Daily Times

It was a memorable day. Laura Rose Caroll, a respected vice-principal in her community, was going to see her daughter at prom.

When her daughter emerged as “Homecoming queen,” it seemed the day couldn’t have gone better. Memories were made, friendships cemented and pride enhanced.

That was until suspicion arose just over a month later.

The Escambia County School District reported votes that were unaccounted for; votes that had all emerged from the same computer.

In all likelihood, blame would not have been placed upon Laura or her daughter. There was just one issue: as a vice-principal, Laura had access to the school district’s computer system.

Further research found that Laura had, herself, accessed other student’s accounts and voted for her own daughter. She and her daughter (with whom she had allegedly colluded with), were swiftly arrested and charged with “unlawful use of computers.”

But this case represents a concept larger than just a high-school prom. Ultimately, it begs the question: Who should be allowed access to other’s data?

While this case does represent an obvious outlier and certainly isn’t a common occurrence, it does go to show that people should be cautious with whom they share their data and information. With the recent increase in digital usage, now more than ever protecting