Posted on 07/08/2006 9:00:35 AM PDT by www.saveourguns.org
FRAMINGHAM -- Fearing their wireless freedom may be in jeopardy, students at Framingham High School were fuming over a new school policy that allows administrators to seize cell phones and search their contents.
The policy, administrators say, is to improve security and stop the sale of drugs and stolen goods, but students said that the edict is an invasion of privacy.
"It's not anyone's business what is in students' cell phones," said Demitriy Kozlov, who will be a senior in September. "If they think someone's dealing a pound of coke or pot, then there is a reason to, but that doesn't happen here."
(Excerpt) Read more at metrowestdailynews.com ...
schools used to be all about education
Chances are good that a court will stop this, right?
It is an invasion of privacy to seize phones without a good reason.
Not to mention unconstitutional
Instead of going after the drug dealers(who are almost always known to both teacher and student alike) they use PC to make everyone miserable : )
Courts have consistently held that students on school property have a lowered expectation of privacy.
Well, the NEA and ATU sure put an end to THAT! : )
They're talking of banning cell phones at school (or at least in the classroom) altogether in some of our school districts. I can see why. The text messaging has brought cheating to a whole new dimension, and if the classrooms sound anything like the movie theatres with cell phone ringing and chatter, they should be banned.
But can they search a cell phone without a warrant, I wonder? That seems extreme.
My son carries a cell phone to school, not by choice but by necessity. He is in the marching band, and they practice nearly everyday. There are also no available payphones for him to contact me if practice gets over early or is going to run late.
It also has a GPS tracker, which I can go online and track his location should I need to.
Let's get rid of "administrators".
Good!
Students don't have the "rights" asserted here.
The distractions are unnecessary.
The phones should be OFF and in their bookbags during class time.
The relevant phrase of the Constitution being, of course:
''...nor be deprived of life, liberty or property, without due process of law; ...''
I should think that virtually any court would rule instantly that ''due process'' consists of rather more than some a&&wipe principal's diktat.
Minors have no "Right to Privacy" Not from a parents point of view.
Cel phones need to be "off" during school, if allowed at all.
This goes a bit far.
Given that this is Mass, I'd think that the school admins would be creative and flood the kid's cell phones with text messages about gay marriage, gay sex, global warming, etc.
Real simple, don't allow any cell phones on campus at any time.
When I was in school you couldn't make a phone call under any circumstances from school, they didn't even allow pay phones within the school.
Kids today seem to think that achool is aomw kind of a social event.
Cell phones should be turned off at school at all times. If they aren't they should be confiscated but do they really need to search them? OTOH, it says if there is a suspicion.
Not relevant. The school can already seize Suzy's purse and search it on a reasonable suspicion - the cell phone will almost certainly turn out to be no different. They can't simply steal Suzy's purse, but they can hold it and search it. Google up New Jersey v. T.L.O. for the relevant case law.
I should think that virtually any court would rule instantly that ''due process'' consists of rather more than some a&&wipe principal's diktat.
You'd be wrong. In loco parentis goes a long, long way in these cases.
Cell phones should not be allowed in the school building during class periods. Put a valet at the doors, and all phones are surrendered and tagged and shelved until the student leaves the building. If they need to make calls, they can go to the office and make a call on the school phone just like the rest of us did. It'd be a good job for the superintendent that isnt doing anything about education.
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