Why don’t people name schools?

[Porridgetime]

Legal question. Often people don’t say the name of a school when they are criticising it or spreading a rumour. Out of interest if you are posting anonymously on a forum what is the risk? In the last week I’ve seen people tell others to be careful, mention of defamation, slander etc. I understand the moral implications of doing it, but what could actually happen to an anonymous poster, really? Just curious!

Jigsaw identification. You can add all the things together in different posts and work out or recognise who somebody is.

Depends on which username the poster was using at the time. If I posted under this one, I’ve already shared some things that I don’t mind being identified by, as none of the stuff I’ve posted under this name is ‘secret’.

I have another couple of usernames that I would never post identifying details under as I’ve shared things I wouldn’t talk to most people about IRL! My different usernames aren’t connected in any way, so hopefully nobody would recognise me from one name to another. MNHQ knows everything, though, so I hope I don’t know any of the modmins for real

But what could a school or person do? For example there’s been talk of a headteacher on a thread recently - on Reddit people are talking about him openly but on here people were reluctant to say. Morally I think that’s far better! But is there actually a legal risk? I’m not planning anything by the way, just interested.

utterly bizarre that you ask this weird question

legal question

i don’t think so! 😆

Schools generally ask that parents don't slag them off on social media, rather that they work with the school to address any problems. I know that some parents have been contacted by schools and asked to take posts on social media down.

I'll usually report posts on here that slag off named teachers because it's a pretty shitty thing to do if not libellous.

my view is that anyone identifying anyone MUST be prepared to identify themselves

Why do you think I’m asking? Is there a more sinister reason?!

There was a school a few years ago threatening legal action over Mumsnet posts. Any post about it was deleted.

Ah so it would be Mumsnet they would be suing rather than an individual poster. I just wondered why it could all be said on Reddit but not here.
Also, how do sites like Tattle not get sued? Surely that’s non stop defamation!

This message board has threads containing hundreds of messages. Imagine being a teacher at that school? Best left anonymous.

This!

Good lord. MY children got to a small indy that has circa 400 pupils and is in a specific area.

I talk in generalities. Because I talk about issues such as VAT and if anyone is so bloody stupid as to diss an HT by name they could be done for defamation.

As a teacher it is a sackable offence to bring a school into disrepute even if you don't actually name it yourself. Also it's a bit different if you say a more generic name like St Mary's or a very identifiable name like one school I know which is the only school in the country with that name.

There is one school which is notorious for aggressively protecting their reputation online and threatening legal action against MN AND individual posters.

I was once asked by MN if they wanted me to delete my comments OR be subject to potential legal action. I opted for deletion I am a coward at heart 😂

I think on the whole it’s poor form to mention individuals who can’t defend themselves and often on here it’s about a sense of decorum rather than legal action.

So how do other places like Reddit etc get away with it?
I still don’t understand why it’s bizarre to ask the question!

Different, much weaker libel laws when you are based in the US.

@Porridgetime , it's pretty tacky to slag off schools online and doesn't reflect well on the people doing it.