Should School Administrators Be Allowed To Read Students' Text Messages?

Could the texts on your phone get you in trouble at school? Administrators at William Mason High School in Ohio have reportedly been confiscating students' cell phones and reading text messages to find out if they're attending private parties off school grounds during the weekend, the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio reports. And if students refuse to turn over their phones, administrators have threatened them with disciplinary action. So the ACLU of Ohio has scolded the school's principal, calling the practice unconstitutional and a violation of free speech.

"Attendance at a private party that does not disrupt classes and does not occur on school grounds is none of the school�s business," says ACLU of Ohio Legal Director Jeffrey Gamso. "Private student social activities are issues for parents, not the school." Forcing students to give over their cell phones for inspection is the equivalent of requiring them to hand over their diaries, he says -- they both violate students' privacy.

School district spokeswoman Tracey Carson tells the Middletown Journal that she was unaware of any situation at the high school where students' cell phones were confiscated, but that students are prohibited from using cell phones during school. If a cell phone rings or is used during class, an administrator or teacher can confiscate the device until the end of the day, according to the district's policy.