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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Everyone always wants to blame someone else. True it is in poor taste and bad judgement to make the fake myspace page, but it is not her fault that the kiddo was psycho. Sooner or later she would have killed herself if she was already this unstable. Her mom should have been more attentive to what her daughter was doing on the internet anyways. I’m happy with the virdict as it is fair. I mean what are we going to do, charge everyone who ever pissed off someone that committed suicide with murder. Good luck. Now morally, that’s a different story. That lady will have to live with the guilt of speeding her along to her suicide - but criminal, no. Good virdict judge.

- Jason

Posted 07/07/09 02:30 PM

It is ridiculous for people to be balming this on the parents of a 13 year old girl who had a myspace page. Regardless of how old this girl was or whether she should have legally held a myspace account, it was the actions of a grown woman harassing a young girl that lead to this tragic incident. Harassment is illegal and can be assault when done in person. it should be assault when done over the internet as well. That this woman’s defense is that she didn’t read the terms of service is ridiculous. She was old enough to know right from wrong and she never would have done this outside of the world of the internet. To say that the internet makes this any less harassment than if it had been done face to face is absolutely unacceptable.

- AV

Posted 07/07/09 02:30 PM

I am so very sorry for the loss of your darling daughter…..and almost equally sad at the grave injustice done to her and your entire family with this “judge’s” decision…….that Lori Drew continues to walk the streets a free woman with the brazen, cold, indignant look of hers shows the magnitude of the travesty of injustice of all this. Comfort yourself in knowing that if nothing else comes of any sort of punishment to Lori Drew - she has to come face to face with God Almight one day - and if I were her I would be afraid. And Lori Drew - if nothing else - remember…what goes around comes around…….you are a “mother” too….what an inspiration you must be to your own……

- Patti

Posted 07/07/09 02:30 PM

13 year olds can get a MySpace account. It’s not illegal. It’s in there Terms of Service under Eligibility, you might wanna look that up before you start pointing fingers. As for the overall case I do feel for the mom, the judge’s decision was not a very good one and ANY parent that harasses a child to death should be punished

- RAWR!

Posted 07/07/09 02:30 PM

I think that’s terrible…a growm woman bullying a 13 year old girl? At that age, you’re just entering adolescence and children are still so impressionable. The poor girl was afraid of public humiliation by what was on that false page. Nowdays, when people bully others online, they are ruthless. I was in a similar situation, and of coarse, the cops did nothing as they normally do, so those involved, get to run free and do it again to someone else. I’d hate to hear that the mother of this girl didn’t get the justice she deserves. I’m so sickened by the things people do to others as a method of retaliation for something that wasn’t worth getting revenge on in the first place. There are proper, more dignified ways of confronting someone, such as talking to them, then there are cruel and idiotic ways, such was what this horrible woman did. It’s truley disgusting.

- Jen

Posted 07/07/09 02:31 PM

The Judge ruled correctly on this one. Sticks and Stones people!!! This child had problems previous to this incident, and when the Mother found out what was happeining, should have nipped it in the butt from the get go. .

- Arlene

Posted 07/07/09 02:31 PM

Absolutely insane. Try her under a different violation—start with unpaid parking tickets or spitting in public. She’s an adult bully who deserves to get hers.

- Bruce

Posted 07/07/09 02:31 PM

Three words. What the h**l?

- Anonymous

Posted 07/07/09 02:32 PM

I think the ruling should be over turned. It’s not right to have a false profile to lure children in any form or fashion. The mental abuse that your daughter encountered was not only cruel but very intentional. It’s very uncomfortable as a parent knowing this would be an accepted practice which is exactly what the Judge said when a ruling was made on this case. Yes… there are more laws that need to be made and passed when it comes to the internet. This judge, however, had a chance to make a difference here. When someone sets out to lure a child it’s sad and you will be judged by a higher judge that will give a righteous judgement.

- Shay

Posted 07/07/09 02:32 PM

I completely believe in establishing new legislation to eliminate any and all harrassment, including and especially the internet, but I also believe it is first and foremost the respsonsiblity of we parents to know what our children are reading or researching or sending out to others on the internet. It is the same as know who they are hanging out with and where they are at all times. It is do able, you just have to make the effort. If we as parents see that our children are at risk of reading information on the internet that could put them into dangerous or deadly situations, we should know that our responsibility is to try every possible option to eliminate this threat. I agree that does include establishing legislation to stop all internet harrasment.

- Jenny

Posted 07/07/09 02:33 PM

We as parents are responsible for our children, But in saying that we as adults are responsible for our actions. If a adult takes it upon themselves to try and harm a child of any age they need to be held accountable. Computers today are as telephones were when I was young, did our parents stand over us when we were on the phone, No. Should parents be aware of what is going on with their child on the net. YES but you must give your child some freedom to make mistakes and learn. Do I agree with this Judge NO I think it should be turned over and investigated if there was any wrong doing on the part of the Judge.

- ML

Posted 07/07/09 02:33 PM

This is rediculous!!! The judge is a damn fool. I pray that corrective actions are taken very soon.

- Anonymous

Posted 07/07/09 02:34 PM

While I don’t agree with letting the woman walk, I do understand that he had to follow the law as it is written. What needs be done now is for all states to look at the laws on the books now and make the necessary changes with new laws. I also think that the mother of the dead girl now needs to look into a civil answer to the situation. Hit someone in their bank account works wonders at times.

- Frieda

Posted 07/07/09 02:34 PM

I as a mother of 2 boys who use the iternet frequently am so sorry for your loss. My boys have gone online numerous time and put inappropriate things on myspace and I do not always find out and when I do from a friend it has been on a long time. They are trying to impress friends or trying to make themselves out to be someone feared. It is a shame this woman who should know better as an adult with a very young child’s brain would think it is Ok to act and behave in such a harmful fashion. This woman should be punished but jail wont really help her as I think she needs psychiatric help. Maybe a pshyc center would be more appropriate. As parents we never really believe our kids could do harm to someone or themselves, they are our babies always. Parenting is a rough job and we all do the best we can to raise them right and protect them from low lifes that want to hurt them. Good luck to Tina and god bless you.

- Cindy

Posted 07/07/09 02:34 PM

this is ridiculous this women has to be sentenced for something, what she did was criminal and we cannot just let criminals have a free ride especially when their actions lead to someones death. I cannot believe the judge could just throw the case out, even the jury found her guilty.

- Anonymous

Posted 07/07/09 02:34 PM

Ok so Rick, according to you, someone could walk up to your child, harass them, bully them, tease them until they went home and killed themselves, and you would be ok with that because your kid took his own life. Is that what you are saying? Hmmm I’m betting that either you have no children or you are a bullier yourself.

- Monita Swank

Posted 07/07/09 02:34 PM

It was a case of adult vs Child. The adult should be held accountable for he actions. We have become a sociity of E-Thugs, E Bullies and E- bashers. The only E in suicide is at THE END. Fire the Judge, Throw Lori Drew in jail and everyone get your kids off myspace, facebook.

- James

Posted 07/07/09 02:34 PM

This should be treated as a hate crime and Lori Drew should spend at least a year in prison to reflect on how her bullying cost a person their life. This judge is interpreting the written law and not the intent of the law. This is a case I’d like to see before the Supreme Court.

- Steve

Posted 07/07/09 02:34 PM

I’m sorry but even if it’s a technicality, it’s still a true ruling from the judge. I’m sorry but I have no sympothy for those who commit suicide. sorry

- Anonymous

Posted 07/07/09 02:34 PM

I feel very sorry for Tina’s loss. I do hope that the other woman gets her punishment and whether the judge does or does not make her pay for what she did, I hope Megan’s face comes to her day in and day out, so she can remember how bad a person she is that she drove a teenager to commit suicide. I do not wish wrong to anyone, but there are things that you can’t just forgive or forget. I don’t have kids of my own, but I do have lots of nephews and nieces and I would never want to go through what Tina has gone through only because of a childish and very bad judgement of an adult, who is supposed to act like one, and not be driven by hatress. My prayers and thoughts go to Tina and Megan. Good luck!

- Anonymous

Posted 07/07/09 02:35 PM