School AND Police Overreaction

[Rageaholic]

Call the cops! She has a cell phone!. Teacher catches her with her cell phone in class and sends her out of the classroom. Okay, fine. But the assistant principle comes and demands she hand the phone over. She refuses and runs to call her dad, and they send 3 fucking cops to wrestle her to the ground.

Even if they didn't call the cops, I'd still call this a dick move by the principle and teacher. Her mother had dialysis so she had a damn good reason to keep in touch with them via cell phone. I say good for her for refusing to hand over the cell phone. Family emergency trumps bullshit school rules any day. But sending the cops after her elevates them all to unbelievable heights of dickery.

The story is four months old (watching random youtube videos leads to some interesting finds), but there is just so much facepalm inducing behavior here.

[Teysa]

That does seem more than a bit overboard. Although, what she should have done was gone to the principal first thing that day, explained that her mom was having health issues, and asked for permission to keep her cell phone on her. She could have then gotten a note from the principal to show her teachers. Of course this is provided the principal would have been willing to make an exception in the first place. In any case, I do not blame her family for wanting her to switch schools.

[Gravekeeper]

I am sincerely struggling to understand why police are involved in this scenario at all and what was going through the collective chucklefuck heads of the AP and all three officers involved here. But then I still barely grasp the concept of US schools having police officers to begin with.

Also:

Students caught using phones in class are required to turn them over to school administrators and then retrieve them at the end of the school day, for a fee.

Seriously? The *school* has fines?

[Rageaholic]

The cops might have been some kind of school security, which is common in big high schools (especially after all the school shootings). Though I'm confused as to whether or not they are actual cops who are assigned to the school or some mall cops.

The fine, on the other hand, is insane. I've heard of schools confiscating cell phones, but there's usually not a fee attached. It makes me wonder what else they'd charge fees for.

[bex1218]

While I don't agree on the police being called, if the school rules say you can't use your cell phone, don't use it. The classrooms have phones. If there is an emergency, they can call you there. Granted it isn't as direct, but cell phone use wouldn't be an issue.

The same thing happens for many jobs. Can't have a cell phone on your person, even.

[Kuari]

My old high school had an RCMP liaison officer stationed there at all times, and this was back in the late 1980s. To me, having a police presence is not automatically a bad thing unless that police presence goes overboard in their reactions. Such as in this case where they wrestled a kid to the floor over having a cellphone in class.

[EricKei]

The classrooms have phones. If there is an emergency, they can call you there.

I don't think I've ever been in a classroom - of any grade, including colleges - that even had a phone *outlet*, let alone an actual phone. Different ways for different areas, I suppose.

[Gravekeeper]

My old high school had an RCMP liaison officer stationed there at all times, and this was back in the late 1980s. To me, having a police presence is not automatically a bad thing unless that police presence goes overboard in their reactions. Such as in this case where they wrestled a kid to the floor over having a cellphone in class.

We had an RCMP liaison officer as well. ( He was awesome, we called him Lurch cus he was like 6'6 ). But he wasn't stationed at the school and didn't show up in full gear when he was at the school. His job was community outreach, not policing students. Which is the key difference.

I mean in this scenario *3* officers showed up not because any law was being broken but because a student wasn't following a school rule. They then proceeded to assault her not because she was under arrest or was suspected of any crime. But because she wasn't following a school rule. That's insane and reeks of pencil dick "Respect my authority" on behalf of both the AP and the officers.

[s_stabeler]

yeah... I'd have a major problem with having my pd school charge me a fee for my mobile phone back- I didn't carry more than bus fare with me ( and usually as saver tickets, so not actually money- it was cheaper that way, even if it was only a matter of 10p IIRC.) in those days, and if you took that off me... well, I'd be calling my parents, and one or both would be picking me up, and the school would be getting an angry phone call. ( along the lines of how dare you take the money for (my name) to get home.) if they tried keeping the phone because I couldn't pay? well, that phone was primarily so either I could contact my parents in emergencies, or if I was late home, my parents could call me to ask why. Same situation- they would be angry. If the school merely took the phone for the day, they'd be fine, BTW.

as for the OP, yeah, that's overkill.

1. the police's actions- why was she f**king arrested? (and yes, she was arrested, though onyl aftre thye assaulted her) She broke no law, only a school rule.
2. the fee- um, why? And what happens if you don't pay- as looks likely in this scenario? if they do anything, that's be asking for a lawsuit for conversion ( which s when you illegally dispose of an item in your possession- either selling it, or destroying it.)
3. why was she f**king thrown to the floor? She refused to hand over the phone- from what she said, she was scared. I highly doubt wrestling her to the floor helped with that. Again, what was the justification for the use of force?

[Gravekeeper]

3. why was she f**king thrown to the floor? She refused to hand over the phone- from what she said, she was scared. I highly doubt wrestling her to the floor helped with that. Again, what was the justification for the use of force?

Disrespectin' ma authorita. Or as cops seem to call it in the US: "Resisting arrest".

[Rageaholic]

While I don't agree on the police being called, if the school rules say you can't use your cell phone, don't use it. The classrooms have phones. If there is an emergency, they can call you there. Granted it isn't as direct, but cell phone use wouldn't be an issue.

The same thing happens for many jobs. Can't have a cell phone on your person, even.

I'd agree about not using phones in classroom, but she was using it out in the hall (granted it was after she was caught in the classroom, but still).

[Herebecause]

I'd agree about not using phones in classroom, but she was using it out in the hall (granted it was after she was caught in the classroom, but still).

This is why cell phones are being banned in schools, even outside of the classroom:
http://www.nbcnews.com/id/16839323/n.../#.VKyqNNE5DIU

I know about this because I have a friend who was a teacher at the school where the fight happened. They were completely caught off-guard because they didn't anticipate that outside parties (including parents/guardians) showed up and got involved in the physical fight.

In an ideal world, she should have been able to make prior arrangements so she would have access to her phone during the day or tell the AP why she was breaking the rules and asked to be allowed to keep her phone, or come up with another modification to the rules. I have a feeling this AP is not the type of administrator that is approachable to the students, and is more rules focused - a high school version of Javert, if you will.

As far as the fee for getting your phone back - you have to come up with a way to make the punishment a true deterrent for breaking the rules. Having the phone confiscated and then returned at the end of the day would have no impact on the student; the loss of money would have a bigger impact. Don't want to pay the money, don't use your phone at school. Or don't think that you won't be noticed talking on your phone during class.

[HYHYBT]

I don't think I've ever been in a classroom - of any grade, including colleges - that even had a phone *outlet*, let alone an actual phone. Different ways for different areas, I suppose.

It's a lot more common now than it used to be. Still, when I was in school, in such a situation whoever was calling the student would call the school office, which would either call for them over the intercom or send someone with a message. There's no reason such an arrangement wouldn't work now; it's just that people are used to always being able to call the person they want to talk to, rather than the place that person is, and likewise to being called directly, so they don't think of other options.

[Rageaholic]

Herebecause: That's pretty awful that fights extend beyond school property, but at the same time, it seems like a reactionary, post 9/11 response.

[Greenday]

Herebecause: That's pretty awful that fights extend beyond school property, but at the same time, it seems like a reactionary, post 9/11 response.

Of course it's a post 9/11 response. Who really had cell phones before then?

Odds are had she just gone to her teachers prior to class and explained the situation, nothing would have happened. She probably just didn't even think of doing that. Doesn't warrant getting assaulted though.