A 13-year-old boy faces a felony charge in the US for recording a conversation with his school principal without their consent.
His state - Illinois - has one of the strictest eavesdropping laws in the US.
Paul Baron says he recorded the conversation in 2016 when he was asked to explain why he wasn't showing up for detention.
After 10 minutes of arguing, he told the Manteno Middle School principal the conversation was being recorded. A few months later, he was charged with a felony.
"If I do go to court and get wrongfully convicted, my whole life is ruined," Paul told local media. "I think they're going too far."
CBS News reached out to the principal, assistant principal and school superintendent, and didn't get a response.
The superintendent told the Illinois Policy Institute they cannot comment on a pending matter, and are not authorised to release confidential student information.
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In Illinois, it's illegal to record a conversation unless every person being recorded is aware. In New Zealand, only one party has to consent - as long as they have a good reason for doing so, according to the Citizens Advice Bureau.
CBS News / Newshub.
