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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this is wrong! this lady THIS PERSON THIS ADULT, THIS LADY MADE A FALSE PROFILE ON THE INTERNET TO HARRASS A CHILD!! HER NEIGHBOR!! I KNOW THE STORY ALL OF IT AND THIS LADY THIS ADULT SHOULD BE SENTENCE FOR HER ADULT ACTIONS

- matt r

Posted 07/07/09 03:18 PM

This is so upsetting-how can this happen in today’s society. Sure, the girl was “violating facebook’s contract” but she was 13 and Lori Drew is a criminal! This is such a haneous crime and Drew should be made the example. I am not sure what the judge was thinking-but my symathies are with Tina and her family. The family should fight the ruling and carry this case to a higher court of law where Drew will not get away with this.

- Belle

Posted 07/07/09 03:19 PM

I disagree with the Judge’s ruling. For an adult to have gone undercover as a minor, harrassed and pushed a teenager to her death should be charged fully with all the weight of the law. Why is this mom an exception? We do not excuse other adults who go undercovers as younger individuals to mislead younger adults into sexual conducts or any other sort. This is truly a sad story to see. This is indeed an awful message the Judge sends when someone is responsible for the death of another and is released so easily. What can you call this act? Conspiracy? Bullying? Harassement? Lies? My condolences to the mother. I will pray that justice be brought for your daugther.

- Karen O.

Posted 07/07/09 03:19 PM

When I first herd about this story, I could not believe that a mother would think it okay to harass a young teenage girl whom had battled depression! I myself am a myspace user, I don’t feel like you need to read the terms and conditions to know that what the woman did was WRONG! Megan’s death needs to be brought to justice, and the only way that will happen is if the woman gets charged with MURDER! The woman disgusts me, and I cannot fathom how the judge can see past the fraud, the malacious attacks, and the fact that the woman is a mother of a teenage daughter!

- Kim

Posted 07/07/09 03:19 PM

The judge was right in throwing out the conviction, because many people use aliases or shortened name forms on sites such as Facebook for privacy reasons. That said, I am in favor of a civil wrongful-death suit, or some other type of civil suit, to hold Ms. Drew responsible for her irresponsible and contemptible actions. The highschooler who posted earlier was right: this woman is acting like a teenager (and a flighty one, at that), not as an adult, and should be held in some way responsible for her harassment of Megan and its consequences.

- Sally G

Posted 07/07/09 03:20 PM

I think that everyone who is blaming the Mom is rediculous! Facebook and Myspace are ways to stay connected to family and friends. Every kid and most adults have one. Thats not a big deal. But what kind of sick, heartless women, who is a mom herself, harasses a child to that extent??? I wonder how she would feel if her children were taken from her. Its digusting to me that the judge won’t punish her. What sort of message does that send? If you don’t read the rules you don’t have to follow them? That Mom deserves jail time and for her children to be taken away so she can feel the pain shes caused.

- jessica

Posted 07/07/09 03:20 PM

I think that parents are responsible for their child’s actions.I’ve seen and heard many people press on this point before. But parents could use internet protection, like Safe Eyes which my parents have put on our family computer. Parents should check up on their kids daily or monthly for what’s up with their lives.But I think that the judge was just being nice to the child because she was young, and probably didn’t know how much damage she could cause in her situation.

- Abby

Posted 07/07/09 03:21 PM

no matter wat the computer situation is parents should teach their child how to deal with bullying period. how hard is it to shut off a computer? her mother should have paid more attention and taught her daughter how to ignore people.

- trouble

Posted 07/07/09 03:21 PM

The woman responsable for this should hang herself

- jack

Posted 07/07/09 03:22 PM

Child abuse, including verbal abuse of a child is against the law, wheather it be a parent or even a neighbor. Clearly this lady pretended to be somebody else to verbally abuse this child. She should go to jail for verbally abusing a child. She should not go to jail for some terms of condition but for child abuse.

- aa1

Posted 07/07/09 03:22 PM

This surprises us? WHY? We live in a time where a football player who kills someone get 30 days in jail. Another player has dog fighting charges gets 2 years and a man that steals Lance Armstrongs bike gets 5 years…. Our system is just way outa wack and you cant depend on it to do the right thing.

- Anonymous

Posted 07/07/09 03:23 PM

I am hugely upset at the judge’s tentative decision to throw out the convictions of Lori Drew. Does this judge have ANY idea what happened here??? Better still, does Lori Drew have ANY idea of how nasty of a thing that she did, and the outcome of her actions??? Bullying amongst peers is bad enough. Now we have to set this so-called adult down and tell her that this is not the way he behave toward one another??? If Ms. Drew was really a grownup, and any kind of a mother, this deed should have NEVER—-EVER——EVER even entered her mind!!!!! I am so upset by this——I hope justice is done, and will firmly put this woman in her place—-and protect our youth from the cruelty they never deserved, which is being bullied.

- Lynne

Posted 07/07/09 03:23 PM

“Suicide is painless … it brings on many changes … and I can take it or leave it, if I please …”

- Elyse

Posted 07/07/09 03:23 PM

Why bother with the trial at all if the judge is going to say “my opinion is all that matters anyway”. Laws don’t mean a thing. Notice that all the news reports of this disgrace, like always, says a federal judge NO NAMES PLEASE threw out the whole case & guilty verdic.

- DAN

Posted 07/07/09 03:23 PM

ssha1950-you are completely incorrect. From Facebook TOS: 2. You will not use Facebook if you are under 13. Her daughter was 13-the victim and her mother did not violate TOS.

- RF

Posted 07/07/09 03:24 PM

What is this judge thinking, if I went to court and said i didn’t read the fine print or terms of use for my cell phone, or buying a car, getting a credit card or anything similar, I would be laughed out of the court ..Ignorance is “not an excuse”

- JLEE

Posted 07/07/09 03:25 PM

This is one of those horrible, tragic stories that just tugs on my heartstrings. And yet, I’m not convinced that legal punishment is the way to go for Lori Drew. There are many terrible things in this world that are criminal, and yet are not (nor should be) a CRIME. With freedom comes responsibility and accountability- if we start making things like this legally punishable, we begin to chip away at the choices that make this a free nation. What’s worse, history shows that we can’t prevent all people from becoming victims. No matter how many things we outlaw, there will always be people to break those laws. If we want to prevent things like this in the future, I propose that we find a different, more effective, approach. (At the very least, perhaps we can teach people of all ages how to be responsible in their communications and relationships.)

- Sara

Posted 07/07/09 03:25 PM

Lori Drew is a PATHETIC COW, a DISGUSTING PIG. What kind of person does that to a CHILD? And what kind of judge lets an adult get away with that kind of behavior? This woman - sorry, this ANIMAL should be severely punished. What a horrible example set by both this woman and that judge. This sickens me. What on earth would make a grown woman torment a CHILD like that? If she doesn’t get justice in this life, I am sure she will in the next. There is no forgiveness for something that evil.

- molly

Posted 07/07/09 03:25 PM

It is a tragedy when a teen commits suicide.The only person responsible is the person who kills themself.As much as it hurts,DONT BLAME ANYONE ELSE for taking your own life.One comment on myspace did not drive a teen to the brink, she was already there.May she rest in peace and may her mother find closure.

- Peggy

Posted 07/07/09 03:25 PM

Granted Mrs. Drew was wrong to harass an already unstable teenager; she should have taken the girls’ running feud as an opportunity to teach maturity. However, Mrs. Meier was responsible for her daughter and needs to realize that there were issues far more serious than a real or fake boy’s attention via MySpace. Perhaps her energy would be better used if aimed at helping to recognize depression, bipolar disorder, etc., in pre-teens and teenagers.

- Allison

Posted 07/07/09 03:26 PM