student suspended over cell phone call from mom in Iraq

I can see the kids point of view on this. If it was my mom, I sure as shit woulnd't hang up either being mothers day is Sunday and she IS in a war zone and ya just never know ....

I know the school has to take "a line in the sand" over cell phone use and stick with it, but I think the school went WAY overboard. I'm sure other kids in the school would understand the difference in taking a call from your mom in Iraq and just shooting the shit with friends.

COLUMBUS, Georgia (AP) -- A high school student was suspended for 10 days for refusing to end a cell phone call with his mother, a soldier serving in Iraq, school officials said.
The 10-day suspension was issued because Kevin Francois was "defiant and disorderly" and was imposed in lieu of an arrest, Spencer High School assistant principal Alfred Parham said.

The confrontation Wednesday began after the 17-year-old junior got a call at lunchtime from his mother, Sgt. 1st Class Monique Bates, who left in January for a one-year tour with the 203rd Forward Support Battalion.

Cell phones are allowed on campus but may not be used during school hours. When a teacher told him to hang up, he refused. He said he told the teacher, "This is my mom in Iraq. I'm not about to hang up on my mom."

Parham said the teen's suspension was based on his reaction to the teacher's request. He said the teen used profanity when taken to the office.

"Kevin got defiant and disorderly," Parham said. "When a kid becomes out of control like that they can either be arrested or suspended for 10 days. Now being that his mother is in Iraq, we're not trying to cause her any undue hardship; he was suspended for 10 days."

 

Self righteous dickheads. http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/mld/ledgerenquirer/news/local/11575912.htm

The incident happened when Francois received a call from his mother at 12:30 p.m., which he said was his lunch break. Francois said he went outside the school building to get a better reception when his mother called. A teacher who saw Francois on his phone told him to get off the phone. But he didn't.

According to the Muscogee County School District Board of Education's policy, students are allowed to have cell phones in school, but cannot use them during school hours.

"They are really allowed to have those cell phones so that after band or after chorus or after the debate and practices are over they have to coordinate with the parents," said Alfred Parham, assistant principal at Spencer. "They're not supposed to use them for conversating back and forth during school because if they were allowed to do that, they could be text messaging each other for test questions."

Francois said he told the teacher, "This is my mom in Iraq. I'm not about to hang up on my mom."

Francois said the teacher tried to take the phone, causing it to hang up.

The student said he then went with the teacher to the school's office where he surrendered his phone. His mother called again at 12:37 p.m. and left a message scolding her son about hanging up and telling him to answer the phone when she calls.


Poor kid. What a bunch of losers.

 

Why is everything so black and white nowadays? This zero-tolerance attitude in schools is just plain stupid and counter-productive to developing empathetic adults in our society.

 

And even got the call during lunch. Not like he was sitting in class and being disruptive! Gotta love this country...

 

*

 

Welcome to the ever increasing authority-mad control state of America. Expect this and much worse from our "oh so good and caring" leaders (and all those who follow their example at every level of perceived authority).

 

I think you said it perfectly. I hope the school catches all the hell they deserve for this.

 

I'd really need to get more details to make a judgement of this story. The kid was right to continue his conversation; that I do not doubt, but there are few things that bother me more than rude kids. If in fact he did get hostile then he's not so innocent. Still, you do not suspend a student for being defiant in a situation like that.

 

Now I wonder how the school would feel if she was killed in the coming days...

 

if his mother died the school would be entirely "oh we're so sorry for your loss can we help" but won't let him talk to her


it's just like the assholes who die, the entire school acts like they were good kids even if they beat the shit out of everyone they could and died drunk doing something stupid and reckless, we have a result based society, not one based on burrent situation


That is fucking stupid

 

That's a lot of reading to read the articles...and I'm sleepy...so I' skimmed em. And here's my thoughts. Not letting students use cellphones during school hours is kind of unreasonable. I mean, I think we shouldn't be allowed to use them during class, but on breaks and lunch, I think it should be OK. And this kid's mom being in Iraq, I think there should have been a special exception made for him. I mean, I use my cell to call my mom and stuff, and take calls from people (some during class, although I usually reject them and let my voicemail get them). The ones in class don't happen very much, but when they do they are usally something important. If a teacher told me to hang up, I would just call the person back later...but the kid in this situation didn't really have the option. I think the school should realize that and respect that.

 

This is really stupid. The teacher said he didn't like the kids attitude, being "defiant and disorderly." Well shit, man, if my mom was a fucking soldier in Iraq and she called me, then you brashly walk up and hang up my phone, your goddam right I'm going to be pissed. I'm all for a law based society because it does keep order, but no one should be robots or slaves to the law. There are circumstances when one should break the rules. Where is the sympathy in humans anymore?

I wonder if it makes any difference that the boy was black?

 

** here is an update to this ** It was still wrong of them and they are covering their asses because of all the bad publiciity surrounding this.



Following hundreds of angry phone calls and e-mails, school officials in Columbus, Ga., have reduced a 10-day suspension imposed on a student who wouldn't give up his cell phone while talking to his mom -- a sergeant on duty in Iraq. Kevin Francois, a 17-year-old junior at Spencer High School, was suspended for cursing and being defiant after a teacher told him to give up his cell phone outside the school during his lunch break and he refused, said Francois. School officials have reduced the suspension to three days.

 

Good...at least they got some negative plublictiy from this stunt.

 

It just goes to show you that were waking up more and more to a Police State. If I got a call from my mother and she was in Iraq, and a teacher comes hangs up my phone you bet your ass and would be cussing them out on the other hand I might even of decked the teacher. If their going to suspend me its going to be for a good reason.

 

Ok, so they are allowed to have cell phones in school, but not use them; but being in school includes the surrounding outside perimeter?

Now that's some grade A bullshit...

 

^I actually think "in school" means "anywhere on school property". At least, that's how it is at my school. It's still bullshit, though.

 

Should the kid have had some special dispensation because his mum was in iraq. the key element it seems in his supposed mis-treatment. If a teacher caught him using his phone how the hell would they know who he was chatting with. The fact that he kicked off and was offensive should be what realy matters. I doubt they made a overtly specialy long punishment for this one person..reducing it to 3 days seems like a fair copromise.

I think the over use of phones in schools and the trouble they cause through disrupting lessons is why they can be brought to school for emergencies but not used at will . There is a time and a place this lads attitude sounds like it stinks.