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Posting high school student pictures on a school web site

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mbauck

Junior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Minnesota

Can teachers post pictures and names of their high school students on the school web site. For example a team football picture or a picture of a student at a basketball game with hundreds of students in the crowd. Do we have to get a signed release form? What about the students in the crowd? Do newspapers have to follow the same laws?
 


quincy

Senior Member
It is wise to have signed releases from the parents of all students who are recognizable and identifiable in the photos. Blurred faces in a crowd at a public event will not generally require releases. There is little expectation of privacy when in public (there are exceptions, however).

It really depends on the photo itself and what it depicts, and how focussed the photo may be on any one individual, and how the photo is used.

Usually a school will have, in their school enrollment packets at the start of each year, a form that parents can sign, authorizing the use of their child's image for school-related and educational purposes. Without this release, a parent can sue the school over the publication of their child's picture.

Journalists will generally get releases prior to publishing photos of identifiable people and, almost always will get releases when the identifiable people are children. This is not (usually) legally necessary for the media, when a photo depicts a newsworthy event. A release, however, helps prevent a lawsuit.

Newspapers are pretty careful when it comes to areas that may intrude on an individual's rights. Schools should be especially careful.
 

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