BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU POST ON THE INTERNET!!!

Be careful what you post on the Internet. That is the painful lesson Ms. Carey Bock learned after posting some negative remarks about Sue Scheff on the internet. Their dispute arose when Bock went to Ms. Scheff for some assistance in getting Bock's twin sons withdrawn from the Costa Rican boarding school in which Bock's ex-husband had placed them. Ms. Scheff, who runs a referral service called Parents Universal Resources Experts, referred Bock to a consultant. The consultant assisted Scheff retrieve her sons. Some portion of the transaction however, disturbed Bock. She then posted some negative messages about Scheff on an internet message board dedicated to parents putting troubled teens through boarding schools. Scheff saw the comments. She filed suit against Bock in Florida in 2003.

Bock initially had a lawyer, but soon was acting pro se due to financial pressures. To make matters worse, Bock, a native of Loiusiana, was uprooted by Hurricane Katrina and had to relocate to Texas. Bock didn't show up for trial and didn't offer any defense. The judge found for Scheff. A jury then heard Scheff's arguments for damages. Bottom line - an $11.3 million dollar verdict against Bock. After the verdict, Scheff noted that "People are using the Internet to destroy people they don't like and you can't do that". Bock commented that "Only one side of the story was told in court. Nobody heard my side".

For more info, see Laura Parker's October 10, 2006 article at USATODAY.com