Student video costly for Roseville High School District | Moms

GRANITE BAY, CA - The Roseville High School District paid nearly $200,000 to fight a lawsuit filed after a video led to trouble for a student.

Two years ago Mike Harris said his son, Erick, wrote, produced and directed a video that was a spoof on teen culture in Granite Bay.  It talked about making money, chasing girls and popping pills.

"They posted it on YouTube," Harris explained. "The video was made at our house and about 15 current and former students participated."

Harris said he thought the video was funny, but when his son started his senior year at Granite Bay High School administrators apparently failed to see the humor.

"We got a call and were told we needed to come to the school to discuss some issues concerning the video," Harris said.  He said administrators admitted Erick hadn't broken any rules but they believed it reflected poorly on the school and there could be consequences.

Harris believes that's when things begin to go down hill for Erick, a straight-A student and basketball player.

Harris said, "He had an athletic PE class and was removed from the class and not told why.  He had to go sit in the lobby for an hour and a half.  He was told he couldn't come to a student barbeque and that he couldn't sit in the student section at the football game."

The poor treatment convinced Erick he wasn't wanted on the school basketball team where he had been a starter.

Determined to find out who was responsible for punishing his child, Harris made a request for his son's records.  Harris said the school only let him see his son's file.  They refused to give him emails and meeting notes. "The district fought us every step of the way," Harris declared.

So he hired a lawyer and filed a lawsuit.  Eighteen months later the court ruled in his favor ordering the district to give him the records he requested.  But Harris believes critical items he asked for were already gone.

In a statement the Roseville High School District said, "The court ruled that the District needed to provide emails in a format beyond the capacity of the district."  The statement added, "Because of this experience, new policies and procedures are being put into place to ensure that all future requests for public records are handled appropriately."

The district paid up to $80,000 for lawyers to battle Harris.  It also agreed to pay Harris' lawyer $135,000 for his work on the case.

Harris hopes his fight was worth it. "I didn't get a nickel," Harris said. "But hopefully, I'm bringing about a change so when other parents go and request records, the school and the district will do what they're legally required to do -- and that is turn over public and students records."

Harris said his son Erick, is attending college and studying computer science.  "I believe he's glad that we stood up to the district and the school because they were clearly violating our rights."

By Karen Massie kmassie@news10.net