14 year-old 'Tosa girl arrested for texting in class

[HereSince1628]

Welcome to the neighborhood where I live...

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

A 14-year-old high-school student has the dubious distinction of being perhaps the first American ever arrested for texting in class.

The Wisconsin girl was charged with disorderly conduct last week after refusing to stop texting during her math class and then denying she had a phone, according to a police report.

"The School Resource officer at Wauwatosa East High School was asked to go to room 242 and remove a student who refuses to stop texting on her phone during class," the Wauwatosa Police Department officer wrote in his report. "The student (w/f 6-23-94) is known to me and the administration based on prior negative contacts."

...

"The arrest was more for her behavior than for the texting," Leone said. "All she had to do was put the phone away and that would have been that."

Clearly, the student loved her Samsung Cricket. She didn't give it up easily: After repeatedly denying she had it to both her teacher, the school officer and the police officer, the phone was finally revealed after a body search by a female officer called to the scene, according to the report.

http://rawstory.com/news/2008/14yearold_student_arrested_for_texting_in_0217.html

[sybylla]

1. arrest?

Putting cops in schools invites overreaction. Suspension and eventual expulsion usually gets parental attention just fine. It would be different if what she did somehow threatened anyone or if she got physically combative.

And you don't need to do a body search to suspend a student.

[HereSince1628]

2. Yep. I agree with all that. But it's 'Tosa and they do what they can

if you know what I mean.

[Serial Mom]

8. Maybe I'm dense,

but I don't know what you mean? I used to live in Tosa and I am not sure if you refer to the citizens, the school or the police? Could you explain what you mean by "they do what they can?"

[PeaceNikki]

9. Yeah, I don't get it either.

:\


She wasn't "harassed" and given shit for texting as this OP and the news reports say. She was arrested for being a disruptive asshole.

[Archae]

3. I have a nephew who is in one her classes.

He describes the girl as a spoiled brat, to say the least.

When she gets caught, she throws hissy fits, lies, lies on top of lies, and has attacked one teacher already, maybe more, while her parents think she's just a little angel.

[HereSince1628]

5. Then that explains it

I suspect that "She got what she deserved" mentality is the prevailing attitude over at East High School and much of 'Tosa.

I understand the Wauwatosa school district's fear of its students. It was the killing of the 'Tosa West Principle by a student that initiated the contemporary series of High School shootings. And that is what has led to community calls for police in the schools all over the country. We fear another Columbine, another VA Tech.

I get that it's about fear.

But shouldn't we also fear creating sociopaths through the the misapplication of power that can turn a troubled kid's disrespect into a burning hatred of their schools, teachers and classmates?

Shouldn't we wonder,if for even an instant, whether this escalation of a petty classroom problem became hyperbolic because the police were present?

[PeaceNikki]

10. Her father spoke to a reporter and said she agrees with the school and police

and that the girl acted completely out of line.

So, at least in this case, it seems they don't think she's a little angel.

[Archae]

11. Maybe getting busted finally shoved the Dad over the edge.

It bothers me that such a spoiled brat could get away with so much for so long before.

[HelenWheels]

4. Two words - kosher phones

http://www.ishitech.co.il/0506ar7.htm

"The kosher phone is stripped down to its original function: making and receiving calls. There's no text messaging, no Internet access, no video options, no camera. More than 10,000 numbers for phone sex, dating services and other offerings are blocked. A team of rabbinical overseers makes sure the list of blocked items is up to date."

Wait until they start posting (actually they already have) pictures taken in locker rooms and bathrooms - the poster could be charged with child pornography but it's still too late for the poor kids whose picture is on the web

[TheMightyFavog]

12. It's happening in Waukesha...

http://content.usatoday.net/dist/custom/gci/InsidePage.aspx?cId=greenbaypressgazette&sParam=30194811.story

WAUKESHA, Wis. (AP) — Police and school officials in Waukesha (WAH'-keh-shaw) are warning parents to check their children's cell phones after a nude photo of a 14-year-old girl was widely distributed.

The girl and her boyfriend are students at Waukesha West High School. They exchanged sexually explicit photos by cell phone, known as 'sexting'. Police say when the two broke up, the boyfriend forwarded the girl's picture to other teens.

Capt. Mark Stigler says the photo spread until 100 or more students saw it. Stigler says police are pursuing possible felony child pornography charges against the teens who distributed the photo.

He says police are seeing too many similar complaints and need to send a message to teens about the seriousness of distributing lewd materials.

[Jimbo S]

6. "The student is known to me and the administration based on prior negative contacts."

Am I suppose to feel sorry for this person?

Sounds like she's the one who esculated it into a police situation.

[fudge stripe cookays]

7. Yep.

If she's had problems before, and is the way she is described (spoiled brat), then it sounds as if she has disrupted class before.

The stripped down phone sounds like a great idea for this young lady.

[RetroLounge]

13. Glad she was arrested

Now suspend the little brat too.

Why are cell phones even allowed in school?

RL

[sybylla]

14. Granted, I don't have access to what's being said in Milwaukee media, but...

Arresting 14-year-olds for being belligerent is like arresting a drug addict for buying drugs. It doesn't even begin to get at the source of the problem. Not to mention the fact that if we arrested every 14-year-old for for being obnoxious, we'd have to build juvenile detention centers on every other block.

We may have to agree to disagree on this, but I know schools have better tools than "arrest" in their pockets to deal with the root of the problem rather than the symptoms. If you're confident that the Milwaukee juvenile court system will be able to get this girl the help she needs, I'm happy to take your word for it.

I simply don't think we should be treating troubled 14-year-olds as if they are disposable - no matter how much they want us to think they're not worth the bother.

[RetroLounge]

15. She wasn't arrested for being obnoxious

She was arrested for disorderly conduct.

She got what she deserved. Maybe she'll wake up now.

If not, then she needs to be expelled and let her lame-ass parents put her in a private school.

RL

[sybylla]

16. Ah, well then, off with her head. n/t

[RetroLounge]

17. I think you're over reacting.

If she has a pattern of being disruptive and disorderly.

and she refuses to stop texting.

and she refuses to give up the phone.

then what?

The teacher and the admin cannot touch her for fear of being sued.

They cannot take the phone away, thery cannot search her, they cannot physically remove her from the class.

So they call the police. As they should.

You obviously have never seen a 14 yr old behave like this. Lets give her a cookie and pat her on the head for being so independant. :eyes:

RL

[tanglefoot]

18. There's alot of overreacting on this thread

Since you're going there, I haven't seen anyone say the girl should be treated with kid gloves.

It's not like 'Tosa schools are the only district in the state with a problem child. They're just the only one to make news this month for arresting one.

Seems to me the matter of concern is whether or not arresting her was the last resort, as it should be.

Some seem to disagree that it was. Discuss it or don't. But snarking isn't necessary, RL, even if your kids go to the school.

[RetroLounge]

19. My kids don't go to the school.

and I agree with you, arrest should be LAST resort. It seems it was.

If it wasn't, then they should have tried something else.

But I've read the police report, and I've read local boards which have more info.

RL

[tanglefoot]

20. nevermind