Automatic Wi-Fi Connection Busted Vandalizing High School Students

A WiFi network at a Maryland high school led administrators to identify four students that spray painted racist, anti-semitic and homophobic words and imagery on school grounds. 

The incident occurred last year days before the four students were set to graduate from Glenelg High School in Maryland. According to media reports, in order for students of the school to access its WiFi network, they have to log into their phones and ID. After that, the phones connect automatically wherever the students are located on the campus.

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As a result the WiFi technology, the students got busted, even though they hid their faces with t-shirts when in the view of security cameras. The four used spray paint to plastered more than 50 derogatory statements on school grounds. The spray painted phrases and imagery were found at the main entrance, near the school's tennis courts, bleachers, sidewalks and the school's press box.  The students were charged with hate crimes last year and sentenced to probation, community service and several weekends in jail.

School Principal Targeted in Attack 

The hateful graffiti also included an attack on the school's principal David Burton, who is black.  “This was something that was 50 separate acts of hate, you have anti-Semitic graffiti, you have racist graffiti, racist graffiti that targeted Principal Burton by name, you have homophobic references that were made,” State’s Attorney Rich Gibson reportedly said during a press conference in the spring when the students were sentenced.  “This is an act of violence that rips the fabric of our community.” Burton who also took part in the April press conference said he was happy that there was closure and that the community can begin to heal. 

The students aren't the only ones lulled into a sense of security, or in this case anonymity because of technology. People who use the incognito tab when surfing the Internet aren't as private as they may think.  The feature has been available for several years now and most people assume when they click on it their Internet history isn't being recorded.

But it turns out even in incognito mode, websites can still record your visits. The same goes for Internet service providers. They are still able to see websites users are visiting.