Opinion ID: 1140705
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Facts Relevant to Both Appeals

Text: Saint James School is a private school operated as a nonprofit organization and enjoys status as a tax-exempt entity under the Internal Revenue Code. At the time of the events giving rise to this action, Bell served as the school's headmaster; Ketzler served as an unpaid volunteer in the capacity of chairman of its board of directors; and C.J., E.C., M.D., and K.H. (collectively referred to as the students) were four 14-year-old females enrolled in the ninth grade at Saint James School. On New Year's Eve 2000 the students attended a party at the house of a fellow classmate. The party was not a school-sponsored event. While at the party the students participated in a card game called Strip-Gotcha with other attendees, including M.G. and J.Si., male classmates of the students. The card game requires that a person remove an article of clothing if that person loses at a hand of cards. During the game the students removed various articles of jewelry and clothing, including shoes and socks, and at least two students removed their shirts. M.G. and J.Si. removed all of their clothes except for their boxer shorts. None of the students completely disrobed. E.C.'s parents picked the students up from the party shortly after midnight and took them to R.D. and S.D.'s house, where they were spending the night. S.D. allowed the students to share a strawberry daiquiri breezer, a beverage that contains alcohol. After sharing the one alcoholic beverage, the students retired to M.D.'s bedroom. Once the students were in M.D.'s bedroom they used her computer to communicate electronically with M.G., who, along with J.Si., had returned home following the party. M.G. complained that the students had cheated during the card game earlier because he did not get a show and asked the students to e-mail him some nude photographs of them. M.G. requested a cleavage shot, a butt shot, and an open shot. The students were initially reluctant to photograph themselves in the nude; however, M.G. eventually persuaded the students to take the photographs and to send them to him. The students agreed to do so after receiving assurances from M.G. and J.Si. that they would immediately delete the photographs after viewing them. The students took and e-mailed to M.G. and J.Si. five photographs depicting the students in the nude, in lewd poses, and using their fingers to manipulate their genitalia. The students had never previously taken such photographs of themselves and intended that the photographs be viewed by only M.G. and J.Si. Approximately one month after the party the students learned that the nude photographs of them were circulating among the students at Saint James and that some students were referring to them as porn stars and porn queens. When the students confronted M.G. about the photographs he initially stated that someone had hacked into his computer and retrieved the photographs; however, he eventually admitted that he did not delete the photographs as he had promised the students he would and that he had circulated them to other students, who in turn had shared the photographs with even more students. Copies of the photographs were being widely disseminated throughout the student body at Saint James and in the City of Montgomery. Jim Arrington, who was then the principal of the high school at Saint James School, first learned on February 13, 2001, of the possibility that inappropriate photographs were circulating among the student body when a teacher informed him that he had overheard several students discussing the photographs. The teacher knew few details about the matter and was unable to identify the students he had overheard discussing the photographs because they were obscured from his view. Arrington immediately notified Bell of the possibility that inappropriate photographs depicting Saint James students were being circulated, and Bell told him they needed to keep an ear open for that possibility. According to the students, the photographs continued to gain momentum during the period from February 13, 2001, through February 16, 2001. The students testified that at least one teacher, alluding to the photographs, had stated before a class of students that she was disgusted by the actions of certain students. K.H. testified that a teacher told a male student who was talking to her in the hall that he should not be talking to her because she was going to be expelled. The students also testified that another teacher told his class that the police were investigating the conduct of certain students and that the students would be going to prison. One student testified that when she arrived at school one morning she found a copy of the photographs sitting beside her assigned computer. On the afternoon of February 16, 2001, someone anonymously left a copy of the photographs in the chair of a teacher who immediately took the photographs to Arrington, who in turn took the photographs to Bell. Arrington and Bell viewed the photographs and were able to identify at least one of the students. On that same day three of the students, who were cheerleaders, spoke with their cheerleader sponsor, G.G., [5] regarding the photographs. G.G. told the students that she had been getting telephone calls all day from parents regarding the photographs and that they needed to tell their parents about the situation. The students spoke with their parents that same day about the existence of the photographs, but they did not initially reveal the nature of the photographs. The students also initially told their parents that M.G. had hacked into M.D.'s computer and stolen the photographs. Also on that same day, M.G. gave the students a letter, apologizing to them and taking full responsibility for not deleting the photographs as promised once he and J.Si. had viewed them and for circulating them to others. M.G.'s letter identified each of the students. Bell testified that on Sunday, February 18, 2001, he notified Ketzler of the situation regarding the photographs and told Ketzler that he was going to begin investigating the situation on Monday. On Monday, February 19, 2001, Bell met with Arrington and Ketzler to discuss further the situation regarding the photographs. A teacher who taught all ninth-grade students was called into the meeting to positively identify from the photographs the three remaining students that Bell and Arrington had not yet identified. After the students were identified, Bell scheduled individual meetings with the students' parents. Bell, Arrington, and Ketzler met individually with each set of parents on February 19, 2001, with the exception of R.D. and S.D.R.D. informed Bell that he was out of town on business and could not return for a meeting that day and that he needed to confer with his attorney before meeting with him. During the meetings the parents were shown the photographs. [6] Bell informed the parents during the meetings that he would continue to investigate the matter, and he offered to meet with the students if the students wished. Bell testified that he was reluctant to meet with the students because of the nature of the problem. The parents contend that Ketzler and Bell were hostile during the meetings. They state that Bell told them that he would contact them to discuss the situation further. During the course of the meetings with the parents, the letter from M.G. to the students apologizing for the dissemination of the photographs was presented to Bell, Arrington, and Ketzler. Because M.G.'s name came up during the meetings, Bell, Arrington, and Ketzler also met with M.G. and his mother, G.G., on the same day they met with the parents of three of the students. M.G. admitted that he had received the photographs from the students by e-mail and that he had forwarded the photographs electronically to others. On Monday, February 19, 2001, a student discovered an explicit photograph of three female students had been placed as wallpaper on a computer in the sixth-grade computer lab. The student who discovered the photograph testified that only the lower torsos of the females were depicted in the photograph. The student notified a teacher and then deleted the photograph from the computer; he did not make a copy. The student and the teacher checked the pictures bin on the network server and discovered additional explicit photographs, which they deleted. Bell, Arrington, and Ketzler questioned the student about the incident. He was not shown a photograph of the students, and he did not identify the students as being the females in the photograph he had deleted from the computer in the sixth-grade computer lab. In response to the discovery of the photograph on the computer in the sixth-grade computer lab, Bell ordered the school's computer system to be shut down and searched for any evidence of the photographs. During the search of the computer system, an e-mail was uncovered that indicated that one student was requesting from C.W.Sk., a student at Saint James School and the son of D.Sk., a copy of the photographs. It was ultimately discovered that C.W.Sk. had in his possession at his home a computer disk, which contained the photographs of the students. Bell contacted C.W.Sk.'s mother, D.Sk., and asked her to bring the computer disk containing the photographs to him at the school. D.Sk. testified that she located the disk, which was labeled nice pics, in C.W.Sk.'s bedroom and became curious as to its contents; she stated that she attempted to access the contents of the disk using C.W.Sk.'s computer, but, not being knowledgeable with computers, she was unable to do so. D.Sk. stated that on the way to the school to take the disk to Bell she stopped at a local fire station to have an acquaintance of hers assist her in accessing the contents of the disk. Her friend was able to gain access to the disk, and the contents were viewed briefly by approximately four or five firemen who were standing nearby; no copies of the disk were made. D.Sk. then took the disk to Bell. The next day, Tuesday, February 20, 2001, Bell met with Arrington and Ketzler and informed them that he had decided to expel the students and M.G. J.Si. and C.W.Sk. were not to be expelled. Bell stated that his decision to expel the students was based upon: (1) the fact that their actions were immoral and illicit and in violation of the school handbook; (2) the impact of their actions upon the students' education and the education of the other students at Saint James School; and (3) the damage to the reputation of Saint James School. Bell immediately notified the students' parents of his decision to expel the students and, according to school policy, informed them that any further discussion of the matter would have to be with Ketzler and the board of directors. Bell expelled the students without any further discussions with the parents and without meeting with R.D. and S.D. Letters were sent to the five students who were expelled and their parents notifying them that their transcript record at Saint James School would show them as withdrawn. The parents describe the photographs as disappointing, and some of the parents admit, as do some of the students, that the photographs are lewd and obscene. Because the students were 14 years old when the photographs were taken, the photographs, which contain full frontal nudity and/or lewd poses, constitute child pornography under the Alabama Child Pornography Act, § 13A-12-190 et seq., Ala.Code 1975. At the beginning of the XXXX-XXXXX school year, the parents of each student enrolled at Saint James School signed an enrollment contract. Immediately above the signature line appears the following: The student's continued enrollment in Saint James School will be contingent upon the student's compliance with school regulations as stated in the Student Handbook. The student handbook expressly states that [o]ff-campus behavior which is illicit, immoral, illegal and/or which reflects adversely on Saint James subjects the student to immediate expulsion. The student handbook also states that the [h]eadmaster will meet with students before dismissal. Each student enrolled at Saint James and his or her parent receives a copy of the student handbook, and each student must sign a pledge promising to abide by the student handbook. The students and their parents all signed the student handbook and were aware of its provisions. The board of directors of Saint James School issues a policy manual setting forth the policies adopted by the board for the purpose of carrying out the objectives of Saint James School. The policy manual states that it is written in broad terms and that the regulations and procedures implementing the policies will be developed by the headmaster. With regard to student conduct, the policy manual states: 1. The Board is interested in the conduct of Saint James students for two reasons. First, the Board believes that effective instruction requires a disciplined classroom and institutional environment. Second, the Board believes that student conduct influences the confidence of the community in the school and its students. 2. The Board has directed that a Handbook be published which will include policies on `academic and disciplinary standards: dress and appearance standards; and regulations on suspension and expulsion.' 3. The Board encourages the headmaster to apply these policies in a way which recognizes the unique situations which may arise. We prefer to rely on the headmaster's judgment than inflexible policies. At the same time the Board believes that it owes the headmaster guidance on the scope of student behavior it considers to be of concern to the school and worthy of the headmaster's attention. 4. The handbook has traditionally addressed student behavior on campus and at school sponsored functions. The Board's interest in student behavior extends beyond these limits. The school is conducted within the framework of Judeo-Christian beliefs and values. The Board wishes to express its disapproval of student behavior, on or off campus, which should be reasonably characterized as inconsistent with such beliefs or which could be seen as being illicit, illegal, or immoral. Examples of such behavior include [driving] while intoxicated; possession of illegal substances etc. . . . Examples also include pregnancy and cohabitation with a member of the opposite sex away from their parents' principal residence. The consequences of such behavior could well include expulsion. 5. The Board does not expect the headmaster to attempt to monitor student behavior at activities not sponsored by Saint James. The Board merely wishes to advise the headmaster that student behaviors as described above are inconsistent with the character of Saint James School. When an appropriate governmental agency brings such behavior to the headmaster's attention [it] warrant[s] his attention and such disciplinary action as he finds necessary. The policy manual expressly states that the headmaster has the sole authority for the dismissal of students from Saint James. The policy manual also provides that no student will be dismissed without affording the parents the opportunity to meet with the headmaster before final action is taken on dismissal so they can present their views. The policy manual further sets forth the three principal reasons for dismissal: (1) failure to abide by the enrollment contract; (2) the student's failure to abide by the student-conduct policies contained in the student handbook; and (3) the failure to meet academic standards. Bell testified that Saint James School has no right to regulate private nonschool-related matters so long as those matters do not impact on the quality of the education of students. He further stated fundamental notions of fairness are at the heart of Saint James School's investigative process and that the parents and students have a right to expect the disciplinary process to result in fair and comparable disciplinary action for comparable offenses. Following their expulsion from Saint James School, the students continued their education at another school. They contend that the quality of education at that school was inferior to the quality of education at Saint James. The parents also contend that in expelling their children, Saint James unduly punished the students for an incident that they contend was a purely private matter.