<p>Not return them until the last day of school, that is. For example, my friend was seen using his cell phone in class so they took it and told him he won't have it back til the very last day we finish exams. Similarly, my camera was taken today.</p>
<p>Now, I took the memory card out of it before they saw it and school finishes in a week or so so I'll have it back then and it doesn't matter much, but I'm just wondering, is this even legal? It borders on stealing. Sure it's in the school rules but come on... surely they can't take it for a whole year? Plus, the principal once went through a friend's videos (that were on his cell phone) and said "they'd just popped up, I wasn't looking through it" - Yeah, right.</p>
<p>If it is in the school’s rules, by attending the school you agree to them, and you were aware of the consequences when you broke the rules. It is legal. And usually in the beginning of the year everybody signs something that says they agree to the rules. I’m sure they wouldn’t take someones phone in the first and tell them they can’t have it back until the end of the year, but since you’ve probably only got a week or so left, they’re keeping it so they don’t have any more problems.</p>
They’ve done this consistently for the past 3 years. I know no less than 10 people who had their phones/cameras/iPods taken by them and not returned until the very last day of school. And I doubt we signed anything.
At any rate, I believe it’s still illegal to look through one’s stuff. There’s the whole issue of privacy, and no amount of school regulations can change that.</p>
<p>^Yes, but for a whole year? I don’t think so. I believe the usual policy is like: Take it, get it back after a day - week maximum. They’ve literally taken people’s cellulars for a year.</p>
<p>Schools have in loco parentis, so they can definitely look through your stuff. I, personally, would have two courses of action. I’d either a) refuse to surrender the electronic (although I rarely had mine out anyways, and my mom would back me up) or b) dispute the policy with the school board (not the office, because the office cowers when you threaten to go to the board).</p>
<p>Yeah, they can. Is it locked up? Cause they just put in a draw at my school so I asked a janitor to unlock a door of the office it was in and just snuck in and got mine and a friends. They either forgot about it or maybe figured they lost it? I think they forgot.</p>
<p>Or! If your mom/dad is a real bad ass and they want your phone/camera back tell them to go talk to somebody at the school. Administration is way nicer when you have an angry looking mom/dad.</p>
<p>Also my school lets you keep the battery to your phone, and they take the phone to make sure that no one can
look through your phone. I think a year is excessive, my school holds the phone until your parent picks it up.</p>
<p>My friend was in the principal’s office because he refused to hand his phone over to his teacher after it beeped in class, and when the principal was like “Give me your phone right now” my friend slammed his phone on the ground so hard it broke. He was like “I have phone insurance so w/e” and the principal was like “I am muy triste” and yep</p>
<p>Schools can look through your stuff? WHAT?!
That’s just… absurd. Unless you’re suspected of dealing drugs or something, there’s not much reason to go through your stuff. I mean, you might be breaking some rules by having a phone or electronic device with you, but it’s by no means grounds to rifle through your stuff (you’re not hurting anyone, are you?) and they can. not. look. through your private stuff on your phone. Suppose you have a very delicate issue you talked about with a friend/counselor/parent or w/e - not cool. </p>
<p>At any rate - I’m not looking to get the camera back. I could care less, they’ll return it when school’s over - which is in a week - and a week without a camera is hardly unmanageable. I just thought the school policy of locking stuff up for a year is excessive, that’s all. Doesn’t seem fair that they’d take your personal property for a year because you used it once at the wrong time. I don’t know what I’d do without my phone - my life half revolves around it - it’s my organizer, iPod, and helps me creating music/stories/creative ideas, etc. and most of my ideas are written on it. Take that away from me, and I have nothing, basically. I’m not sure many other people require their phone as much at my age, but still - a year is way too long. It’s excessive.</p>