Parents fight to overturn school cell phone confiscation

(New York-WABC, May 5, 2006) (WABC) -- There's a new push to reverse a controversial ban on cell phones in New York City schools.

A short time ago, a petition with thousands of signatures from parents urging a change in the policy was submitted to the Department of Education.

Now, momentum is building to at least stop the practice of confiscating the cell phones during random searches at schools.

"As a single parent, how else am I going to communicate with them before and after school?," parent Carmen Colon said.

Colon has organized the online petition drive calling for a halt to the confiscation of cell phones in schools. She has support from city council members who say cell phones are not weapons.

Council member Charles Barron: "We're not saying they should be in the school talking on their cell phone ... what we are saying is that they have a right to have these cell phones ... turn them off, set them on vibrate and the parent can call them in case of an emergency."

Council member Leticia James: "It's a safety issue, which would be left up to each individual school that is consistent with their safety plan."

But on his radio program today, Mayor Bloomberg discounted published reports there may be room for a compromise.

"I don't have any easy solutions for parents who want their children to have cell phones during school and after school ... we just don't have the money or space to have lockers ... it would be a nightmare," he said.

The resolution will be presented before the city council next week for a moratorium on confiscating the cell phones in school.

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