Former student claims Moon police violated his privacy

A former Moon Area School District student and his parents claim in a lawsuit moved to federal court on Wednesday that the township's police violated his constitutional rights by seizing his personal journals and videos from his home and then showing them to school officials and other third parties.

Colin Schreiber, 20, and his parents Paul and Lora Schreiber, all of Moon, claim police lacked probable cause and obtained an overly broad search warrant in May 2011 after school officials contacted police about writings in Colin Schreiber's personal journal, which he had with him at school.

During subsequent proceedings before special education hearing officer, school officials turned up with copies of evidence that police seized during their investigation and the Schreibers learned that his writings and videos had been passed around to school board members and other people, the lawsuit says.

“Copies of these videos had been made by the police department and their whereabouts right now can't be accounted for,” said Jeff Hollowood, their attorney.

Since the journals and videos were never in the school, police had no business showing them to school officials, much less other people, he said.

The lawsuit was originally filed in Allegheny County Common Pleas. The township had it moved to federal court because of the constitutional claims.

Jeanne Creese, the township's manager, declined comment.