TRI In The News
Student Expelled for Refusing to Wear Location Tracking RFID Badge
From Opposing Views
Original article available here
Andrea Hernandez is being expelled from John Jay High School in San Antonio, Texas on November 26th, for refusing to wear a RFID tracking ID badge, according to a letter sent by the school district to her parents, which has been made public.
The letter, sent on November 13, states that the Smart ID program is now in “full implementation” and requires all students to comply, reports Infowars.com.
The ID badge includes the photo and name of each student, a barcode linked to the student’s social security number and an RFID chip which pinpoints the location of the student, including after hours and when the student leaves campus.
Hernandez, backed by her family, says the policy violates her religious beliefs and infringes on her privacy.
Since Hernandez has refused to wear the badge, she will have to attend William Howard Taft High School, which is not currently involved in the ID plan.
Civil liberties lawyers at the Rutherford Institute told Infowars.com that they are going to file a temporary restraining order petition to prevent the school from kicking Hernandez out.
In response to public outcry and pressure from rights groups, John Jay High School has offered to remove the battery and chip, but wouldn’t budge on the ID.
The offer would also require the Hernandez family to end their public criticism and agree to support the policy, something Andrea’s father Steve Hernandez finds unacceptable.
