Legally is my Principal aloud to do this?

Question

At my school we are not aloud to use cell phones but there have been a couple of incidents where my principle confiscates phones because people use them but she opens the phone and searches through everything like text messages , internet history, and call log.....

Legally is she aloud to do this?

Isn't this an invasion of privacy?

Also i have a screen lock on my phone and she asked me to unlock ..but what if i said no would i get in trouble?

Oh also im in 7th grade living in austin,texas if that helps at all.

Answer 1

Well if phones aren't allowed in school then I would say she has every right to take it... I don't think she should go thru your phone, unless there reason to believe you were cheating on tests.  If you were simply in trouble for having it or using it while in school and had nothing to do with cheating then no I wouldn't unlock it for her. There is nothing she can do unless like I said there reason to believe you were cheating on a test.  

Answer 2

She is ALLOWED to do that.  

Answer 3

Have your parents press charges immediately. Get the media involved, and get this freak out of the education system.

Answer 4

no, she is not ALOUD to do that.

Answer 5

No, the principle should not go through personal information unless it is a security issue.  When she confiscates a phone, I think she should call the parents and have them come and pick it up and make sure they understand the no phone policy.  xox  

Answer 6

It should be illegal because it's your personal life

Unless she has a really really good reason to why shes doing that

Answer 7

As a minor, you have limited rights.  This is partly the payback for having your juvenile record sealed when you turn 18, and other legal protection you receive that I don't anymore.  Also, as a 13 or 14 year old, I bet the phone doesn't belong to you, it belongs to your parents since you can't legally sign up for a contract.

When on school grounds, your rights are further limited, and I bet that most of the people supporting you are also under 18.  You are expected to be attentive in school, not texting, and not distracting other students, like whomever you are texting.  Then there's the whole issue of the principal trying to ensure you are not using your phone to cheat.  

Did your principal have the legal right to search your phone?  I'm not sure, but you're not on firm legal ground.

Answer 8

NO

YES

YES maybe but just say to her you aret legally allowed to look through my phone!

CONFISCATING IT IS ENUFF RYT?

she sounds BITCHY!

No offence lol

Jangles!.X

Answer 9

This is an invasion of privacy.  Go to your parents immediately.  They need to have a conference with this principal.

Answer 10

You should be in detention for not knowing the difference between aloud and allowed.   Yes they can do that.  Leave the phone at home and focus on your education.  You will get further in life.  

Answer 11

No, she is not allowed to do that, it is an invasion of privacy and totally unacceptable. She doesn't expect anyone to argue with her, and is taking advantage of that. She can confiscate your phone, but if she asks you to unlock it, just tell her (politely) that no, you will not unlock it, because there is no reason for her to unlock it. It is unacceptable for her to read your messages etc. so just tell her that.

Answer 12

if you have banned items on school property she is allowed to search them.  

Answer 13

If you wouldn't have been s******g around on your phone, you wouldn't have this problem.

But, anyway... Your texts and call history is no ones business but your own.

Answer 14

it is illegal if  goes against the 4th amendment and yes what she is doing is considered invasion of privacy!!

also if i was you and she asked me to unlock my phone i would tell her "NO". you can take it but i am not unlocking it since that is not school policy to be searching thru my phone.

Answer 15

You're lucky that that's all your principal is doing. My mother's old head teacher (as we call them in England) was sleeping with one of the mothers who was married, and then slept with her fourteen-year-old daughter. That sounds like something off Jerry Springer but it is entirely true.

What your principal is doing is definitely an invasion of privacy. She's certainly allowed to confiscate your mobile phones (cell phones) but when she starts snooping through everyone's inbox, call list and internet history... that just seems out of order. Even for a principal.

Answer 16

No she shouldn't be reading them. It is an invasion of privacy. It is against the law. All though she is allowed to confiscate them she has no right to go through them. If she asks for the unlock code tell her NO!

Answer 17

Well keep it in your locker schools a place to learn not a place to be cool pulling out your new "iphone" or whatever it may be is not going to get you a diploma If your gunna play the game you gotta play by the rules ..

Also take into consideration that People ruined having cell phones in school from the Getgo due to people pranking the staff or things like bomb threats Immaturity..

My Advice is Simply leave it in your locker on Vibrate when school is over take it out and play with it all you please if its too much  of a distraction leave it at home..

Best!

Ryan

Answer 18

I would say that legally she can confiscate your cell phone but she has no right to go beyond that. It doesn't matter where you live, the law would apply anywhere in the U.S. She is in a position of authority and she has to abide by the laws that prohibit unwarranted search and seizure. If the school district allows her to seize your phone because you are not suppose to use it in school, I'd be willing to bet that the policy does not say anything about her "searching" your phone.

Answer 19

Yes.  You brought them on school property and violate policy, there is no expectation of privacy when you do that.

Answer 20

This is probably legal. In the 1985 NEW JERSEY v. T. L. O., 469 U.S. 325 (1985) case the U.S. supreme court ruled that schools could search students (in this case your phone) if they had a "reasonable suspicion" that the law or school rules were being violated.  

Answer 21

I'm not sure there are laws in place (yet) that regulate someone looking through your cell phone info in a school/authority setting.  It seems to me to be an invasion of privacy but I'm sure she felt justified for some reason.  If it was a safety or security issue, I'm all for the invasion, but for general information or nosiness, I think it's inappropriate.

If she asks you to unlock your phone and you don't...of course you will get into trouble.

I suggest you simply obey whatever rules your school has about cell phones and avoid the hassles.

Answer 22

Make life easy for yourself, leave the phone at home.

Answer 23

Not sure on this but i think she would be allowed since it's on school property.  It would be like looking in your backpack for drugs weapons and such.    I know i would be laughing at my child if she got caught with her cell phone and the teacher embarrassed her by looking in her cell phone. That's what you get for bringing your cellphone to school  

Answer 24

yes, when you arrive at school to begin the day, you should only have paper, pen and books. You are there to learn and anything that disrupts the learning process is illegal. When your at school, you must follow guide lines and if you break the rules, you can be subject to school procedure.