DOCUMENT: K-12, Crime

Man Exposed Self In Online Middle School Class

Suspect infiltrated Zoom session for Florida pupils

APRIL 2--Florida police are investigating how a man yesterday infiltrated an online Zoom class and exposed himself to a class of eighth grade students.

According to investigators, the suspect entered a class for pupils at Wolf Lake Middle School in Apopka, an Orlando suburb. The school has moved its classes online in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

In a message to teachers, a school administrator noted that “an individual gained unauthorized access and exposed himself to the class” during a Zoom instructional session.

School officials reported the incident to the Apopka Police Department, which has opened an investigation.

Not every video conferencing application has been “vetted” and, as such, may not meet district standards, an administrator cautioned Orange County Public Schools teachers.

To better control access to virtual classrooms, teachers have been instructed to consider using Zoom’s “waiting room” feature, which allows online hosts to control whether a participant enters an online session.