage brain” is going through he/she should help his/her child through this period of time. They should not complicate it by doing another foolish, childlike action! It’s too bad that the parent(s) of the girl who committed suicide where not more aware of what was going on. However, I realize that no one can actually monitor every minute of someone else’s life. I will NEVER understand how an adult woman could pull such a stupid. irresponsible stunt as to pose as a teenage boy. My first thought is that she herself is NOT REALLY an adult! My second thought is that she is a REAL COWARD!

- Donna Teacher

Posted 07/07/09 03:17 PM

i want to know why the judge waited to throw the case out until after the jury had made a decision, they might as well have just done the trial without a jury

- ian

Posted 07/07/09 03:17 PM

She should go to jail for child abuse. Clearly she harased a young child for her own evil purposes.

- aa1

Posted 07/07/09 03:17 PM

I think the parents should be responsible for their kids actions, whatever they do in school, internet,their friends etc. I think Lori should go to Jail for what she did at least a little jail time and probation for at least 5 years. So you parents make sure you talk to kids about everthing in life. sex, love etc., don’t be embarass to talk to your kids about actual life and what happen to their life if they don’t listen to your advise.

- MANNY

Posted 07/07/09 03:17 PM

I am a Constitutional Law professor, and I assure you that the Judge did not interpret the law correctly in this case. In no way was the conviction in this case Unconstitutional. This Judge is one of the many that allow their own opinions to influence their judicial responsibility.

- JDS

Posted 07/07/09 03:17 PM

I myself was often bullied in school when I was younger. By the time I was in junior high, I was already extremely depressed, requiring meds, and I was self-injuring myself. I got to high school, and lo and behold, suddenly I’m “cool” because I’m in all honors and have a septum ring. Teenagers are all over the place. I just turned twenty, and half the time I laugh the drama off, while the other half of the time, I bug out intensely. It never ends, and maybe Megan just saw no way out. This Drew woman took advantage of her feelings and crushed whatever confidence she had. Megan’s parents probably should have realized what was going on - if they had the password, why didn’t they pay attention to the messages and delete the account? If a “boy” was talking to my daughter like that online, I’d cut the cord. A moody teenager is better than a dead one, no? I’m sorry for the family, and I’m sorry if it sounds insensitive. On the other hand, a forty-something-year-old woman has nothing better to do than pick on a girl in junior high? Are you kidding me? What, was her life at that age so bad she had to subconciously seek revenge on a little girl? In other articles, they mention that was what Drew was doing - seeking revenge. What did Megan do to spark this? What was her life like outside of this Myspace drama? This whole scenario is half-and-half. Two to tango, remember? Because of my past, I’m more inclined to empathize with Megan herself. But what happened to start this?

- Leila

Posted 07/07/09 03:18 PM

that last part being sarcasm

- ian

Posted 07/07/09 03:18 PM