This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

Community Update

My 8th grade son's cellphone was confiscated by his teacher at Eagle Rock High School. I wasn't able to get it because I was new at my job and cannot get a time off. I lost my previous job when I asked my boss to go out on lunch time to pick up my son so I put it on hold to get it back. I asked my son if I will not be able to go to the school immediately, where does the phone usually goes after being confiscated? He said that it will be brought at the Dean's office by the teacher. So in my mind, I will just get it later and also to teach my son a lesson not to use his phone while inside his classroom. But to my dismay, when I finally get the chance to get it last May 3, I was surprised that my son's phone was not on the confiscated list. So it means the substitute teacher, Ms. Gomez, did not turned over the I-Phone 4S of my son. It was almost dismissal time when I get there so the Prinicpal asked me to see the Asst. Principal to check the phone on his safe. Since it was not there, the Asst. Principal told me to just asked my son to see her on Monday so he can get his phone back and that there is no need for me to go there since I already showed up in school to get it back. I just got suspicious why the phone was not on the confiscated list so I tried to check online the next day and I found out that my son's phone is being used while it is supposed to be confiscated. There were text messages and internet usage on the bill when I checked it online. I tried to call the phone number that the "user" has called and received text messages. I asked the name of the person who answered the phone if she knows Ms. Gomez and the boy on the other line answered that she is her mom but her mom is not there. When I tried to call it again nobody answered my call anymore or if I call they just hang up on me. I tried texting my son's phone and I also tried to call the other number and the guy will just hang up on me. So I went to the school on Monday to see the Dean and he confirmed that my son's phone is not with him so meaning the phone was not turned over by the teacher. So I tried to asked help from the Principal and he said that he will talk to Ms. Gomez about it because the substitute teacher no longer works in the school anymore. So I have to do a lot of follow-up calls to check on the statement of Ms. Gomez and finally I was told to go back to the school only to be told that the substitute teacher denied that she confiscated the phone from my son. The Principal, Mr. Velasco, also told me that the teacher has swore an affidavit to her that she did not took the phone on my son. My son has witness when the phone was taken from him inside the classroom but this does not given any point by the Principal. He just stand on the affidavit swore by the substitute teacher and I was told he cannot help me to get it back. So I am writing to ER Patch to make all the parents aware of this situation. If teachers confiscated the phone of our children, it is not a guarantee that the teachers will turned it over back to your child/children and that they can deny that they took it and just by a simple affidavit, the Principal will not hold the teacher liable for that. Just like that and my son's phone has been considered STOLEN.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

More from Eagle Rock