Local News PLN 10-11-07

ACLU protests school search of cellphones

In this article, from the Denver Post by Kieran Nicholson, the ACLU of Colorado is accusing the Boulder Valley School District of “committing felonies.” They say that they are committing these felonies by searching students cell phones and transcribing them. They school district say they’ve searched phones when they have suspected cheating on tests or drug use. After reading some of these text messages sent and received by students many other kids are being pulled down because of what has been said. Before the cell phone confiscation occurred the district says that they contacted the districts legal system and they were informed that it was fully legal for them to take this action. The ACLU says that confiscating and going through the students’ phones is an invasion of privacy and is violating the kids’ rights.

After reading this article I think of friends who have had their phones taken and read after being in trouble, and how they felt about it. They said it felt like someone was going through your drawers and making everything in your life public. I think that this relates to our school and schools across the U.S. because kids need to know that they have their own rights and that those rights will be respected within their lives. Adults look down upon kids/teenagers because we aren’t as filled with knowledge as they are, and some adults think they can use that power to a great extent. A show of that power would be confiscation of phones or any other personal device. I don’t think this is fair of them to do because our personal lives are own our phones, laptops and other personal items. The only reason that it might be acceptable for a phone to be taken and read might be when an administrator has witnessed drugs or illegal acts being done/committed. This situation applies because they have worthy reason to back up what they have seen done. Plus I don’t think administrators or teachers would like us to go through their stuff and read it all. Overall I think these “cell phone readings” are not fair to teenagers right and it is violating our own privacy.