January 8, 2013 by mguhlin

Ruling in RFID Northside ISD Case

In a surprise ruling (for me, anyways), the Justice System has seen fit to rule in favor of Northside ISD, vindicating the beleaguered school district which had faced opposition from everyone, including the infamous Anonymous hacker group.

A federal judge has ruled in favor of Northside Independent School District, allowing it to transfer a student out of her magnet school program for refusing to wear her student I.D. badge in protest against a new electronic tracking system.

The student, Andrea Hernandez, 15, had sued Northside ISD through her father, Steve Hernandez, backed by lawyers provided through the Rutherford Institute.
The lawsuit sought a permanent injunction so she could attend John Jay High School’s magnet school for science and engineering without having to wear a student identification badge. Northside ISD officials had offered to let her wear it without the chip that it uses to track students’ on-campus whereabouts.

Steven and Andrea Hernandez testified at a hearing last month that they consider the tags the “mark of the beast” foretold as a tool of the Antichrist in the biblical Book of Revelation.
Read more: MySA.com - http://goo.gl/C9AYJ

HB 501 may completely change this ruling in the future, though, if passed. Do you agree with HB 501 to be discussed by the Texas Legislature and to become effective September 1, 2013?

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 25, Education Code, is

amended by adding Section 25.902 to read as follows:

Sec. 25.902. CERTAIN MANDATORY STUDENT IDENTIFICATION

METHODS PROHIBITED. (a) In this section, “radio frequency

identification technology” means a wireless identification system

that uses an electromagnetic radio frequency signal to transmit

data without physical contact between a card, badge, or tag and

another device.

(b) A school district may not require a student to use an

identification device that uses radio frequency identification

technology or similar technology to identify the student, transmit

information regarding the student, or track the location of the

student.

student identification device described by Subsection (b) only if

authorized by resolution adopted by the board of trustees of the

district. A district that allows the voluntary use of a student

identification device described by Subsection (b) shall provide an

alternative method of identification for a student on the timely

written request of a student’s parent or guardian.

(d) A school district may not penalize a student using an

alternative method of identification under Subsection (c),

including restricting or prohibiting the student from

participating in school or district activities.

SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2013-2014

school year.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives

a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as

provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this

Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this

Act takes effect September 1, 2013.

Curious about what other bills are up for discussion during the 2013 Texas legislature session? Check out this Texas Tribune “map” of topics.

Everything posted on Miguel Guhlin’s blogs/wikis are his personal opinion and do not necessarily represent the views of his employer(s) or its clients. Read Full Disclosure

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