[ale] [WAY OT] Ethics Question

[jonathan.glass at ibb.gatech.edu (Jonathan Glass)]

On another mailing list, I received an article.  The subject of the article was
asking about the ethical implications of finding incriminating email from a
teacher to a student on a High School mail server.  Should the tech turn the
data over the authorities or keep quiet.  Apparently the Superintendent and the
Principal want the tech to leave it alone.

My question to the group:
Should the author of the article be responsible for sending this information the
FBI/local police, whether or not the subject of the article decides to act?  

My opinion: 
Since this article is talking about child abuse by teachers, and since the
school officials are covering up, I believe the author has a moral obligation to
contact the authorities.  I'm so irritated that the author and subject have
apparently done nothing that I'm thinking about forwarding the article on to the
local FBI, even though I'm not sure if something like that is in their
jurisdiction.  

Thanks

Jonathan Glass

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