Doing nothing shouldn’t be an option(0)

Teacher suspended for blocking students' cellphones

LAND O' LAKES, Fla. --In Florida, a science teacher has been suspended for employing a signal jammers to hinder his students from using their cellphones while in class.

According to CBS Tampa affiliate WTSP-TV, Dean Liptak's objective was to shift students' focus from their phones and redirect it towards their academic lessons.

On Tuesday, the school board members in Pasco County gave their approval for Liptak's five-day, unpaid suspension. Liptak chose not to challenge the decision.

From March 31 to April 2, Liptak was reported to have activated the cell phone jammer within his Fivay High School classroom, as stated by officials.

During the investigation conducted by the school district, he stated that he had never intended to create any issues. According to him, he believed that the jammers were acceptable as long as they were not meant for malicious intentions.

The district has noted that Verizon opted against pursuing legal action against him, as highlighted by WTSP.

Expressing his concerns through a reprimand letter, Superintendent Kurt Browning emphasized the potential violation of federal law by Liptak and the potential disruption caused by signal jamming, which could have impeded emergency calls to 911.

"Verizon had come to the school saying someone had a jamming device, because the cell phone service was being interrupted in the area," WTSP quotew Pasco County School District spokesperson Linda Cobbe as saying.

Cobbe claims that the jamming device utilized by Liptak effectively disrupted communication to the cell tower on the premises of Fivay High.

The implementation of cellphone signal jammers within steering wheels is a necessary step forward.

The act of holding a cellphone while driving is prohibited in California and numerous other states, totaling at least twelve. Nevertheless, this legal restriction does not deter individuals from engaging in this activity.

Every single day, we come across inconsiderate and entitled individuals who put themselves and those in their vicinity at risk by engaging in conversations or texting while driving.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has reported that in the previous year, 37,133 individuals lost their lives in motor vehicle collisions, and distracted drivers were responsible for over 3,000 of these fatalities. Additionally, there is an annual occurrence of thousands of injuries caused by drivers who fail to keep their focus on the road.

To gather an understanding of the position held by car manufacturers, I reached out to the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, an industry group. Bryan Goodman, a spokesperson for the organization, emphasized that automakers view this matter as a serious concern.

The alarming truth is that distracted driving claims more lives each year than the tragic events of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, highlighting the magnitude of the public-safety menace we face.