Being able to use electronics in classrooms is a privilege, but many students often abuse this privilege.Teachers make their own classroom rules for electronics; some teachers are strict and follow through with their rules and others are more lenient. Electronics can not only cause a distraction in the classroom, but also students may abuse the electronics and use them in a inappropriate or harmful way, whether it hurts themselves or someone else.

The Code of Conduct states that electronic device misuse includes “the inappropriate, unauthorized use, capturing, transmitting or duplicating an unauthorized picture of school staff, students, or school documents.” This is a Level One offense. This can be taking a picture of a student or teacher without consent, or posting it without consent, taking a picture of test answers, or sending around a inappropriate picture of someone, etc. The Code of Conduct also states that it should be noted that taking pictures in the restrooms or locker rooms is not permitted and will be a Level Two or Three offense.

If you have something inappropriate on your phone that got sent to you or you saved, you can still get in trouble even if you didn’t come up with the content. Inappropriate things sexting or  a threat that someone might have posted on social media. If a student saved it, the student can still get in trouble for having it on their phone even if they didn’t create the content. Even simply having a picture of a staff member or student who didn’t give consent for the photo, that someone could have sent you,is something you can still get in trouble for if your phone gets searched.

A student can get searched by a teacher or administrators if a reasonable suspicion exists. A reasonable suspicion occurs when there is a specific and describable conduct leading to a reasonable person to conclude a student has engaged in prohibited conduct. It is more than a rumor or speculation. The Code of Conduct states that confiscated devices may be searched for improper messages and/or images, and students will be held accountable to the contents on the phone regardless of where the inappropriate content originated.

Students need to always be aware of what their actions might do to staff or students or what their actions will do to themselves. There is no excuse for abusing electronics even if you say you didn’t know about these rules. It is in the Code of Conduct’ which the teachers spend the first day of school going over, and if you miss something, it is the student’s responsibility to know the rules.