Student Arrested For Classroom Texting

[MagnetoHydroDynamics]

I live in a fairly socialized westen european country (free schools and education, free healthcare, 40% taxes, etc.) and I am currently in the belief that the entire social system of the USA have gone legally snooka-loopy.

I saw on mtv some other day the show called 'Busted', in wich two guys (age 17 both) got busted and got 20 days for drinkin publicly. In the same show was a couple who got fined 300$ for public indecency; however it was not streaking, but bathing in a lake, naked, at time 2 AM.

Let's see these three cases from a scandinavian viewpoint:
2 guys age 17 drinkin publicly: that is what we call a friday night.
A couple nude bathin in a lake 2 AM: In the event that an officer would care to notice, he would probably just tell them to put on swimsuits.
A girl texting in class: Confiscation of phone (which would be reclaimed after school).

You catch my drift?

 

[Slayer_2]

I abosolutly HATE teenagers texting away their life. Its worse when they do it in an automobile and put other people's lives on the line. In this case, calling in the police was overboard, but I can't help smirking in satisfaction. Thats one less text-messaging scrub in our high schools. In my eyes, cell phones are abused by almost everyone who owns one. Seriously, if you need a lift after a party and call up your parents with it, thats a good use, but using it as a way to "entertain" oneself during work or school is ridiculous.

 

[notyouraveragejoe]

Well, she hardly deserved being arrested or charged with a crime, but at the same time, obey your goddamned teacher you little skank *****! WTF is with all these misbehaving little shits? Has parenting gone so far down the drain that this is what children have become?

Normally I don't allow myself to be provoked War hound (IGCSE German Class FTW ^^) but this is really pissing me off. My school we have three people misbehaving. Everyone else behaves. I do. And as far as making a sweeping statement that Parenting has gone downhill well Frick You! My parents have always taught me to be polite! Furthermore the parents likely didn't know she was using the phone in class.

And wow for coincidence. This thread appeared the same day as a teacher said he would see a kid expelled or quit. Yeah... systematic misbehavior is a serious offense at my school.

 

[Bluntknife]

fucking hate teenagers, and I'm sixteen!

I have to agree. I'm 18 and I look at people just a few years younger than me and I can't help but think "WTF?!?! Do parents not hit thier kids anymore? Because they should!"

 

[ParkourMcGhee]

A criminal charge does seem like a bit much, but how do we know she didn't do something else a little more drastic than "texting" to deserve it?

In England it would mean she would find it much harder to find a job after that, so that's why they don't do it I guess... But still getting police involved is a bit much isn't it? Just exclude her and then she can do all the texting she wants in her own time.

 

[SenseOfTumour]

Kids have been given way too many rights now. I was a kid/teeth in the 80s and if I saw an adult walking around, I wouldn't decide I was gonna shout abuse at him.

Partly because I'd been taught at an early age that you respect everyone until they prove themselves unworthy of it, and partly because I felt that anyone I abused would just come over and punch me in the face.

Of course now, so much a cuff a kid around the back of the head for setting fire to your car and you're on a register of child sex offenders for touching a minor. And of course, under a certain age in the UK, you cannot be held accountable for your actions. I think at around the age of 6-8, you know the basics of right and wrong, screw the idea that a 12 year old doesn't know kicking someone in the head or stealing their car/phone/ipod is wrong.

On top of that, SOME parents (still a minority I hope and believe), just can't believe their child could do any wrong, and if they're told of their child's behaviour they put it down to someone else's fault.

 

[Auron555]

Both parties are at fault here. THE MAN shouldn't have reacted that harshly, and the girl shouldn't have been a ***** about texting.

 

[SenseOfTumour]

Look on the bright side tho people, if you're at school now, in ten years time you'll be in a well paid job with a nice house and car and partner, while they're up to their waist in nappies from their 6 wailing brats, because they did fuck all at school.

I still hope in time that intellect will hurry up and take over from strength and size as the dominating factor in human mating.

 

[Eclectic Dreck]

Well, she hardly deserved being arrested or charged with a crime, but at the same time, obey your goddamned teacher you little skank *****! WTF is with all these misbehaving little shits? Has parenting gone so far down the drain that this is what children have become?

The charge is utterly justified based on the scant evidence presented. The girl had a phone, the presence of which was made known to the teacher in some fashion. The girl then DENIED having said phone and concealed it on her person. Assuming that her actions were against school policy, thus far the girl is in the wrong. At this point it can also be assumed that the entire class had been disrupted as a direct result of the student's actions. Following all of that, the girl still refused to give up the phone until it was taken from her by a frisking - you can BET that right there provided an immense disruption of the class. At each point the girl had the opportunity to defuse the situation, and her continued refusal to do so resutled in an escalation of action by the school. She was not arrested for texting; that was simply the first in the chain of events that led to the problem. She was arrested for, in essence, disrupting the learning environment in her school through her continued obsitance.

It remains to be seen if she is actually guilty of the allged crimes under her own state and cities laws, but the facts presented do not indicate any wrongdoing on the part of the school. That said, the body of evidence I have is far to small to give anything other than an overall reactionary opinion.

 

[AndyFromMonday]

That's a bit to much. She was texting, take her phone away, and it's more than enough. No need for what they did.

 

[maffro]

Lying about having the phone just seemed dickish. Personally, I LOVE this article. You know the kids at the school are going to adjust their misbehaviour for a few months at least. Teachers have control, and you should respect that. Sometimes an overblown exertion of authority is all you need. Seems over the top, but justified.

Kids disobey teachers? Arrest them.
People drink drive? Deport them.
People sold me Wii play? Shoot them.

 

[FujinAkari]

Having read the actual police report... I see nothing wrong with this. The student had a long history of causing disturbances, blatently lied to the teacher, the security officer, the principal. The student forced a On-duty Police Officer to be called off the street in order to search her and was even warned that she would be arrested for disorderly conduct if a search was required.

She was given more than enough warning of the consequences of her actions, and I think most everyone in this thread is merely over-reacting to the blurb, rather than getting the actual facts.

The girl's mother does not find the school or the police department as having done anything wrong and was consulted on the matter.

 

[willard3]

My thoughts on the issue. Again, calling the police was a bit overboard, but we don't know the whole story. Anyway, no more texting in that teacher's class then.

Edit: Good post, Fujin. Totally missed that.

 

[nathan-dts]

fucking hate teenagers, and I'm sixteen!

I believe you meen that you hate those teenagers that give other teens a bad name.

 

[axia777]

From the many posts I have read many of the people here are missing the point COMPLETELY. Arrested for texting in class and not giving up the phone? Are you all as crazy as the school/police? What is wrong with you people? She may get a permanent criminal record for texting class and refusing to give up her phone.

If this was my daughter I would be pissed at her for sure. But I would sue the shit out of the school and the cops for this crap. My lawyer would ream them.

Having read the actual police report... I see nothing wrong with this. The student had a long history of causing disturbances, blatently lied to the teacher, the security officer, the principal. The student forced a On-duty Police Officer to be called off the street in order to search her and was even warned that she would be arrested for disorderly conduct if a search was required.

She was given more than enough warning of the consequences of her actions, and I think most everyone in this thread is merely over-reacting to the blurb, rather than getting the actual facts.

The girl's mother does not find the school or the police department as having done anything wrong and was consulted on the matter.

This is kind of crap I am talking about. Did she assault anyone? Did she destroy the school property? What actual law did she break? The charges will not stick I tell you. She disrupted a class room. I was not aware that is a crime. It is certainly against school rules, but a crime? I seriously doubt it.

I live in a fairly socialized westen european country (free schools and education, free healthcare, 40% taxes, etc.) and I am currently in the belief that the entire social system of the USA have gone legally snooka-loopy.

I saw on mtv some other day the show called 'Busted', in wich two guys (age 17 both) got busted and got 20 days for drinkin publicly. In the same show was a couple who got fined 300$ for public indecency; however it was not streaking, but bathing in a lake, naked, at time 2 AM.

Let's see these three cases from a scandinavian viewpoint:
2 guys age 17 drinkin publicly: that is what we call a friday night.
A couple nude bathin in a lake 2 AM: In the event that an officer would care to notice, he would probably just tell them to put on swimsuits.
A girl texting in class: Confiscation of phone (which would be reclaimed after school).

You catch my drift?

Finally someone with sense!!!

 

[ArcadianTrance]

Ok...

I work at a High School as a teacher in progress..... (screw the official name)

look, if the parents did NOT teach the kids respect by then... the kid IS going to be a little fucktard to me getting the cops was the best choice, it is NOT over the top, when you have to deal with 120 little fucktard bastards running around calling each other idiotic and moronic things.... you kinda NEED to put the foot down and I hope that the teacher tried something else before getting the cops, i.e.... calling the parents? If that did not work then at that point I would get the law enforcement... i get paid to teach not to deal with little class room squabbles that take up time from teaching these 3rd grade reading level high schoolers.

(and this is high school..... middle is a LOT worse....)

Wow this issue must really strike a cord for you to make an account specifically to put in your two cents.

teachers really do need more power though alls they can really do is; ask kids to stop, send them to the principal, or give the odious little bastard a detention. If these don't stop the brat what are the unfortunate people who decided teaching was a good carear choice to do?

 

[FujinAkari]

This is kind of crap I am talking about. Did she assault anyone? Did she destroy the school property? What actual law did she break?

She was not charged with assault or vandalism, she was charged with disorderly conduct, and refusing to cease disrupting a classroom to the point where security is forced to physically remove you and police are called in certainly qualifies.

 

[sirdapfrey]

I can see where this might be considered a little over-the-top punishment, but what better way could this have played out? First of all, think of the reasons that (student) cell phones are not allowed in schools (at least not around here): not only the chance for disruption but what possible need does a student that age have for a cell phone in school? Perhaps nefarious activities? Perhaps drug dealing (extreme, but hear me out). If there is some kind of emergency, the school has a process in place to get parents in touch with students, i.e. call the school. The school is acting in loco parentus(sp?) meaning while the child is at school, said school is responsible just as if they were the parent. There are legal ramifications as well as worrying about other students interrupted learning experience. But of course in this day and age a teacher has no power to force a student to do anything like turn over a cell phone. Something needed to be done that brought about the desired outcome with out a teacher having to worry about losing his/her job. Also, I'm thinking there's more to this than the story reveals to us. I would think calling the police was not the teacher's first choice.