Angry Teachers

By Shawn Healy

One need only type in the key words angry teacher on YouTube and pull up 231 postings of student videos recorded on camera phones of their teachers acted in various states of anger and general discord. This phenomenon attracted the attention of the Los Angeles Times and Bill O'Reilly yesterday, and sets forth an interesting debate as school districts nationwide contemplate cell phone bans. New York City joined this fray, but some are weary of blanket bans in the aftermath of Columbine when students relied upon cell phones to notify authorities of the massacre. On the other hand, cell phones can certainly be a distraction and impede the educational process, representing a substantial distruption lending itself to school discipline.

Several issues should be considered in light of this controversy:

1. Should students be able to record and broadcast the classroom performances of their teachers, good or bad? Is the First Amendment implicated here?

2. Can teachers recorded on such videos be held liable for harassment and face punishment as a result?

3. Is there a middle ground here where cell phones are confiscated only when they are visible or audible by school employees?

4. Are cell phones a contributor to a safer school environment in light of Columbine?

5. Are blanket bans enforceable short of metal detectors and pat-downs at the schoolhouse gate?

I invite you to weigh in on these questions and more generally on this pressing digital age issue.