Friends Reunited sees first libel case settled

NEWS A retired teacher has won a settlement over allegations made by a former pupil on the Friends Reunited website. James Murray was awarded £1,250 after Jonathan Spencer posted a comment saying Murray had been sacked for remarks he made about female students and for an alleged assault in which he is accused of strangling a pupil. A small claims court found in Murray's favour, though according to Ananova he described the settlement as "derisory". This is the first time in the UK somebody has successfully sued for damages relating to comments posted online and may set a precedent for future cases involving the controversial reunion site. In the past the message boards of Friends Reunited have had to be closed due to a growing trend of 'naming and shaming' retired teachers. The site received complaints from aggrieved parties who claimed to have been libelled. Steve Pankhurst, the founder of Friends Reunited is featured in silicon.com's Agenda Setters 2002. For more information see: http://www.silicon.com/as2002