Florida science teacher suspended for signal-jamming students’ cell phones [View all]

[NJCher]

Last edited Thu Jun 4, 2015, 09:54 AM - Edit history (1)

A Florida high school teacher was suspended without pay for five days Tuesday for deploying a signal jammer in his science class to block students from using their mobile phones.



Superintendent Kurt Browning said in a Pasco County School Board reprimand letter (PDF) to instructor Dean Liptak that he exercised "poor judgement" and "posed a serious risk to critical safety communications as well as the possibility of preventing others from making 9-1-1 calls."

Liptak was accused of jamming mobile devices from his Fivay High School classroom between March 31 and April 2. Verizon discovered the blockage on the cell tower located on campus.

The teacher said he did the deed for education's sake. According to his letter (PDF) to the district, he said he "could hit the off button if there was any type of emergency and the phone signals would instantly activate." He also said a local police officer told him before he deployed the device that "there are no state laws against using them as long as you don’t use them for malicious intent."

Unfortunately, this science teacher didn't think things through very well. If it were only the students affected, I would high-five him at Fivey High in Florida.

I am, however, in total sympathy with him trying to do his job. He has to be sincere about his message to have gone this far. The fact that he was suspended sends the wrong message to the students, but I do understand why they had to act. At one time I checked it out, and I found it is against the law.

Bottom line is that we as a society, and particularly in education, have not dealt with this issues of cell phones in the classroom. It needs to be done.



Cher