Violence prompts Wis. school cell ban

[SoulManX]

MILWAUKEE - School brawls have gone high tech, with students using cell phones to call in reinforcements — in one case requiring police and pepper spray to break up a fight that swelled to about 20 family members on school grounds.

The fracas earlier this month, in which six students and three adults were arrested, was the latest in a surge of cell phone-related fights and prompted Wisconsin's largest school district to ban cell phones in its 217 schools beginning Monday.

"We consider (cell phones) almost as weapons because when they call, we're the ones out in front and we don't know these people are coming," said Mike Heese, safety security assistant at Bradley Tech High School, where the fight happened.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070127/...aukee_cell_ban

[Matt]

Cell phones should be banned from schools anyhow.

[The Evolutionist]

At my High School we could have phones on us, but we weren't allowed to use them except for before/after school, and the rarest, most serious emergency. I'm guessing this school didn't have that, or is extending it to no cell phones period.

[Badger]

My sister was subing for a 6th grade class and one of the students had cell phone that went off and the kid answered it. My sister walked over and took the phone and told the person to call back after school. Apparently it was the kids mom and she called the school, because she just wanted to see how her kids day was going. The freaking world is going insane.

[Ben Urich]

Originally Posted by BadgerPhil

My sister was subing for a 6th grade class and one of the students had cell phone that went off and the kid answered it. My sister walked over and took the phone and told the person to call back after school. Apparently it was the kids mom and she called the school, because she just wanted to see how her kids day was going. The freaking world is going insane.

What the ****? She couldn't wait another 3 hours to ask this kid in person?
Idiot.

[Kritish]

This is great, so when some crazy kid decides to shoot up school nobody can call for help.

[Matt]

Originally Posted by Kritish

This is great, so when some crazy kid decides to shoot up school nobody can call for help.

Because schools don't have emergency alarms, paniac buttons, and y'know...landlines in practically every class room

[Turtle-Man]

Originally Posted by Matt

Because schools don't have emergency alarms, paniac buttons, and y'know...landlines in practically every class room

Besides alarms and phones in every classroom, they have a P.A. system, and most schools will have a security lockdown system (a brief announcement which urges everyone to clear the halls, lock the doors, and close the curtains). Schools are pretty much safe to be, unless of course you sneak into the back alley and are alone. There's really no need to carry cell phones because you have access to phones in every room in the school.

[InsaneMembrane]

we aren't allowed cell phones in our classes at my school, if our parents need to get in touch with us they have to call the school, it's a good rule cell phones going off or vibrating in the middle of class is annoying.

[amazingfantasy15]

What suprises me is that these fights are lasting long enough that people can call reinforcements and the fight is still going on when they arrive.

[jimmy]

I remember when High-Schools had bans in Pagers.

Yeah, I'm old.

[Abaddon]

Originally Posted by Ben Urich

What the ****? She couldn't wait another 3 hours to ask this kid in person?
Idiot.

lol, maybe she was worried about him. It's a nice gesture.

[Addendum]

Hell, and I remember when after-school fights would essentially be ignored by the faculty.

Of course, these fights were off school grounds and were one-on-one fights were they'd settle differences, and then continue on with their lives afterward.

[Kyalesyin]

They've had a total ban on phones in schools in this city for two years. A recent survey showed that about 90% of people still bring their phone to school, and nobody ever does anything about it.

Like banning it is actually gonna stop people bringing them in. The people that wanna start **** will start it anyway.

[Kaboom]

Originally Posted by jimmy rhoads

I remember when High-Schools had bans in Pagers.

Yeah, I'm old.

im old enough to have had a pager in hs....oh yea, and i was almost fluent in beeper code....that was leet before there was leet.

[SpideyLad]

We aren't allowed mobiles/cells in my school, unless we need it cause of an 'emergency'...

[muertevilla]

my younger nephews have cell phones and its annoying. there should be an age limit. there would be in my heaven.

[heypapajinx]

Originally Posted by muertevilla

my younger nephews have cell phones and its annoying. there should be an age limit. there would be in my heaven.

yeah!
or they could just give them one of these so they could feel like they've got a "big boy" phone.

[Tyrinus]

Well that's just pathetic...having to call in reenforcements for a highschool fight. And the fact that family members were responding to the call is even sadder.