Schools Demanding Phone Searches

[Triumph]

Apparently one school is wanting to look into student's cell phones to find evidence of wrong-doing.

Not sure this should really be legal. Although I do think schools should have the right to limit the ability of students to bring cell phones into school, and thus anyone who has one can have it confisicated.

I saw one mom protesting schools not allowing cell phones claiming, she had to be able to check on her kid during the day. Note to mom, parents managed to raise kids for thousands of years without being able to cell them in class.

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.

Kozlov said he believes administrators are overreacting and making the school appear more troublesome than it actually is.
School officials "reserve the right to look through the cell phone," when they suspect a student has drugs or stolen goods, according to Principal Michael Welch.
"People shouldn’t get power based on suspicions, people should be considered innocent until proven guilty," said senior Adam Goldberg. "It feels like our rights are stripped away when we walk through the doors."

principal before going to Framingham, and said there is a major difference in Newton South and Framingham’s policies.
"We have an open campus at Newton South, and it seems like (Welch) is making things stricter at Framingham," said Siegal, who was a sophomore when Welch was the principal at Newton South. "We would never have had a policy like this."
The rule complies with federal law, which says a school can conduct searches when there is "reasonable suspicion" that a student has contraband.
"It’s kind of ridiculous," said Dayna Green, who recently graduated from Framingham, and is headed to Fitchburg State College in September. "They try to make us feel independent, but then they invade our privacy."
The cell phone policy is not the only change at Framingham: Staff will be required to wear identification badges at school. That move is an attempt to keep track of people who should not be on school property.
Green said the policy will only make students feel uncomfortable, and will not stop students from breaking the rules.
"I think it is more of a scare tactic," she said. "Something bad is going to happen everywhere."

http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/lo...ticleid=134816

[ninikins]

whoa! that's a pretty intense invasion of privacy if you ask me. In my school in the UK phones were allowed during break times but not in class. I don't see the harm in that.

[Slashmire]

This will probably be debatable; I assume that one would need a warrant in order to attain such information.

[Triumph]

Originally Posted by Slashmire

This will probably be debatable; I assume that one would need a warrant in order to attain such information.

I don't know about that. I guess it depends. Schools have some extenuating rights. Schools can search a student's locker, for example, without a warrant.

As for ninikins suggestion for using phones only between class, I don't see a problem with that. I might suggest people have to leave them in their lockers, but then they would probably be stolen.

yea, school's powers over students really do overreach what I would consider legitimate. things like drug-testing for ANY extracurricular activities (some schools try all students) on the basis of the danger to students (the debate club...) is kind of insane. and yes, as a former student during the cell phone era, I found it very annoying to not be able to bring phones to campus.* I did anyway, but I was pretty bold in high school (sued my principal and school board w/ the ACLU in order to expand our rights some). it's the same as being able to read any content on a student's person, which i think is ridiculous. but alas, this will probably be held up in court

*I found it very amusing when people were praising the use of cell phones during school hours on 9/11 for students being able to contact potentially dead parents and that generally having a phone on the person is a greaty tool in society. However, demanding, with serious reprecussions, for silent mode (not even vibrate), no use, etc. during class is important. i mean, i can see this shit being used to pull of drug deals and such, but hey, that stuff is going to happen one way or another.

[Dragon]

your cell phone is your personal property. If the someone seems to think your perpetrating or or plan to do it, they can go through the process just as with searching your house or locker or w/e. it is, of course their right to restrict or disallow any item they deem unnecessary to the learning environment.

when i was in tech school they randomly ran K9s throught the parking lot with a sheriff or two and searched cars, sometimes lockers. they usually had something to show for it. i dont think that searching peoples cell phones is going to turn up very much though. And if it does what to stop cell phone companies and anyone else from just flat out listening in or reading all your text messages? the whole idea is a little outrageous.

[ninikins]

What are the laws on searches like that without warrants, anyway?