New York's School Safety Officer defends city's total ban on cellular phones

Sent from aboard my plane about to leave for London/Dublin:  The safety control officer for New York City's Department of Education has defended the department's total ban on cellular phones in the city's schools because of specific incidents, including use of camera phones, according to an article in The New York Sun.

The article says, "The ban is one of the most restrictive of its kind in place in a major American city.   A lawsuit brought by several parents challenges the policy.

"The ban is necessary because the use of cell phones 'jeopardizes school safety and undermines the teaching and learning process,' the safety officer, Rose Albanese-DePinto, claimed in a recent affidavit.

"As evidence, Ms. Albenese-DePinto refers to more than 20 cell phone-related incidents that were the subject of education department disciplinary reports.

"In several of the incidents, which occurred during the 2005-06 school year, cell phones were at the center of violent struggles between teachers and students....

"In several of the instances, it appears that the cameras that many cell phone models now feature were the cause of incidents.  At a school in southwest Brooklyn in March, a male student used his camera phone to photograph an English exam.

"In January, a male student in Manhattan showed a picture of his genitalia to a female school aide, according to an incident report. 

"In a neighboring school district, a gym teacher reported hearing rumors that two male students were taking inappropriate photos of themselves while at school."

I can't comment because I haven't seen the department's report but solely based on the above paragraph I don't think a gym teacher "hearing rumors" is  legitimate evidence of abuse.

Parents protest ban

Parents who are against the ban say their children need cellular phones to contact them during emergencies, according to the article.  The attorney hired by the parents says the education department's report doesn't provide sufficient evidence for the ban.

The attorney says in many of the reports the cellular phone was incidental to any violence or inappropriate behavior.

[Sent via TypePad wireless e-mail with RIM BlackBerry 8700g]