Suffolk cops: No crime in anti-bully video
Jessica Barba, 15, of Ridge was suspended from Longwood High School after she posted a video on YouTube that she made as part of a class project. (May 21, 2012) Credit: Randee Daddona
The Suffolk County Police Department said Tuesday that "no crime has been committed" in the case of a Longwood High School student who created a YouTube video and a fake Facebook page about a fictitious teen who commits suicide.
Jessica Barba, 15 and a freshman, said she posted the anti-bullying video May 15 as part of a school project on persuasive speech. The following day, a school official told her she was suspended for a week, beginning May 17, she said.
School officials, who declined to comment Tuesday, have refused to elaborate on the case. They would not name Barba or say how she violated the school's policies. They did say a parent had alerted police on May 15.
Police on Monday confirmed the parent's call and said they were investigating.
In the video, Barba plays a 12-year-old who is bullied in school and online. A caption near the end states the girl committed suicide. The clip opens and closes with a note saying the character is fictional.
Barba's father, Michael, said he wasn't surprised by the police department's finding. "The thing was silly from the get-go," he said. "I'm just waiting for the nonsense to be over."
Jessica Barba said she does not understand her suspension. "I don't get it."
