10 Days Suspention for Possession????
By jesi06
@jesi06 (279)
United States
December 17, 2006 11:19am CST
My daughter is in high school and was recently suspended for 10 days for having possession of a cell phone. Now, for the record she wasn't talking on it nor was she using it in any way. She simply had it in her possession. To be exact, she had it in her coat pocket and upon her standing up to change classes, it fell from her pocket. She was then told to give it to the principal until the end of the year. She of course gave them a hard time as the thing cost over $200.Now, I know she was a bit wrong for the hard time, but the standard suspention for possession of a cell phone is 10 days. Am I wrong or does that seem a BIT ridiculous??
15 people like this
93 responses
@canadabis1 (1952)
• Canada
17 Dec 06
Thats total CRAP!!!!!!!!...I'd b in there tearing a strip off of that principal!!!!!...what if something was to happen to your daughter?...how would she get in touch with you?!?!?!...my kids old school new me...all the teachers and principals...I was known as....."ohoh..Matts dad is here"...I didnt put up with no crap!...even to the point were someone stole a new Toronto maple leafs winter hat....and I made the school buy him a new one!...Dont let them get away with this!!!...Give the phone back or make them pay!
2 people like this
@BittyBiddy (2903)
• Ireland
17 Dec 06
I can understand why they're not allowed cell phones during school hours. A lot of these phones have cameras on them now and I know of one situation where photographs were taken of a young school girl, edited, and sent around to all her friends. The edited photos were embarrassing for the girl.
If the school rules say not to have a phone, then she shouldn't have had a phone. I do think that the 10 day suspension is very extreme though. This means she loses out on 10 days education which will be difficult to catch up on.
The local schools here don't allow phones but they don't seem to mind the children having them so long as they don't use them during school hours. My own daughter carries her phone in the bottom of her bag in case she needs to contact me.
2 people like this
@canadabis1 (1952)
• Canada
18 Dec 06
I wouldnt put it with it...go get her phone...and shove it right up the prin.....ugh...nm...go get it for her...shes gonna need it even away from school....I've had an emergency call before...but it was right away.
@mkirby624 (1598)
• United States
19 Dec 06
The reason noone outside of the school is notified about a crisis in the school is so parents will not rush up there and bang on doors trying to get their kids out. There are steps teachers take to protect the children when there is a threat in the school and if a parent rushes in trying to run around, it will just start a panic.
Do you have a school handbook? What is the policy stated in the handbook on cell phones? If it says you will get those days of suspension, then you can't fight it. It is your responsibility to make your child abide by those rules as a parent, no matter how unfair it seems.
@scarymary (124)
• United States
17 Dec 06
That is complete BS. I was in high school almot 5 years ago and we allll had cell phones, including the teacher. Now we were told we were not allowed to have them on ring while in class and you couldn't use them inside the school, but we could have them on us! Can they actually hold something that is most likely in your name if you request it back, like legally? Plus 10 days is way over being excessive. That is a lot of schooling she is missing out on, even if it's in-school because all the kids get in there is busy work and the rest of the time they are just starring off into space.
2 people like this
@lucalucky (1839)
• Italy
17 Dec 06
Yes it sounds ridicolous. The problem of mobile phone at school is becoming every day more difficult. I can understant that teachers need thst boys don't use mobile in the classroom but 10 days just for possession is really ridicolous.
@nidhi_max (56)
• India
18 Dec 06
am sorry but i would not agree fully with all you ppl...there are certain norms and rules of a school and kids should be encouraged to abide by those rules. we all have heard of misuse of cell phones and camera phones ample of times to agree to this.
I understand that there were threats to the school and that u were scared, but so were thousand of other parents whose kids were in the same school. what if all the parents would have given their children cell phone?? what would happen to the condition of the school??
once you send your kid to school, its the schools responsibility to take care of their saftey and also in the case of kids not following the rules of the school, the school has every right to take action against such kid, to set example for the other kids!!!
@vivek1987 (43)
• India
17 Dec 06
as it is a rule that no cell phones have to be used in the school campus...........
1 person likes this
@jesi06 (279)
• United States
17 Dec 06
So what happens then in an emergency? One should find the nearest pay phone (Which by the way you see as often as a record player anymore) then make sure that you have the correct change to use it....just so you can save your life or that of someone elses. NO, I don't agree with people constantly talking or texting on them, but if you are not disrupting a class or your work environment with it...why is it anyone's business?
1 person likes this
@emilylynn2003 (876)
• United States
18 Dec 06
well your daughter and me are alot in commen it sucks for her that this happend because of all the other children who talk and text during school hours .. the good children who just want it for emergancys always get cought.. thats life.. but i would fight for her not tobe suspended for that long.. is this the first time she has been in trouble? i would raise hell if i was you ..
@Brittany011 (119)
• United States
17 Dec 06
they should let kids have phones at school because what if an EMERGENCY comes up when they really need it and the teacher wont let them go to the office to phone .
1 person likes this
@guitarkidwr (224)
• United States
18 Dec 06
thats unbelievable, it's only a cell phone
1 person likes this
@emilylynn2003 (876)
• United States
18 Dec 06
i know a child who had a knife and they only got 5 days
@kgwat70 (13388)
• United States
17 Dec 06
That is terrible that she got suspended for 10 days for carrying a cell phone on her. Even worse is that she wasn't using it or interrupting a class or anything. The principal has no right to hold it til the end of the year. It should have been given back to her at the end of the day. The suspension is ridiculous. She should have been told to not to bring it but not suspended. Did she get the phone back?
@jesi06 (279)
• United States
19 Dec 06
No she hasn't. In fact I have gone in myself and tried and was told I must wait til the end of the year at which time I will have to provide the receipt along with the VIN#. How many people actually keep the box for their phones...I know I haven't, but this will not stop me. I will continue to go up that chain of commands until I get that phone.
@mirage108 (3402)
• United States
17 Dec 06
Yes the Duration of the suspension is a little excessive. and them keeping the cell phone till the end of the year I would have said fine reported it stolen and got another one. or the school can pay the bill.
On the other site if the school has rules stating that students are not allowed to bring that sort of thing to the school then your daughter should not have brought it into the school.
Or if she needs to carry it for special reasons then talked to the school before bringing it in and stating the reason for it. They might have said OK just leave it in the Office durring the day and pick it before leaving.
Just my little imput
1 person likes this
@shooie (4984)
• United States
17 Dec 06
It is a bit long buttttt is it in the rules not to take one or have one in school? I'm glad schools are sticking to rules and inforcing at least somewhere. Now days kids seem to think rules were made to be broken. I would of started as a 3 day suspending and stern warning then a surprise locker and have a kid come in and empty their pockets. Rules are rules. (I'm sure your daughter is a great kid) But there are kids you give an inch take a mile. Maybe if your daughter would have turned it over without giving them a bad time wouldn't have been so bad? Will you be able to go down and get it or is it stuck their until the end of the year? Can you pick her school work up so she doesn't miss 10 days worth? Will they count the holidays as part of the suspending?
1 person likes this
@mygreyparrot (1461)
• United States
17 Dec 06
Wow that is pretty harsh. I knew kids who were fighting suspended for only 3. However, if that is a school rule she should have known better. She can't break the school rules, even if they are a little ridiculous.
1 person likes this
@jesi06 (279)
• United States
17 Dec 06
I understand it is a RULE and she should not be breaking rules however the school district here has had 3-4 bomb threats within a month. No parent was notified of this until it "became news" upon the children returning into the schools.(don't even get me STARTED on THIS SCREW UP of theirs)anyway, when this began happening I told her to take it "just in case" so the reality is I BROKE THE RULE, she just got her eduation taken from her for it...which I feel is QUITE wrong.
1 person likes this
@baysmummy (1637)
• Australia
17 Dec 06
wow, that is so wrong, At the schools around my area they just take it until the end of the day, and of course if they get caught having their cell phone at school alot so on a regular basis then they take further steps by contacting the parents and so forth!
1 person likes this
@dip_cool (411)
• India
17 Dec 06
well i guess in a lot of schools possesing cell phones during school hours is not allowed.first you have to find out what is the rule is your daughters school.if they have stated in the rules that cells are not allowed then i guess you have nothing to do.but if there is no such rule you can always go to the school and talk to the principal and the teachers about thisd and request them to give the mobile back.you can also make a false promise that you will not let your daughter take her cell phone to the school and tell your daughter to be careful in the future.
@susangpyp (40)
• United States
18 Dec 06
Why does a high school kid have a cell phone worth over $200?
The rules are probably harsh to discourage it because kids are always always trying to get around the rules.
I'm not so sure I believe the falling out of the coat story.
I have a 13 year old who is a good kid (Honors student) but the cell phone thing is a line she tries to cross all the time (kids are just addicted to the things).
Running high schools are tough enough. Cell phones make it a lot tougher. Respect the rules and no problem.
@shamilton712 (99)
• United States
18 Dec 06
the rule just went into affect recently. It was not a rule before. So what do you do with all the phone you bought your child prior to the cell phone ban.
Sometimes rules don't make sense and should be changed. You can't and by and allow people to get away with stupid rules/laws.
@citygirl (1080)
• Canada
17 Dec 06
That is a bit much they are not the law. I would take it to the school board. I would also go to the school and demand the phone be returned to you . I belongs to your daughter or you and they have no right to take it they can take it and call you and request you pick it up and not allow her to bring it to school . but taking it amount to theaf it is not a contraband substance they have no right. I would go to your school board or supintendant of school or who ever in which ever country you live in. They can require she not use it during school hours. but it is not against the law to carry a phone yet I hope. Stand up for your daughter. You won't be sorry if you do, but you will be sorry down the road if you don't stand up for her. Good luck
@spiritfinger (137)
• United States
18 Dec 06
If she knew that she wasn't supposed to have her cell phone in school that it shouldn't have been there. She knew the rules and yet she broke them, now she is paying for what she's done. It's that simple.
@mkirby624 (1598)
• United States
19 Dec 06
10 days is a little much, but at our school the rule for taking it away is the same. The first time we find it, we take it away until the end of the month. Second time, we keep it until the end of the year. Both times, though, the parent has to come pick it up.
@jackpot (138)
• India
18 Dec 06
Well, the rules were there before the bomb treats. And the phone did fall from her pocket. Kids have to be smarter than to let authorities see anything that is prohibited from being carried by the student. Since most schools now have this rule, the students who do carry their mobiles ALWAYS keep their mobiles in a secure, protective place and ALWAYS keep it in Silent mode!! Those are unwritten rules that CANNOT be broken!!
@Irecapat (40)
• United States
18 Dec 06
Dude, I would totally let the principal have it. 10 days I can see or hand it over to the parents. You should def. give the principal a peace of your mind. I would even go as far of saying that the school is stealing your personal property because it is you, not your daughter, that is paying the bill. She should have had in a more secure place and I would probably wouldn't let her have it back for a couple of days, but go back to the school and demand your property. (I call everyone dude. Did not mean to offend if I did)
