Tweet
A who done it exercise..... vote early, vote often! 
Laptop porn investigation
September 14, 2006
An investigation found 1,632 pornographic acts, 508 pornographic images and 44 pornographic videos had been accessed on Henrico County School Board member Jim Fiorelli's school system-issued laptop computer over six months.
The question remains: Who did it?
"I have no way of knowing who accessed any of these sites," concluded attorney D. Patrick Lacy, hired by the School Board to investigate the scope of inappropriate material found on Fiorelli's laptop last month .
Lacy said he had no indication that a student was involved, as Fiorelli and his supporters maintained during and after a brief but tense meeting yesterday. They argued that the meeting should have been closed to the public because of student confidentiality.
Fiorelli says one of his teenage sons accessed the inappropriate sites after learning the computer password by looking over his shoulder. Lacy pointed out that the password appears as black dots.
"We've heard nothing here that is different than what was expected," said William H. Hurd, the lawyer representing Fiorelli. "It was a fair amount of inappropriate use of the computer. It's unfortunate that some of these details of this use have been publicized because this student, like every student, and this family, like every family, is entitled to a measure of privacy."
For example, on one day in December 2005, the laptop accessed a Virginia state e-mail site, then three minutes later accessed pornographic sites for about 19 minutes, then two minutes later retrieved e-mail from a Yahoo account, according to Lacy's report. At the meeting yesterday, Fiorelli said the Yahoo account is his.
Fiorelli works as a lawyer in the state attorney general's office.
Hurd explained the activity from that December day, when Fiorelli was staying in a hotel room with his sons on a ski vacation in Colorado. Hurd said Fiorelli used the computer, stepped away from the computer for a few minutes to take a shower, then returned and used the computer.
"In between is when the computer was used inappropriately," he said.
Another day in December, the laptop performed a Google search on "translate English to Spanish," then accessed animated porn sites for about 15 minutes and, less than 2 minutes later, accessed AOL Instant Messenger.
On Jan. 3, the laptop visited pornographic sites for almost two hours, then sound-effects sites for about an hour and a half, then performed a Google search for "reading comprehension tests," then visited state Standards of Learning test sites for almost a half hour.
Fiorelli's supporters accused the board of playing politics. Fiorelli has clashed with board members in the past over various school-related issues as well as allegations that he made teachers at his son's middle school feel intimidated because he is a board member.
"It's no secret that Jim Fiorelli has disagreed with the leadership of the School Board on a number of important issues," said Hurd, who was a high-ranking lawyer in the attorney general's office in three Republican administrations.
Several of the 15 or so Fiorelli supporters in attendance sported blue and white campaign stickers. They argued with board Chairman Stuart Myers that he should have closed the meeting because he knew a student may have been involved.
Del. John S. Reid, R-Henrico, a former Henrico school official, attended the meeting yesterday. He said he came because of his role on the House Education Committee and his interest in issues of student confidentiality.
Myers said he had not been told about possible student involvement until he read a Times-Dispatch story that first reported the investigation.
"This is not a student discipline issue," he told Fiorelli's supporters. "It is a School Board issue."
Myers said the members sought outside counsel rather than the School Board's attorney -- to look into the scope of the misuse because the computer belongs to a board member. He said members are not speculating on who is responsible for the material, but he told reporters the board may want to hold Fiorelli accountable for what was found on his computer.
Few board members were willing to comment after yesterday's meeting, which lasted less than 20 minutes. They said they wanted to read the report. Myers said he would schedule a meeting to discuss the findings if a majority of the board requested one.
Vice Chairman Linda McBride said yesterday that Myers has always acted on behalf of the board.
"The sheer volume of inappropriate material contained on Mr. Fiorelli's computer is just repugnant," she said. "And I resent the time and attention he has demanded in his continuing string of controversies. I'm beginning to think we would be better off with a vacancy in his position."
The inappropriate materials were discovered in early August, when Fiorelli brought his laptop in for repair for the fourth or fifth time. Fiorelli said one of his teenage sons -- he has two in high school and one in elementary school -- was responsible for the misuse and that the teen reported the activity to his principal after the images were found.
As to whether Fiorelli will get his laptop back, he said he doesn't want it.
"I think it's not worth it."
Laptop porn investigation
September 14, 2006
An investigation found 1,632 pornographic acts, 508 pornographic images and 44 pornographic videos had been accessed on Henrico County School Board member Jim Fiorelli's school system-issued laptop computer over six months.
The question remains: Who did it?
"I have no way of knowing who accessed any of these sites," concluded attorney D. Patrick Lacy, hired by the School Board to investigate the scope of inappropriate material found on Fiorelli's laptop last month .
Lacy said he had no indication that a student was involved, as Fiorelli and his supporters maintained during and after a brief but tense meeting yesterday. They argued that the meeting should have been closed to the public because of student confidentiality.
Fiorelli says one of his teenage sons accessed the inappropriate sites after learning the computer password by looking over his shoulder. Lacy pointed out that the password appears as black dots.
"We've heard nothing here that is different than what was expected," said William H. Hurd, the lawyer representing Fiorelli. "It was a fair amount of inappropriate use of the computer. It's unfortunate that some of these details of this use have been publicized because this student, like every student, and this family, like every family, is entitled to a measure of privacy."
For example, on one day in December 2005, the laptop accessed a Virginia state e-mail site, then three minutes later accessed pornographic sites for about 19 minutes, then two minutes later retrieved e-mail from a Yahoo account, according to Lacy's report. At the meeting yesterday, Fiorelli said the Yahoo account is his.
Fiorelli works as a lawyer in the state attorney general's office.
Hurd explained the activity from that December day, when Fiorelli was staying in a hotel room with his sons on a ski vacation in Colorado. Hurd said Fiorelli used the computer, stepped away from the computer for a few minutes to take a shower, then returned and used the computer.
"In between is when the computer was used inappropriately," he said.
Another day in December, the laptop performed a Google search on "translate English to Spanish," then accessed animated porn sites for about 15 minutes and, less than 2 minutes later, accessed AOL Instant Messenger.
On Jan. 3, the laptop visited pornographic sites for almost two hours, then sound-effects sites for about an hour and a half, then performed a Google search for "reading comprehension tests," then visited state Standards of Learning test sites for almost a half hour.
Fiorelli's supporters accused the board of playing politics. Fiorelli has clashed with board members in the past over various school-related issues as well as allegations that he made teachers at his son's middle school feel intimidated because he is a board member.
"It's no secret that Jim Fiorelli has disagreed with the leadership of the School Board on a number of important issues," said Hurd, who was a high-ranking lawyer in the attorney general's office in three Republican administrations.
Several of the 15 or so Fiorelli supporters in attendance sported blue and white campaign stickers. They argued with board Chairman Stuart Myers that he should have closed the meeting because he knew a student may have been involved.
Del. John S. Reid, R-Henrico, a former Henrico school official, attended the meeting yesterday. He said he came because of his role on the House Education Committee and his interest in issues of student confidentiality.
Myers said he had not been told about possible student involvement until he read a Times-Dispatch story that first reported the investigation.
"This is not a student discipline issue," he told Fiorelli's supporters. "It is a School Board issue."
Myers said the members sought outside counsel rather than the School Board's attorney -- to look into the scope of the misuse because the computer belongs to a board member. He said members are not speculating on who is responsible for the material, but he told reporters the board may want to hold Fiorelli accountable for what was found on his computer.
Few board members were willing to comment after yesterday's meeting, which lasted less than 20 minutes. They said they wanted to read the report. Myers said he would schedule a meeting to discuss the findings if a majority of the board requested one.
Vice Chairman Linda McBride said yesterday that Myers has always acted on behalf of the board.
"The sheer volume of inappropriate material contained on Mr. Fiorelli's computer is just repugnant," she said. "And I resent the time and attention he has demanded in his continuing string of controversies. I'm beginning to think we would be better off with a vacancy in his position."
The inappropriate materials were discovered in early August, when Fiorelli brought his laptop in for repair for the fourth or fifth time. Fiorelli said one of his teenage sons -- he has two in high school and one in elementary school -- was responsible for the misuse and that the teen reported the activity to his principal after the images were found.
As to whether Fiorelli will get his laptop back, he said he doesn't want it.
"I think it's not worth it."
Comment