'I have the right to privacy': Teacher's aide suspended for refusing to let school look at her Facebook page



A teacher's aide was suspended after she refused to let the school district she worked access her Facebook profile.

Officials at the Frank Squires Elementary School in Cassopolis, Michigan insisted they check Kimberly Hester's account last year after she posted a picture of a co-worker wearing pants around the ankles and a pair of shoes.

The woman is trying to take legal action against the school now that she has been put on unpaid leave.

Refused: Kimberly Hester, a teacher's aide at a Michigan school, was suspended because she wouldn't let the district check her Facebook page She told WSBT-TV: 'I did nothing wrong. And I would not, still to this day, let them in my Facebook. And I don't think it's OK for an employer to ask you.'

She went on to say: 'I have the right to privacy.'

A parent who Facebook friends with Hester alerted the school about the picture.

That is when Robert Colby, superintendent of the Lewis Cass Intermediate School District, asked Hester to see her personal page on the social-networking site.

Ms Hester said of the encounter: 'He asked me three times if he could view my Facebook and I repeatedly said I was not OK with that.'

'Privacy': A parent alerted Frank Squires Elementary School that Ms Hester had a posted a picture of a co-worker with pants down at the ankles

The district put her on paid administrative leave after she refused to provide Mr Colby access to her account.

The school later suspended her and stopped paying her.

'Response': Ms Hester said that when she told administrators at Frank Squires Elementary School they couldn't see her page, she was suspended Ms Hester said the school has mistreated her because of the incident. She said she has had to take nearly 50 courses online about a number of topics, including fire extinguisher safety.

Ms Hester caught the attention of Matt Lori, a Republican Michigan lawmaker, who is pursuing state legislation that would make it illegal for jobs to ask employees for their social media passwords.

'I stand by it': Ms Hester said that now that the school has stopped paying her, she plans to take legal action against the district

Ms Hester said she was asked by Mr Lori if her story could be included in the bill.