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Teachers reading texts on students' phones

Cassie said:


Yep, here teachers are allowed to look at anything they want to on your phone (call history, texts, pictures, etc.) and they will keep it for good if you get caught three times.
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That used to be the policy at my school, after the third time the school got to keep the phone. Then a parent sued, and the policy is that a parent has to come get the phone after the third time. Personally I agree with the new rules. The school has no right to keep my personal property and never give it back.

Regarding the reading texts issue, that's why I keep a password lock on my phone. I got my phone taken away once, and my teacher demanded that I giver her the password, and I told her no, she tried to give me detention because I wouldn't let her read my texts. She got a formal reprimand from the principal and a letter from my family lawyer regarding a potential harassment lawsuit if she ever tried to pull crap like that again.

Teachers should have no right to read anything on a person's phone. They should get to take it and that's it. What I'm texting about is none of their business.

Don
 
Here if a phone gets taken up it is turned over to the police. They make a record of texts that are suspicious and phone calls. The student then has to go with a parent to the cop shop to pick it up and pay a fine.
 
This should be illegal. If I ever get my phone taken away, I'm taking the battery out before I hand it over.

edit:
Didn't realize this is an old thread....
 
renewed said:
Here if a phone gets taken up it is turned over to the police. They make a record of texts that are suspicious and phone calls. The student then has to go with a parent to the cop shop to pick it up and pay a fine.
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That's absolutely ridiculous. I would remote wipe my iPhone the second I got home.

Don
 
In my classes (college, not workshops) I keep a rule. "If your cell goes off during class, you have to bring donuts for everyone the next class."

It's fun, because the students hold each other to it, too. In one class, no student cell ever went off, so the second to last class before we got out for Christmas break, I set my cell alarm to go off during class. "My phone went off" so I bought donuts for everyone in class before Christmas.
 
Dmac77 said:
Regarding the reading texts issue, that's why I keep a password lock on my phone. I got my phone taken away once, and my teacher demanded that I giver her the password, and I told her no, she tried to give me detention because I wouldn't let her read my texts. She got a formal reprimand from the principal and a letter from my family lawyer regarding a potential harassment lawsuit if she ever tried to pull crap like that again.

Teachers should have no right to read anything on a person's phone. They should get to take it and that's it. What I'm texting about is none of their business.
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While in general I agree with you, hard and fast rules make bad law. Devil's advocate: what if a bully is texting his/ her mates to plot something against their victim, and staff have strong suspicions something is amiss, and want to check the messages?

This intrusion would potentially prevent an act of violence, and also provide proof to charge the bully. Schools do have a duty of care to protect all their pupils.

Other situations - tracking down the instigator of harassment or sexual jokes about a victim.

I suppose it's similar to a police search - a school must also have a clear specific reason and purpose, well defined in time and place, and not just engage in random 'fishing' expeditions.
 
You think just reading its bad?
One of the teachers a my school says that if she catches anyone she will take the phone, read it, and if its the persons girlfriend/boyfriend she will text them back and break up with them :eek:
 
So in the same vein would a teacher be able to take and read a book clearly marked "Diary?.......Not that the kids of today would not have a digital version, but just curious if any different distinction would be made, between a cel phone and a Diary like.
 
RedTomato said:
While in general I agree with you, hard and fast rules make bad law. Devil's advocate: what if a bully is texting his/ her mates to plot something against their victim, and staff have strong suspicions something is amiss, and want to check the messages?

This intrusion would potentially prevent an act of violence, and also provide proof to charge the bully. Schools do have a duty of care to protect all their pupils.

Other situations - tracking down the instigator of harassment or sexual jokes about a victim.

I suppose it's similar to a police search - a school must also have a clear specific reason and purpose, well defined in time and place, and not just engage in random 'fishing' expeditions.
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I take issue with anyone looking through my personal information without a warrant. The police/school have no right to look at anything on my phone without my permission, or without a warrant signed by a judge; unless the have reason to believe that there is information on the phone that could prevent me from imminently harming someone; any exceptions to those terms is a clear violation of my 5th amendment rights, which protect me from unlawful search and seizure.

How many times do you think cops/school employees have a legitimate excuse to look through someone's phone? Almost never, they just want to go on a fishing expedition and look for some type of illegal activity that I admit to on my phone, with out any probable cause to think that I had committed a crime.

I would almost be willing to argue that even taking a students phone away violates the 5th amendment, but the supreme court decided to rule that students' rights are limited once they enter school property; they never said to what extent though.

Don
 
I store my plectrum in the battery compartment of my phone, so I have to take my phone everywhere with me :p

I think it's ok to confiscate a phone if the owner is persistently using it/distracting others (or themselves), but too many teachers are too trigger happy with confiscating phones. These teachers are generally bastards too, so you just have to be careful about which classes you text in.
 
Gray-Wolf said:
In light of what's happening in schools these days, student/teacher relations, or the other item, shootings, I say the teacher was right to read the messages. Someone once said, if you don't want it heard, don't say it. That should go for testing too. ;)
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You wouldn't mind everything you ever said being made public?
 
Jeez, put a passcode lock on your phone and end the entire issue... Back in prehistoric times when kids would use pen and paper to pass notes the teacher would often read them out loud when they were confiscated. I really don't see much difference. Other than you punk kids today are all soft! :D
 
Several weeks ago in health class on a Friday, my iPhone was taken away. She retarded health teacher gave us a project. I finished mine on Wednesday, and it was due friday. So I bought the full 21st Century Breakdown album by Green Day on Thursday night, and listened to it during that class. To be honest with you, this teacher is really a loser. She gives us work, and then goes to her desk and plays on her computer. So on that Friday, she cough me with my earbuds in my ears. I don't trust any teacher with my phone.

Although they bring it to the main office, I still don't trust it there either. The school LOST my brother's phone and it too them 4 days to find HIS PROPERTY. So I said NO to the teacher, but offered to put MY PROPERTY back in MY pocket. Thats didn't work out. So she sent me to the office.

Me being all ready in a bad mood, just sat there, and waited for the principal to swing by. He swung by, and asked for my phone. I said no, and gave him the reasons why I didn't want to give him my iPhone as I told you. He aid if I refused, they would call the cops and have me arrested, so I gave him my iPhone.

I find it PATHETIC that a school would call the cops because a kid didn't want to give HIS phone to the teacher and then principal. Wasting a COPs time over a phone is really stupid, so I gave him my phone. But WTH would someone call the cops because you didn't give them your belongings. My phone isn't dangerous or anything.

Needless to say, I love 21st Century Breakdown. My school does state that the teachers will take your electronics away if they hear, see them or smell them. They haven't taken my hearing aids away yet though. It doesn't state in my handbook that they will look thought your phone, and i don't think they do that, but I have my passcode lock enabled and it shall erase when the fail on the 10th time.
 
ouimetnick said:
My school does state that the teachers will take your electronics away if they hear, see them or smell them.
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They had the same policy when I was in school. When I was done with my work, or just not doing work(more likely) I just put my head down and rested even though I had my DiscMan(Yeah baby!) in my jacket pocket or backpack.

The rule is there for a reason, follow it and your stuff wont get taken away. Seems pretty simple to me.
 
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