Key figure in 'Webcamgate' invokes Fifth

Lower Merion School District's information-systems coordinator invoked her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination yesterday at a deposition for the federal invasion-of-privacy lawsuit that sparked the "Webcamgate" scandal earlier this year.

Carol Cafiero, who had previously sought to quash a subpoena ordering her to testify, refused to answer questions pertaining to the district's controversial practice of remotely activating webcams on Apple MacBooks issued to high-school students.

"To each and every question I would ask her, other than her name, she asserted the Fifth, even after I told her that everybody else had come in and fully cooperated and provided complete testimony as to what took place," said attorney Mark Haltzman, who represents Blake Robbins, the Harriton High School sophomore who is suing the district.

Cafiero was one of two school district officials authorized to remotely activate the cameras. District officials have said the "security feature" was used only to track stolen or missing laptops, but the FBI and Montgomery County District Attorney's Office are investigating whether a crime might have occurred.

Robbins, 15, claims he was reprimanded for activity that his laptop webcam captured inside his Penn Valley home.

Cafiero's attorney, Charles Mandracchia, has previously said she had done nothing wrong. Mandracchia could not be reached for comment yesterday.