15 yr old restrained for using cell phone in school

[Denkou]

I couldn't agree more.

I agree that students should pay attention in class and not do anything that may distract them or others from the subject matter at hand; that includes using cell phones.

However, is it really a teachers place to punish them for it? Teachers who take students' phones away, or even worse, throw it against the wall/stomp on it/etc. (look it up on Youtube, it happens) seem to be overexerting their authority. To me, that says violation of your right to property.

If I were a teacher, I would let my students do whatever they want, as long as they don't do anything completely obnoxious (i.e. talking to each other across the room, making loud noises, etc.). If they want to sit in their chair and quietly use their phone or laptop, then why should I care? Chances are, them doing so will mean that they might miss important material and not do as well on assignments and tests, but I leave that up to them. Why should I care if they use their phone to text or check Instagram during class, so long as they do it quietly and keep it to themselves? After all, they're the ones paying to take the course (well, referring to U.S. colleges at least) not the other way around. If they choose to distract themselves and fail the class then that's their loss, they're the ones paying tuition anyway.

Then again that's just me.

[Deleted]

I don't see the big deal about having a phone in school anyways. I think the teacher way overstepped their boundaries.

It's like creating troll thread after throll thread on MMOC and shitposting in every forum and then saying moderators overstepped their boundaries "because it's just posting on the internet, nobody was harmed".

Rules are fucking rules. A phone in school ringing about and people playing games on phones = distracting and takes away from the quality of class = same as being a dick on a forum when people are trying to have a real conversation.

[prwraith]

It's like creating troll thread after throll thread on MMOC and shitposting in every forum and then saying moderators overstepped their boundaries "because it's just posting on the internet, nobody was harmed".

Rules are fucking rules. A phone in school ringing about and people playing games on phones = distracting and takes away from the quality of class = same as being a dick on a forum when people are trying to have a real conversation.

I don't really think the cell phone rule should apply in school. Especially at a high school level. The only thing I found school useful for is the rudiments of writing and math. Other than that every useful thing I learned in college or by myself on the internet. School is largely an outdated antiquated thing as it is. Keeping it further in the dark ages by not allowing the use of a device that can take you far further than a classroom is a bit silly.

Hell half of what I learned in college I learned by googling it and figuring it out for myself. There's no right way to learn, as long as you learn imo.

[Wildtree]

Wildtree where art thou

Sorry I was awol lol

Contradiction it was yes....

[Deleted]

I don't really think the cell phone rule should apply in school. Especially at a high school level. The only thing I found school useful for is the rudiments of writing and math. Other than that every useful thing I learned in college or by myself on the internet. School is largely an outdated antiquated thing as it is. Keeping it further in the dark ages by not allowing the use of a device that can take you far further than a classroom is a bit silly.

Hell half of what I learned in college I learned by googling it and figuring it out for myself. There's no right way to learn, as long as you learn imo.

This isn't about learning as it is about general discipline in school. If one student can use it so can the whole class. And if the whole class is using it then why even have class? They can learn from google right? Fuck schools even, let everybody just learn from wikipedia.

Instant information at request does not equal being smarter or having more knowledge but it does give you a false sense of being really smart because you can just google it anytime you want.. And we're not talking about students being nice and trying to learn. She was most probably texting with a friend or playing games and even pulled out the age old excuse of "my mother is having some medical issues".

[Deleted]

I agree that students should pay attention in class and not do anything that may distract them or others from the subject matter at hand; that includes using cell phones.

However, is it really a teachers place to punish them for it? Teachers who take students' phones away, or even worse, throw it against the wall/stomp on it/etc. (look it up on Youtube, it happens) seem to be overexerting their authority. To me, that says violation of your right to property.

If I were a teacher, I would let my students do whatever they want, as long as they don't do anything completely obnoxious (i.e. talking to each other across the room, making loud noises, etc.). If they want to sit in their chair and quietly use their phone or laptop, then why should I care? Chances are, them doing so will mean that they might miss important material and not do as well on assignments and tests, but I leave that up to them. Why should I care if they use their phone to text or check Instagram during class, so long as they do it quietly and keep it to themselves? After all, they're the ones paying to take the course (well, referring to U.S. colleges at least) not the other way around. If they choose to distract themselves and fail the class then that's their loss, they're the ones paying tuition anyway.

Then again that's just me.

And, from a teacher, you'd make a really shit one. The type which makes my career more difficult, and despised by a good portion of people.

[Deleted]

Honestly I don't know why it's legal for teachers to take away cell phones in the first place. If they don't pay attention in class taking away the cell phone won't help anyway. Let them face the consequences later in life.


Anyway, there is no doubt that the police were too aggressive.

I find it normal, though it should be stated in school rules that if you break the rule your phone can be taken till the end of the week. A teacher should not be allowed to decide such a punishment on his/her own.

- - - Updated - - -

I agree that students should pay attention in class and not do anything that may distract them or others from the subject matter at hand; that includes using cell phones.

However, is it really a teachers place to punish them for it? Teachers who take students' phones away, or even worse, throw it against the wall/stomp on it/etc. (look it up on Youtube, it happens) seem to be overexerting their authority. To me, that says violation of your right to property.

If I were a teacher, I would let my students do whatever they want, as long as they don't do anything completely obnoxious (i.e. talking to each other across the room, making loud noises, etc.). If they want to sit in their chair and quietly use their phone or laptop, then why should I care? Chances are, them doing so will mean that they might miss important material and not do as well on assignments and tests, but I leave that up to them. Why should I care if they use their phone to text or check Instagram during class, so long as they do it quietly and keep it to themselves? After all, they're the ones paying to take the course (well, referring to U.S. colleges at least) not the other way around. If they choose to distract themselves and fail the class then that's their loss, they're the ones paying tuition anyway.

Then again that's just me.

A school is a place of education, including discipline. You'd be a shitty teacher if you would allow kids to do whatever they want. If you allow 1 child to disturb the class then all others will follow.

- - - Updated - - -

It's like creating troll thread after throll thread on MMOC and shitposting in every forum and then saying moderators overstepped their boundaries "because it's just posting on the internet, nobody was harmed".

Rules are fucking rules. A phone in school ringing about and people playing games on phones = distracting and takes away from the quality of class = same as being a dick on a forum when people are trying to have a real conversation.

Jup, it only takes 1 douchebag to derail a thread just like it takes 1 child to disturb the the entire class.

[XangXu]

back in my day we didn't have cell phones... we actually had to talk to each other...

verbally...

face to face...

[Deleted]

back in my day we didn't have cell phones... we actually had to talk to each other...

verbally...

face to face...

Lies, you would slip papers to each other...even I as a 22yo had to do that when I was a kid.. :P

[Deleted]

I think she should sue them, become rich. There is no law against having a cellphone, the school can make it's own laws but if she didn't sign an agreement or even if she did, it doesn't justify the cops getting involved or any kind of physical abuse

[Teph]

In 5 years people will complain if you talk directly to them. I agree that you don't hit children like in the past, but they need limits.
Some of them are way too cocky and it won't help if they can do what they want.

[Mytheros]

First let me preface that I'm normally the guy that defends law enforcement (mostly cops) more readily than most people do....this is strongly tied to the fact I know , personally, tons of cops as we have them in my family....state troopers, city cops and SWAT officers in fact. (My cousin just returned from a national swat competition held in California each year in fact....he's a sniper for the Philadelphia PA SWAT team)...I also have friends in military...so yeah I definitely think this country does a very unfair "since select cops in a few stories are bad....*ALL* cops are bad"...and that pisses me off because the cops I know are decent men and women who definitely put others above themselves.

Now that you know my feelings on cops....


This story ....I just hate seeing this stuff...the cops went overboard, like everyone is saying its a 70 pound teenage girl....THREE grown men? Are you serious? THREE!

The knee to the head is accepatable to me in some cases --- like detaining someone high on PCP or other drug that makes someone "hyper"...the knee to face in those cases are used to prevent movement so the detainee can't do something irrational like head but the ground and hurt themselves.

This girl wasn't on drugs her only condition was she was a rebellious teenager.

I don't see it wrong that the cops were called however and I wanted to make my point on that clear...the ONLY wrong was the excessive force...calling the cops was the proper thing to do.

The problem is most people (which is normal) see these stories and react only emotionally to the "surface layer" of the story so to speak...which is why we get so many forums across the net with the most out of control replies and people lashing out irrationally the average forum going doesn't stop and think and look at a story from all angles they just react...boom...law enforcement evil, rules (power structure) bad....innocents are always just teens and civilians....end of story.....

No....teachers are powerless on their own against students....do you know how HUGE a shit storm would come down on a teacher for laying a hand on a student (let alone in high school the students themselves would probably gang up and beat the shit out of the teacher).....like another poster said if there's no power of enforcement behind rules...the rules mean nothing. Likewise what so many teens don't understand , because they are teens, rules are needed to provide order....you can't learn in chaos or when you are afraid...rules are supposed to establish at least some measure of safety and order so the learning environment can be effective.

I have many teenage nephews and neices....most of them are in high school as well. I know how teens can be...they know everything adults are always wrong.....blah blah blah.

This girl was a smart ass...plain and simple "I'll use my damn cell phone if i want *bitch*" is probably what was in her mind when the teacher was telling her to stop using it in class.

Also in most counties across the country its the law that unless you submit paperwork (I forget what the actual paperwork is called sorry) which states a valid reason for the student NOT attending public school...I know there's age requirements too for instance I believe a kid can't drop out (meaning legally) without parental / guardian consent unless they are 18....anyway the point is you have to go to school or can (as the student) possibly go to juvenile detention and I know your legal guardians can be heavily fined , in some states they can go to jail themselves.

There's no constitutional law against public schools banning personal property from their use during normal "business" hours. They can do it and they should ban cell phones from schools during specific time periods.

Which brings me from my last point and I'll shut up as i know this post is huge....so many people when responding to these types of stories...crack me up...they speak of 'they can't do that...or they CAN do that".......most are talking out their ass...you don't have rights unless you KNOW what rights you do and don't have.

[Themius]

It's completely ridiculous when you're not allowed to talk to your own parent.

[mizeri]

I remember the days when you couldn't even have a calculator watch on in class.

[Deleted]

I remember the days when you couldn't even have a calculator watch on in class.

I passed a quite a few exams by cheating with my advanced calculator...it's not like they could take it away as we needed it for said course. :P

[Themius]

The media always plays contexts in whatever way will garner the most attention, so I can never be sure how to respond to things like this. I find it highly unlikely that the police were called over a cell phone. It's much more likely that the police were called because the girl flipped her shit and started yelling and fighting off teachers (which stemmed from teachers demanding the phone be turned in). I wish we'd stop teaching our children to play the victim all the time. Entitled brats.

She was talking to her mother... generally when a child does something wrong in school, the parent is called in, well that's who she was talking to...

The entire system is fucking stupid "use your phone, we take it, and you have to pay to get it back." Why not take it, and then give it back? What the hell is this paying for the phone back? What if the kid's family doesn't have the money to pay to get the phone back because they needed to pay for something else instead?

[Roelath]

I'm not agreeing with what happened, just that the police were apparently with in their right to act in such a manner. It's not assault because they are legally allowed to do so.

What law was broken in this case? She wasn't hostile to anyone and she only broke a RULE in a school. She violated no ones rights, property, and life thus the conclusion is to use force? The POs had no basis to attack her and commit to an assault.

- - - Updated - - -

The law in Texas allows officers to enforce school rules.

Enforcing school rules allows them to use force in order to acquire the means? This isn't a case which should involve any man handling at all. If the kid was being violent than it would be a different scenario but, what you're suggesting is that violence can be brought down upon someone for the most benign of reasons.

- - - Updated - - -

How the hell do you know there was no aggressive acts? You saw an 8 second cherry picked video that started after she was on the ground.

Any evidence in the article that presented her as violent? No. It stated she tried to walk away... not that she viciously assaulted the police and they were forced to restrain her.

[Deleted]

She was talking to her mother... generally when a child does something wrong in school, the parent is called in, well that's who she was talking to...

The entire system is fucking stupid "use your phone, we take it, and you have to pay to get it back." Why not take it, and then give it back? What the hell is this paying for the phone back? What if the kid's family doesn't have the money to pay to get the phone back because they needed to pay for something else instead?

I've worked in schools where we confiscate phones (history of people taking problematic photos).

Policy was we held it for 3 days in the office, we'd give them their SIM so their parents could still contact them etc, and then we'd return it.

[Roelath]

She wasn't restrained for using a cell phone, she was restrained for Disorderly Conduct.

"disorderly conduct
n.noun

An offense involving disturbance of the public peace and decency."

By her refusing to follow the lawful request for the relinquishment of her cellphone, she disrupted her class and the individual's in it. Schools are considered the minors' guardians while they are there. The school has a right to enforce it's rules upon the students (within reason.) Let's say this entire encounter took 10 minutes. The average class has 30 people. By her refusing to cooperate she wasted five HOURS of other people's time.

A cop can only try to get you to follow their verbal commands so many times before it's "Stop doing this unlawful thing or I will have to force you to stop as my job requires me to do."

What? LOL

What law was broken? She broke a RULE in school and refused to submit which involved handing it over. Are cops in every school able to tackle a kid for being too loud because it's a form of disorderly conduct found within a school building? What you're suggesting is that in every case in which a student is out of line a PO can suppress the student with force. Give me a break.

[Lora]

I kinda forgot about this. Wow it really exploded. It's pretty stupid how the whole situation was mishandled.