Mukilteo School Board OKs rules on checking students’ cell phones

From HeraldNet.com:

School leaders in Mukilteo now have clearer authority to check student cell phones for bullying or sexually explicit photos or messages.

The Mukilteo School Board approved a new policy Monday night that allows administrators to examine cell phones if they have reason to suspect a problem.

A similar policy, proposed by the Oak Harbor School Board, made headlines last summer when the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington said that it threatened students’ privacy rights.

Since then, the Washington State School Directors’ Association revised its model policy to make clear that a cell phone may only be searched when school officials have reasonable suspicion that a student is using a cell phone or other communication device that violates schools rules or law.