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 ...
Folks, this site is about freedom. If a parent wants their kid to have a cell phone a school that should be up to the parent.
Cell phones should be off during class? Absolutely. Who is arguing students should be able to use their cell phones during class? Between classes, at lunch, before and after school they should be able to call their friends, family, work, whatever.
Cell phones used to cheat on tests? Give me a break. If a teacher can't notice someone text messaging during a test they need a brain scan to see if they are alive.
Checking in and out 1,600 cell phones each day before and after school? Does this really need a comment?
Simple solution: students did just fine for hundreds of years without cell phones. They can survive without them now. No pagers or cell phone permitted, end of discussion.
Now that we've heard from the local dealer, it might be time to remind him...
When in school, you can't claim rights incompatible with the primary function of the institution.
Deal on your own time, off school premises.
They're never gong to be able to enforce this. It's a huge school.
They'll spend a disproportionate amount of time on this that could be spent on more pressing issues.
I've noticed in my career that simple-minded teachers and administrators like rules like this because they're very black and white and give them an opportunity to flex muscle over kids who aren't otherwise causing problems.
They did fine without cars too. The genie's out of the bottle.
What part of the constitution defines cell phones, and games as "rights" in schools? In church? In restaurants? in my living room?
Managing brats produced by dysfunctional parents these days needs large doses of locally administered "due process"...
All responsible parents agree.
Deal with it.
The best kind, one who truly cares what his kids are up to. It's hard to give guidance if you don't know when a correction is needed.
Good behavior should be as enthusiastically praised as wrong behavior is condemned.
freep mail to ya!
One who won't allow hiding things. If the parent is the one who is morally and legally responsible for his charge, then they have every reason to to expect total access.
Like it or not, even pagers have been banned from schools. By and large policy is to keep them in the office until they are claimed. Don't think they can be "searched" without a warrant.
Don't the rulings apply to school supplied lockers?
I would expect a cell phone to be treated as a personal diary, not to be searched with out a warrant.
Best thing to do is use phones that can hold the data under some secure form of encryption.
My daughter brings a cell to school every day--for the same reason your son does. She has told me repeatedly tho that she seems them abused constantly by other students. Kids take pictures of tests to forward to others, send out answers via text mail and even turn them on when a teacher is going over answers so that someone not there can hear it. She is a good student and has been asked repeatedly to participate and always tells others to learn to study and be honest.
What if some guy goes into the school and starts shooting, that didnt used to happen either.
Mandatory attendance laws were passed during the Great Depression, to keep younger workers out of the job market. This is the purpose of the schools.
Make attendance voluntary and they may get back to education.
Schools should legally be allowed to jam the cellphone signals on their property. imho
"What kind of parent would deny his kid a right to privacy?"
Uh...the kind of parent that still thinks parenting is more important than being the kid's friend!
The physical seizure is a huge problem. If seizing a cellphone by simple diktat is allowable, then name me any personal property that can not be similarly seized. Money? Sure, why not -- might be drug profits, after all. Car keys? Sure, why not -- might have drugs or (gasp!) guns stashed somewhere within the vehicle.
New Jersey v. TLO is/was a different kettle of fish entirely, and a poor citation for your argument against a student's property rights. When a person is seen smoking, and smoking is prohibited by rule in a given area, it is completely reasonable to postulate that said person has more cigarettes either on his person or otherwise readily available, as for instance in a purse. In any case, the purse was searched, not seized except during the search; only the then-discovered contraband was seized.
In the case of a cellphone, no such precursor action as illicit smoking exists, and there are therefore no grounds whatever for any seizure of any duration.
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