MiddletownJournal.com

By sasha brinkova

December 11, 2007 4:51 AM | Link to this

Contrary to popular belief, the end of the year is one of the best times to look for, awesome descion

By sasha brinkova

December 11, 2007 4:50 AM | Link to this

Contrary to popular belief, the end of the year is one of the best times to look for, awesome descion

By sasha brinkova

December 11, 2007 4:50 AM | Link to this

Contrary to popular belief, the end of the year is one of the best times to look for, awesome descion

By Random

December 6, 2007 4:42 PM | Link to this

In response to Oliver…ACLU may be a clueless organization that gets involved where they need not be. However, at Mason High School the relationship between 90% of the students and administrators is not a good one. The administrators abuse their powers as leaders and impose their beliefs and rules on us, and then fail to follow them. We’re told to trust them, but how can we trust someone(s) who breaks rules they create, invades our privacy, and abuses our rights?

By SJS

December 6, 2007 4:37 PM | Link to this

I go to the school and it’s ridiculous how many phones they take and keep. At the end of last year, they had a closet filled with hundreds of phones that they probably just threw away. And in response to A.E., our world is becoming more and more computerized; cell phones being a part of that. Kids having cell phones in school is more and more common, there are INTERMEDIATE schoolers that have cell phones. We should be able to have them and feel safe that our property is private.

By justin

December 6, 2007 1:31 PM | Link to this

This whole search policy was decided years ago by the Supreme Court, “New Jersey v. TLO, 469 U.S. 325 (1985). The Supreme Court in TLO held that the Fourth Amendment prohibition against unreasonable search and seizures applies to public school officials.

By Ahmed Hassan

December 2, 2007 11:07 AM | Link to this

I support what the ACLU has said because i believe in the idea of respecting other people’s privacy and not invading them.I believe the best way of solving this text reading issue is to ask students to turn off their cellphones during school hours or hand in the cellphone to an administrator for storage.I believe the reading of the text messages is very unliberalized and i have a question for those people who are engaging in this dirty work ,would they want other people to invade their privacy.

By jhumtcvr xkvdrny

December 2, 2007 6:19 AM | Link to this

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By unzp bgrchn

December 2, 2007 6:18 AM | Link to this

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By unzp bgrchn

December 2, 2007 6:17 AM | Link to this

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By Random

November 30, 2007 9:31 PM | Link to this

It’s not just cell phones either. Mason administration frequently visit the students facebook and myspace pages to find out information about activites going on outside of school. Last year I recieved a call informing me that my son had RSVP to an event on facebook that would involve drinking. Students go through their pictures and cover any alcohol bottles/cans before posting the pictures. They are clearly over stepping their boundries.

By kdithask

November 30, 2007 9:15 PM | Link to this

If Mason High School came out and made their students aware that they could and would look through confiscated cell phones it would be different. Majority of the time a cell phone is taken away in class and several class periods later the student is called to the principal’s office. The principle called them down to discuss materials they “accidently” discovered in the students cell phone. Its never an intentional act. It’s always the same excuse, “I tryed to turn it off and it just popped up”.

By Unknown

November 30, 2007 9:10 PM | Link to this

I think that it is reasonable to confiscate a students phone if it is used during class. At Mason you can’t use your cell phone at lunch, in the halls or in between classes. The whole point of the cell phone policy is they want to eliminate distractions within the classroom. The hallways and lunch room is NOT the classroom and I see no reason why a student couldn’t use their phone outside of class. It’s not just kids texting kids, more parents and adults are using text messaging as well.

By Nick

November 30, 2007 9:10 PM | Link to this

2007 GRAD, To bad i graduated from the school also, and it doesnt take 3 times to get the phone.. and the dirty prick did search it. Good thing i dont text or the dirty bastard would have found out i was drinking BEER!! JEEZZZ. Im glad you can read the hand book.. but MASON doesnt abide by those rules. They know it and so does most everyone else with a half of a brain.

By Unknown

November 30, 2007 9:10 PM | Link to this

I think that it is reasonable to confiscate a students phone if it is used during class. At Mason you can’t use your cell phone at lunch, in the halls or in between classes. The whole point of the cell phone policy is they want to eliminate distractions within the classroom. The hallways and lunch room is NOT the classroom and I see no reason why a student couldn’t use their phone outside of class. It’s not just kids texting kids, more parents and adults are using text messaging as well.

By Nick

November 30, 2007 9:04 PM | Link to this

common sense!,

Students have the right to have their cell phones. Maybe not to have them out in class but they do have he right to have them? Why doesnt this worthless school of mason, allow the students to take the battery out of the phone? solve everything right? Teachers/admin. do NOT have the right to search anyones phone. It is not their spot to do so.. if the student is underage then give it to their parents to worry about.. No reason for a school to invade privacy. Period!

By Nick

November 30, 2007 9:04 PM | Link to this

common sense!,

Students have the right to have their cell phones. Maybe not to have them out in class but they do have he right to have them? Why doesnt this worthless school of mason, allow the students to take the battery out of the phone? solve everything right? Teachers/admin. do NOT have the right to search anyones phone. It is not their spot to do so.. if the student is underage then give it to their parents to worry about.. No reason for a school to invade privacy. Period!

By aisha shakur

November 30, 2007 1:59 PM | Link to this

Mason high is doing wrong by checking students text messages….If the students have cell phones during class and are distracting the class,the teachers should take the cell phone,BUT NOT CHECK TEXT MESSAGES,because then they invade the students’ privacy.I also dont think that the teachers should even care about what the students do as long as it’s not IN the school.Why would it matter to them?it’s none of their bussiness….

By hussein

November 30, 2007 1:59 PM | Link to this

OK. students!!!! i think that teachers have the right to check student’s phones because this is the cause of the students. if students showed the teachers that they are responsible with their phones and that they are not provoking violence in and outside of school. teachers be responsible.!!!!!!

By aisha shakur

November 30, 2007 1:59 PM | Link to this

Mason high is doing wrong by checking students text messages….If the students have cell phones during class and are distracting the class,the teachers should take the cell phone,BUT NOT CHECK TEXT MESSAGES,because then they invade the students’ privacy.I also dont think that the teachers should even care about what the students do as long as it’s not IN the school.Why would it matter to them?it’s none of their bussiness….

By sabrin

November 30, 2007 11:41 AM | Link to this

i agree. i think that it is wrong to read students text messages because it is a violation of thir privacy. what kind of nosy shool does that. i mean taking away the phone is one thing but reding thier stuff now thats just too much. maybe the shool should stop before they drive away their students. i don’t think they want that to happen.

By Faduma

November 30, 2007 11:40 AM | Link to this

There’s mixed feelings when it comes to issues like this. Personally my theory is that only criminals opose laws or rules because they intend to break them. Its simple, you don’t want your phone taken away don’t bring it out. Who knows maybe the students are planning something illegal. Better safe than sorry right?

By Abshir Asse

November 30, 2007 11:35 AM | Link to this

The school board just basicaly told the world that they can’t control security in their building, they’re going through student text messages to get the dirt on what’s going on.. I think the whole thing is poor security.

By 2007 graduate

November 30, 2007 8:25 AM | Link to this

I just graduated from there this past June, and I can say that there is nothing wrong with their cell phone policy. Cell phones are NEVER taken away just so that the teacher can read the students message. A lot of the teachers will, after the third offense, just give the cell phone to the principle. The administration DOES NOT read the students text messages unless they have reason, like the student is acting suspicious. I always felt safe knowing that suspicious phone activity was checked.

By Danielle Tomich

November 30, 2007 8:23 AM | Link to this

I just graduated from there this past June, and I can say that there is nothing wrong with their cell phone policy. Cell phones are NEVER taken away just so that the teacher can read the students message. A lot of the teachers will, after the third offense, just give the cell phone to the principle. The administration DOES NOT read the students text messages unless they have reason, like the student is acting suspicious. I always felt safe knowing that suspicious phone activity was checked.

By Common Sense!

November 30, 2007 8:16 AM | Link to this

Nick, I understand the point of this whole thing. If a student is using a cell phone in class, the administrators have every right to see what it was all about. It is done for the safety of all students! Where I teach a student was using a cell phone to set up drug sales. She was caught w/ the phone, messages were read, and she was dealt with accordingly. Whats wrong with that? If you don’t want it read, don’t write it down! Do what you are supposed to and you have no reason to worry!

By CARE a sham

November 30, 2007 7:57 AM | Link to this

CARE says that “CARE stands for children getting a Cadillac education at a Chevy cost.”

I’m sure no one in CARE ever went to the Cadillac dealer and asked to buy a car for the price of a Chevy, or at least if they have, they have not been able to make a deal with those terms. Yet for some reason, they believe this model is appropriate for schools.

But there are always those who want to get something for nothing, like those who file law suits because they burned themselves with hot coffee.

By Steve

November 29, 2007 7:51 PM | Link to this

Follow your policy. When the ACLU sues please take my tax dollars, hire attorneys and fight them in court. While your at it go after them for racketeering, extortion and material support of terrorism. Sue individual ACLU attorneys personally as well. No sense only going after a corrupt organization with very deep pockets. If we can bankrupt and inprison a few of them maybe these scum will be less likely to trample the constituion while protesting that they are its defenders.

By Someone who can Read

November 29, 2007 3:47 PM | Link to this

Am I the only one who knows how to read? Nowhere in the article does it say that teachers are reading messages on student phones, only the administrators who have reasonable suspicions. Even if they were, the Dayton paper really wants to have numerous posts stereotyping teachers as voyeurs, as peons not worthy of a shred respect?

I’m all for free speech, but the Dayton paper, by allowing such postings, sancions their content. Let these people create their own blogs for their bile.

By Nick

November 29, 2007 3:29 PM | Link to this

To “common Sense/Educator”

I dont think your getting the whole point of this. Yes, its completely find to take the phone away. I have had it done to me when i was in that school.. i dont care, but when they go and read it like the administrators at mason.. that goes over board! They worry more about getting people in trouble and ruining childrens lives then they do preping the students for college. MR. COATS is the trash to blame for this!

By mader

November 29, 2007 12:56 PM | Link to this

Schools have no right to invade on personal privacy so finally some one is doing somthing and Kings and mader have it coming next

By Businessman

November 29, 2007 9:00 AM | Link to this

Looks like a lot of attention is being paid to this issue. I wish adults took the same time out of their schedule and got kids to focus on education rather than text messaging each other. And for the occasional bad apple, they need to be dealt with appropriately.

By Jim Gray

November 29, 2007 8:32 AM | Link to this

It is really about time that someone in our schools cracked down on the use of cell phones. They should not be allowed in schools period. Teachers have a hard enough time pushing their liberal agendas and should not have students ignoring what they are saying.

By Common Sense!

November 29, 2007 8:25 AM | Link to this

As an educator, I feel that it is a good policy to take the cell phones if they are out in class. There is a ton of cyber-bullying that goes on. Maybe if your kid is the one bullying, you don’t want it taken away and read. What about the rights of the other kid to receive an education free from fear of others?

As stated by others, if the cell phones are not out during school hours, they will not be confiscated!
Parents should be parents; not try to be friends to their kids!

By jazzy

November 29, 2007 7:36 AM | Link to this

Teachers are becoming dumber each day. That is all I have to say. It is a steady decline of respect and trust between students and teachers. They lack basic communication skills so they resort to socialist policies that violate the constitution in order to supplement for their lack of control for their classroom.

By Billis

November 29, 2007 7:33 AM | Link to this

Again I will say that they are only looking for dirty pictures or some nasty e-mail so that they can satisfy their own social disfunctions and create a throne of power on which to sit. This is a power struggle between peon teachers and little children. These teachers need to be babysitted on a daily basis. We already read each day in the paper about teachers having sexual relations with students. Maybe they need to be a little less involved in the personal lives of students.

By Instigator

November 29, 2007 7:06 AM | Link to this

what is the administrator looking for? Could it be wanting to possibly read the opposite sex talking dirty on their phones. with some of the things teachers are doing this day and age that is what would scare me. They should just not let them have phones in the school and if they bring them take them til the end of the day. No reason to read messages. Is it possible they look at the pictures on phones to? who would really know?

By R. Nixon

November 29, 2007 12:58 AM | Link to this

I say publish what they say in the newspaper. That will teach them a lesson. I am not a crook!

By michelle

November 29, 2007 12:45 AM | Link to this

Ya know it seems to me if people (old and young) don’t follow the rules then they will naturally expect people to give in to them when they are up to no good. My teens have the same rules at their school and I have no problem with it (don’t use your phone during schools hours) and I would be mighty thankful if someone found something on my childs phone and was able to inform me so I can address the situation. The kids today are given way too much privacy!!!

By Jim

November 28, 2007 10:03 PM | Link to this

I support the ACLU. The government has already taken away too many of our civil rights. Maybe the schools should worry more about quality, engaging curriculum and teaching methods, then they wouldn’t have a problem text messaging.

By CARE

November 28, 2007 9:49 PM | Link to this

I hope ACLU comes and looks at how the schools are wasting money too. Mason schools builds Taj Mahal like schools and waste money on discus/shot put facilities. And of course the black box theaters.

By Nick

November 28, 2007 9:15 PM | Link to this

TeeJay, You say kids need to obey the rules because they need to get ready for adult life, but the people that are taking the phones are adults and they dont obey the rules that are stated! Those rules are also reasonable right?

The dude, They dont allow students to take the batteries out of the phones. They mae sure the phone is on, and able to be read when they take them. A bunch of bull if you ask me!

By Nick

November 28, 2007 9:14 PM | Link to this

TeeJay, You say kids need to obey the rules because they need to get ready for adult life, but the people that are taking the phones are adults and they dont obey the rules that are stated! Those rules are also reasonable right?

The dude, They dont allow students to take the batteries out of the phones. They mae sure the phone is on, and able to be read when they take them. A bunch of bull if you ask me!

By Nick

November 28, 2007 9:14 PM | Link to this

TeeJay, You say kids need to obey the rules because they need to get ready for adult life, but the people that are taking the phones are adults and they dont obey the rules that are stated! Those rules are also reasonable right?

The dude, They dont allow students to take the batteries out of the phones. They mae sure the phone is on, and able to be read when they take them. A bunch of bull if you ask me!

By LC

November 28, 2007 8:44 PM | Link to this

This is absolutely ridiculous! Adults acting like children about this topic. If parents put as much effort in making schools a better place as they do about their kids civil liberties, the schools would have nothing to worry about. It’s only going to take one incident like Columbine to happen that could have been stopped by reading a suspicious students text message for everyone to change their mind on this topic. Then people across the nation will be screaming for reform. Wake up America!

By Skip

November 28, 2007 8:22 PM | Link to this

Most of the time that the ACLU is involved they should have kept their nose out of it. This is another such case when the should not pry their self appointed authority . They are not an elected body. They deny freedoms to other citizens.

By Teejay

November 28, 2007 8:20 PM | Link to this

Dan-O, get a life and quit whining your liberal nonsense. The rules established by the school are reasonable and there is no reason why the students can’t obey them. One day they will be out in the real world where they are expected to obey certain workplace restrictions whether they like them or not. The guidelines as outlined by the Ohio School Boards Association are not only legal but quite reasonable.

By Caroline

November 28, 2007 8:19 PM | Link to this

How is sending text messages in class any different from passing notes? When you were in school, did your teachers confiscate, and then read the notes that you were passing? How is this different.

By geo

November 28, 2007 7:59 PM | Link to this

cell phones should not be allowed in schools like it is in hospitals and dr offices, why do they need them.

By Dan-O

November 28, 2007 7:10 PM | Link to this

Dear Comrades, Welcome to the new world order of globalization, your freedoms and liberties are under attack, The first and second amendments are being stripped and watered down in the name of International Democracy, tolerance in addition to the United Nations. You need to fight back from these hypocrites, and demand that our privacy be protected. Technology has given the government the upper hand, A message sent from one student to another is personal and someone else reading my not understand the language, a phone call is made to the authorities making a legal mess for the student by accusing them of being a terrorist. This country needs to be ashamed of what it has become, so my message to you drop the cell phones internet and any other way these losers can make our children’s lives miserable, they are kids trying to have fun, leave them alone!

By WTF????

November 28, 2007 7:00 PM | Link to this

I have been reading this thread and it seems like alot of you “ADULTS” are acting more childish over this then the kids are. Perhaps jealous you didnt have this freedom when you were a child? If they are on the phone or txting during class take it from them. No need to read the messages.

By JRF

November 28, 2007 6:37 PM | Link to this

While I tend to find the ACLU absolutely appalling 99% of the time this is one of the few occasions that I acutely agree with those liberal BST%Rs. If a child violates school policy and forgets to turn off their cell phone during class then confiscate it, but the information contained therein should be private. I tend to think that the teachers who happen to be pilfering through a minors cell phone are hoping to strike the child porn jackpot. They are just voyeur perverts capitalizing on the abundance of young victims who are subjected to their classroom Dictatorship on a daily basis. All they are after is a few more CHEERLEADER pictures and they are using the guise of children’s safety to satisfy their Sinful, Illegal, and Perverted Fetishes.

By The Dude

November 28, 2007 6:24 PM | Link to this

Why can the batteries just be removed and confiscated? Class disruption ends. It seems the true purpose of the policy is intelligence gathering and law enforcement. Things that teachers are not qualified to perform. What happens when the phone is in the teacher’s possession? What is stopping them from fabricating texts to support their argument?

By Jennie

November 28, 2007 6:19 PM | Link to this

My understanding of anything transmitted over air waves puts it in the realm of public domain.

It is an enormous distraction to have these devices present, and the 3 teens I live with are addicted to the “screens”. Many of the young people today consider it a right to not pay attention, do their texting, and get no repercussions. It is rude, to say the least.

With the mass amount of information being transmitted, too bad it is mostly unproductive.

By Tracy

November 28, 2007 6:15 PM | Link to this

And just where was the ACLU when our teachers took our notes we were passing and read them to the class?? You know, back when we actually had to write out our notes…heh, how humiliating was that! If the kids are actually texting during class, then ya..it’s fair game, or at least that particular msg is, but I dont agree with taking a cell phone because they see it or it rings, and then reading the texts. But I must agree with some of you..you dont want it to happen, then follow the rules.

By Chuck

November 28, 2007 5:56 PM | Link to this

Dear Vee, when I went to school we had things called Emergencies also, we went to the school office to call home or the parent called the school office…No cell phones in school…

By Nick King

November 28, 2007 4:54 PM | Link to this

CONTINUED..

then people get in trouble bc of word of mouth. Matt Koman got kicked off of basketball because he was at a party,and not even drinking? It all comes down to how messed up the administration/Mason PD/school board is!

By Nick King

November 28, 2007 4:50 PM | Link to this

Jane, If you teach in mason I dont know what freshman class would ever approve of your “message”. Sure teachers have the right to take phones if there out in class, and then give them back at the end of the day, as the rule states, but they have no right to read/look at anything. I got my phone taken away, told i was NOT allowed turn it off, but i still did! COATS then tried to MAKE me turn it on. Good thing i knew i didnt have to! This goes back to the hotline anyone call and report anything,

By CARE

November 28, 2007 4:17 PM | Link to this

ACLU and CARE both defend our kids in Mason. CARE stands for children getting a Cadillac education at a Chevy cost. ACLU defends our kids text messaging privacy. Thanks to ACLU and CARE for keeping our schools honest.

By Marie2

November 28, 2007 3:14 PM | Link to this

Like I stated earlier, there is not enough space here to verbalize all the criminal behaviour going on at Mason High/Board with the leadership/members. I thought I’ve met ‘liars’ in my life, but noone has come close to the liars at this school. This present issue is merely a blessing in disguise to help tear down the wall that Mason thinks they have built up around them in protection. They underestimate many of their students strengths through healthy home life and strong parenting skills….

By tiffy

November 28, 2007 2:31 PM | Link to this

The public school system has become infested with power hungry, lazy teachers who are more concerned with social structure (who is doing what) then they are about teaching. This allows discrimination based on extracurricular activities. I am glad the ACLU is investigating this. I hope they rip some butt and get some of these losers out of the school system. We should not have these morons teaching our children if they don’t want to teach.

By Billis

November 28, 2007 2:27 PM | Link to this

Jane: Way to go on enforcing bad policy. Spoken well by a teacher. Now you can go collect your pat on the back from the board. Then when you get a raise, you can help petition the taxpayers for more money. The truth is that you are little peons trying to act big and strong against children when they are in your care. I know how adults are to act towards children. Confiscate the phones if you want but your insignificant butt has no business interfering in extracurricular functions.

By Marie2

November 28, 2007 2:18 PM | Link to this

It’s way past time for Mason High School to be exposed. This High School has more issues than I could ever explain/talk about in this forum. Their problems begin with an extremely unprofessional/unethical School Board and an equally unprofessional/unethical High School administration including what they call their School Resource Officer. These individuals know exactly who they are……Thank you ACLU! The truth always comes out and what goes around comes around!

By Nick King

November 28, 2007 1:45 PM | Link to this

Mason High School SUCKS! So does the Mason School Board! I hope they read this because they know who I am, and now that im out of school and moved on with my wonderful life they cant do S**T about it! They tried to knock me down, but that didnt work! The only reason that school doesnt have zero tolerance is because they give every student a different punishment depending on who they are. There dirty pricks!

By Bob540

November 28, 2007 1:07 PM | Link to this

I believe that schools have the right to prohibit cell phone use during classes, and to confiscate phones used in class. I believe students have the right to carry cell phones, to use them during non-classroom times, and to have their personal messages respected as private and not read by school staff. School staff are not the parents and have no business monitoring student activities that occur off school grounds and during non-school hours. The ACLU is not needed in this discussion.

By Terry

November 28, 2007 12:17 PM | Link to this

To Dave- Why did you copy my post verbatim except for the last line? Are you too lazy to come up with your own thoughts or have you just not mastered the English language yet?

By Kerri

November 28, 2007 12:09 PM | Link to this

I’m a little confused. The school says they’re checking the messages for reference to drugs or alcohol, but are NOT looking for information on private, off-grounds/off-hours parties. I know it’s been awhile (20 years) since I was in high school, but way back in the golden days, 99% of “private” high school parties involved either beer, marijuana, or both. So how long before they claim that they “accidentally” found out about the party while looking for talk of Budweiser?

By CONNIE

November 28, 2007 11:58 AM | Link to this

WHERE ARE THE NUNS WHEN YOU NEED THEM. REMEMBER PEOPLE WE HAVE PARENTS WHO WANT TO BE THEIR CHILDREN FRIENDS SO THIS KIDS CAN’T DO ANY WRONG.

By Jane

November 28, 2007 11:51 AM | Link to this

I’m truly appalled at the amount of ignorance present in these responses. First, many schools would love to embrace new technology but are unable to do so for several reasons, none of which have anything to do with the article. I do not believe that students’ phones should be mined for extra-curricular activities, but if school policy dictates that phones or other electronic devices should not be out during school hours, then yes, the devices should be confiscated. Students caught text-messaging during school hours—especially during class time, should expect to have messages read. This message has been approved by my class of freshmen students.

By Sam

November 28, 2007 11:33 AM | Link to this

I really don’t think that if a cell phone is taken by a teacher or any other person for school has the right to look a personal things unless they know if the student was cheating on a test or anything esle but a parents should be brought in for the questioning or any other threats against the school.

By Stu

November 28, 2007 10:59 AM | Link to this

Hell no! You don’t forfeit your right to privacy at the door when you attend public school. This is just more erosion of our freedoms in the name of fighting crime. A few “Bad Apples” shouldn’t cause the rest of us to give-up all our rights and freedoms.

By Jim5

November 28, 2007 10:31 AM | Link to this

In this case, the ACLU compares looking at cell phones with forcing a child to bring his personal diary to school for inspection. Enough with the overblown rhetoric, Jeff Gamso! A student’s personal diary is kept at home where his parents have every right to search it. Also, who is “forcing” the student to bring his cell phone to school? And where is the ACLU when it comes to the parents’ rights to have a safe school to send their kids to? Has Columbine been that long ago?

By kevin

November 28, 2007 10:05 AM | Link to this

i thank the ACLU im a student and those c**k suckers took my phone once…f**k that they have no right to look at whats on my phone

By Richard

November 28, 2007 10:02 AM | Link to this

While I am not an overt advocate of the ACLU, they are the watchdog for American civil liberties. This organization is charged with protecting the rights of ALL individuals. I do not always agree with the principles for which the ACLU fights, but being American means accepting the viewpoints of others as their right to express it, regardless of how you personally feel about the situation.

In this situation the ACLU merely warned the administration that they may be violating rights.

By Richard

November 28, 2007 9:45 AM | Link to this

It is a fact of modern society that technology has progressed to the point that cell phones, ipods, etc. are standard fare for the modern student. Personal phone use has no place during school hours, except in emergencies. But, rather than punish a student for adopting new technology, why not use it to the advantage of the educator? It is time for the school systems to embrace new technologies and develop ways to educate students through the varying modern medias (i.e. text, email, web access)

By steve

November 28, 2007 9:38 AM | Link to this

Its time to kick the ACLU out of all parts of our life and our schools especially ……What ever it takes to take back our schools and our streets is just another tool to combat the scum bags that are committing crimes against us…ACLU is a criminals backbone and its time we took the criminal’s rights away from them….

By Caroline

November 28, 2007 9:28 AM | Link to this

This is pretty awful that the ACLU is getting involved in the rules at a high school involving reading text messages. Don’t they have anything more important to do???? The students shouldn’t be text messaging at school. If they are—then they have lost their rights to privacy. What is the difference between this and if they had a note on their desk from another student? Teachers regularly confiscate (and read) these.

By Kelli R

November 28, 2007 9:23 AM | Link to this

Well being a student I feel that they should not read our texts. I have nothing to hide, but it is my personal life, and I do not need the officials in it. By the way, I can spell, and kids are your future. Being a senior in high school, I have had a cell phone since the eighth grade and I can spell just fine. I never have my phone out at school, but when our school had a lockdown when a kid had a gun at school, we were told to use our cell phones because there were not enough landlines.

By marie

November 28, 2007 9:18 AM | Link to this

Regardless of personal opinion about how teenagers should/could be spending their free time, this is a matter of constitutional rights. A message sent to a friend on a cell phone is not public information and a public school does not have the right to use the information against the sender or receiver. Stealing personal information from a personal object is one step closer to mimicking the Thought Police of George Orwell’s 1984.

By Jim5

November 28, 2007 9:04 AM | Link to this

Why is the ACLU issuing threats to a school district when the facts are unclear? The school district spokeswoman said that the school had NOT mined student cell phones for information. This contradicts the complaints from “students and parents”. Why the rush to judgment, ACLU of Ohio?

By Dave

November 28, 2007 8:59 AM | Link to this

If cell phones are not taken to school,the school can’t confiscate what isn’t there to take.On the other hand,the school has no business reading private text messages about private parties after school hours not on school grounds.It’s none of the schools business what happens off school property and after school hours unless it involves a school function after hours. For those that are referring to kids as “little SOBs”, get a life.

By Harry

November 28, 2007 8:37 AM | Link to this

I think the schools should have signal scramblers. That way the little SOBs could not use their cell phones. I am not saying the schools should read the text messages but if they are turned on, being used or in plain sight then the phone should be taken from the student(s) until the end of the day. Thanks to texting kids today can not spell. Not to mention if they are texting then they are not paring attention to their school work.

BTW, I do not recall that a cell phone is a right!

By kathy

November 28, 2007 7:48 AM | Link to this

If I text my kid at school you morons have no right reading it. I am in control of my children. It is my decision as a parent what my child will or will not do outside of class. Teachers have no rights violating personal property. I think it will be a good lesson for them when the ACLU decides to take this to court. They need to flush the toilet in some of these schools and get back to what is important…like education.

By jim

November 28, 2007 7:42 AM | Link to this

If the student gets a text then read the text. Don’t read all the other stuff and look for porno pictures and stuff. There are already enough teachers engaging in sex with the students without going through their phones looking for porno pictures. Teachers are really becoming stupid. They are just underpaid peons that feel powerful over children. It used to be about a passion to teach, now it is a bunch of pubes looking for power and control of children. Get a life people…

By lisa

November 28, 2007 7:35 AM | Link to this

Comeon people. Everyone knows that Warren County has a great record for management and teachers with high standards. They would not do this to kids. I am sure that only the highest standards are being followed with these kids. Just like they have been followed with the other Warren County schools. Let’s see how many Warren County administrators and school board officials have been accused or convicted of crimes this year? I am thinking there is possibly a power trip by some teachers.

By Jill

November 28, 2007 7:27 AM | Link to this

Don’t worry. If the teachers do get sued they will just pass an emergency levy and suck the taxpayers dry as usual. Then they will all get a raise for petitioning the levy. As a result of the raise they will have to cancel bus service and school programs, but if you don’t give them a raise they will strike. It is the Ohio education system. Teachers do whatever and the students suffer and parents and taxpayers have no input.

By Billis

November 28, 2007 7:19 AM | Link to this

Alot of teachers are disconnected from their students and out of touch with the current generation. They are using a text message policy to intrude into areas that are none of their business. Probably because they are busybodies. Most of the teachers I had in high school were fat and lazy and socially disconnected. I say do your job and quit trying to police the kids cell phones. I personally hope they make an example of one of these teachers and sue the crap out them. I will scoff.

By Chuck

November 28, 2007 6:01 AM | Link to this

Get the phones and the delinquents out of the schools.

By Dingley Mellowcreme

November 28, 2007 4:35 AM | Link to this

Passing paper notes was fairly common in school. Now, passing digital notes via SMS seems to have taken over. So be it.

Besides, as a teacher, I do not want today’s students throwing their cell phones at me instead of throwing paper spit balls. Ouch!

By Ron

November 28, 2007 1:55 AM | Link to this

This is another stupid issue that the ACLU picks up on to make themshelves look busy. If the student is caught with a cell phone in class, then they get and F. Period!! This new generation and ACLU are the ones that are making the US a worse place to live. You go to school to learn, not talk on your phone.

By Reggie

November 28, 2007 1:00 AM | Link to this

Do people not remember about when they were kids? kids are going to be kids, the same social life out side of school has been going on for decades and I think it is quit hypocritical to confiscate a students phone to “stop” these functions, and I belive it is a direct violation of the students freedom as well as privacy, I’m not in Iraq right now so that some punk school official can bully students out of there phones and read their Text, let them have their own life, were only kids once!!!

By Larry

November 27, 2007 10:59 PM | Link to this

To G Bickford- The bill of rights is made to tell the federal govt. what it can not do. The constitution is there to tell the govt. what it can do. This case is a very poor interprtation of pure speech. In TINKER V DES MOINES the Supreme court said as long as the activities happening during the school hours didn’t cause a disturbance they were allowed.The school has a policy which prohibts cell phone use and if an official views the use as a disturbance they can confiscate it and investigate.

By Stephen G Bickford

November 27, 2007 10:41 PM | Link to this

The ACLU is reminding the school of the legal rights of the students. So, if you want to change things you’ll have to change the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. The ACLU always stands for what the Constitution and Bill of Rights say. That’s why they usually win in court.

By Phillip Textor

November 27, 2007 10:05 PM | Link to this

The school should not be allowed to read private messages. However, they have the right to control access to phones, ipods, etc., during school hours.

Seal the cell phone, Ipod, whatever,in a locked box, sealed with the students signature. Give the student the ONLY key to the box. The device is removed from the classroom, or campus environment, and the students privacy is maintained. The student retreives the device at the end of the school day.

By Phillip Textor

November 27, 2007 10:04 PM | Link to this

The school should not be allowed to read private messages. However, they have the right to control access to phones, ipods, etc., during school hours.

Seal the cell phone, Ipod, whatever,in a locked box, sealed with the students signature. Give the student the ONLY key to the box. The device is removed from the classroom, or campus environment, and the students privacy is maintained. The student retreives the device at the end of the school day.

By Tim

November 27, 2007 9:34 PM | Link to this

By the way the ACLU is a front for child pornographers

By Tim

November 27, 2007 9:31 PM | Link to this

When I was in school if we got passing a note it was read. If it contained information about us drinking or whatever off of school grounds we were not punished for what happened off of school grounds but our parents were notified. I don’t see why that should change just because its on someones cell phone.

By A.E.

November 27, 2007 8:41 PM | Link to this

Cell phones have no place in schools. If there’s an emergency, there are plenty of land lines available.

By A.E.

November 27, 2007 8:41 PM | Link to this

Cell phones have no place in schools. If there’s an emergency, there are plenty of land lines available.

By MJ

November 27, 2007 7:08 PM | Link to this

This is an easy one no electronic devices in the hall or classes during school hrs. No ipods, cell phones, cd players, mp3’s etc. They must be kept in your locker until after school. If caught with one it is confiscated……period. Works well in my sons school and there are no exceptions. Of course Public schools don’t know the meaning of discipline or rules. Its let the stidents do what they want.