The site targets former school pupils, giving them an
opportunity to contact each other and post information about
themselves and their memories of schooldays. It has over 6.2
million registered users and receives 200 million page impressions
per month.
Jim Murray, a retired teacher, successfully sued former pupil
Jonathan Spencer, in Lincoln County Court in England.
Spencer, himself a teacher, posted comments to the site that
alleged that Murray was sacked for making “rude remarks about
girls” and for “strangling” a pupil. Friends Reunited itself
escaped liability by immediately removing the comments when they
were brought to its attention by Murray.
Murray won his case in February, but has now been awarded
damages of £1,250 and £150 in legal expenses. He is quoted by the
BBC’s web site, describing the award as “peanuts” and criticising
the “evil” of the Friends Reunited site: "They are effectively
putting a dagger in people's hands. When challenged they simply say
they have removed the dagger – the wound is still there.”
Silicon.com reports that the award is the UK’s first libel award
against a poster of comments on-line.
