Houston School Sued for Searching Kid's Cell Phone

I can accept metal detectors, I can accept for the most part a common sense approach to "zero tolerance", and I can even accept searching of lockers and even looking inside book-bags..

But this is just getting crazy.

A school district violated an eighth-grade girl's civil rights and its own policies when it seized a cell phone from her, searched it, and punished her after finding "inappropriate" pictures on it, the girl and her mom say. The mother says the cell phone was hers, and the school had no right to search it.

Source

reply to post by Rhetoric


That is a joke how ever the school being sued is also stupid, sueing some one who upsets you seems to be americas thing.
Now the schools been sued i bet they do cut backs on things preventing kids from learning.

[edit on 8-12-2009 by thecrow001]

[edit on 8-12-2009 by thecrow001]

Schools need to stop taking authority where they have none.

They have no right to do these things and it's people like these parents who strike to fear into the hears of school administrators.

We should be upset and we should do something about it. If we don't than we set a dangerous precedent to how our educational institutions among others are able to treat our children and trample on their rights since they don't know any better.

~Keeper

Here's another perspective:

Mass emails going out to peers with regards to drug deals, when and where. Originating from dealer at a particular high school and sent to peers at other high schools including the Alternative high schools. During in-school session (class time)... What are the school's rights and responsibilities?

True story, happened at the school I teach at.


[edit on 8-12-2009 by LadySkadi]

Sign of the times. Americans don't have too many fourth amendment rights left. But it's for our own good, right. Right?

reply to post by LadySkadi


Well that's something else all together. A crime was being committed which actually hurt kids.

This is not the case.

~Keeper

technically speaking as the girl was a minor and in school she doesn't really have too many rights. The school itself is responsible for her well being while at school. I'm sure the family is going to lose this one.


and wtf is an eighth grade child doing with a cell phone.

reply to post by tothetenthpower
These are just signs of larger problems. It's privacy concerns, it's drug dealing, it's sexting, it's pictures of underage kids in random state of dress... teens are getting busted and labeled with sex-offender status in some cases, because someone sent them a pic. of a topless peer...

I guess the point is, where do the lines get drawn? How do the school's and the parents protect the students, while also protecting civil rights? What is the legal responsibilities and what are the personal responsibilities?

These are all very big issues going down in the schools.

Originally posted by LadySkadi
reply to post by tothetenthpower

 

These are just signs of larger problems. It's privacy concerns, it's drug dealing, it's sexting, it's pictures of underage kids in random state of dress... teens are getting busted and labeled with sex-offender status in some cases, because someone sent them a pic. of a topless peer...

I guess the point is, where do the lines get drawn? How do the school's and the parents protect the students, while also protecting civil rights? What is the legal responsibilities and what are the personal responsibilities?

These are all very big issues going down in the schools.

I certainly agree it's a slippery slope and something that will eventually need to be drawn out into the public eye and debated upon.

Personally, I think labelling teens as Sex offenders for having photos of their naked peers is stupid. If 40 years ago kids would have had cell phone cameras they'd be doing the same things.

We need to relax, promote a full cell phone ban in school and avoid this problem all together.

~Keeper

Originally posted by LadySkadi
Here's another perspective:

Mass emails going out to peers with regards to drug deals, when and where. Originating from dealer at a particular high school and sent to peers at other high schools including the Alternative high schools. During in-school session (class time)... What are the school's rights and responsibilities?

True story, happened at the school I teach at.

Why are students allowed cell phones/pda's/ipods etc. during class hours anyway?

Especially ipods where they can look up the answers to their test questions.

reply to post by Nutter
There cannot be a more appropriate question to ask the parents, as well.

Here's the thing (reality) of it: in the school system that I work in, cell phones, Ipods, etc. are not allowed "on" in class... however, good luck with that. Remember being a teen? They will and do get around that. What can the teachers do? Take the phone if it's seen? Meetings with Parents? Requests that the phones are kept home or in the car? Yep, been there done that...

ETA: I suppose an entire school system could ban them in the schools, but I would suspect there would then be an outcry about violating "rights"...


[edit on 8-12-2009 by LadySkadi]

It's the schools responsibility to teach the students, not check their phone to see what they're doing this weekend. I'm glad the school is getting sued, the stuff that is on cell phone is private and personal. Take it away, fine, but don't look at what's on it, that just doesn't make sense.

Originally posted by LadySkadi
reply to post by Nutter

 

There cannot be a more appropriate question to ask the parents, as well.

Here's the thing (reality) of it: in the school system that I work in, cell phones and Ipods are not allowed "on" in class... however, good luck with that. Remember being a teen? They will and do get around that every single time. What can "we" as teachers do? Take the phone or Ipod if it's seen? Sure, I do that all day long. It doesn't stop the problem. Meetings with Parents? Requests that the phones are kept home or in the car? Yep, been there done that too... no avail.

ETA: I suppose an entire school system could ban them in the schools, but I would suspect there would then be an outcry about violating "rights"...



[edit on 8-12-2009 by LadySkadi]

you say kids find ways to get around it im sure they would get around the ban too. in my opinion most school teachers and administrators take advantage of their position of power over students to fuel their egos

There are more problems than the average person can think of about public schools, but to address just this one.
And to answer your comment on full cell ban.

No this can not be done legally or other wise. They have guild lines in place the phone should be at all time stored in your book bag period.

Why they can not ban all together with more and more both parents working or a single mom working and can not be home when the child would arrive home from school, or kids that have after school programs and need to call for a ride home from school. Or how about just and accident or a bus brake down and your kid is going to be late. It takes 30min to one hour before the bus company can call all the student houses to let them know they are going to be late. By that time parents like myself are sitting down at the bus stop getting nervous because the bus is so late.
At least if something happens my kid can call me and say hey no biggy we got a flat.
There are so many cases that it would be more dangerous if a child did not have a cell phone.


But with all that said I believe they should be turned off an in a back pack once they step foot on the bus going to school and should remain so until either the get off the bus or in the case of for what ever reason the bus is running late.

Originally posted by LadySkadi
ETA: I suppose an entire school system could ban them in the schools, but I would suspect there would then be an outcry about violating "rights"...

If kids are supposed to have them turned off during class hours, then why would they even need them to begin with?

Also, back in the day when we didn't have cell phones, where our rights being violated since we didn't have a cell phone to take to class?

Just ban them already and give severe punishment for those who break the rules.

There should be NO reason why a student should have a cell phone in school.

If they argue that they may need to be gotten a hold of, then what did we do before cell phones? Answer, our parents had to call the school to relay the message.

Hell, I remember in my high school there was a pay phone near one of the entrances. Even then you weren't allowed anywhere near it or you got suspended. What's so important nowdays that students need to be "in touch" with anyone but their teacher during these hours?

reply to post by Nutter


Back in our day we had pay phones every were including in my school several of them for that matter.

Originally posted by drmeola
There are so many cases that it would be more dangerous if a child did not have a cell phone.

Was it so dangerous when you went to school without a cell phone?

Originally posted by drmeola
reply to post by Nutter

 

Back in our day we had pay phones every were including in my school several of them for that matter.

I guess you missed the part where I said that even then we weren't allowed to use them or we got suspended?

reply to post by Nutter


I did at first glance but we were allowed to use them in my school at lunch time and between classes. Without suspension.

reply to post by Nutter


It was nowhere need as dangerous when I was in school, we didn’t have terrorist drills, and rapist running wild and constant violence in the hallways. Yes we had the bully who would try and start up a fight, but that was a fist fight no one got killed, kids didn’t bring guns to school and shoot up there class mates. And I could go on and on, but I will not.