The First Amendment provides for the freedom of worship and expression. It states that the Congress shall make no law for or against any religion or prohibit the practice of any religion. It also covers the freedom of expression, the press and a peaceful association (Findlaw, n.d). Children at schools are subject to these laws as the rest of the population. Under the First Amendment, messages that require protection meet any of the following criteria. They disrupt the normal school program, promote an illegal activity in school-sponsored context and express a vulgar language in public. Second, if the message is obscene from an adult point of view, it may call for disciplinary action. Finally, if the message does not meet the second criteria, determine if it meets the obscenity definition for the minors (Wood, 2009). If the message does not fulfill any of the three criteria, it may be considered as a pornography issue. Child Pornography is defined as suggestive depictions of children in a sexually suggestive manner.
There are two main ways through which I would approach the issue. First, I would consider the school policy on the issues of cell phones. Students who use their phones during school hours have to meet the appropriate disciplinary action. Second, I would also consider the exchange of the sexually inappropriate messages and material by the students. As a teacher who is entrusted the custody of the students, I would talk to them and advise them on the importance of adhering to the school rules. Students risk losing focus if they engage in activities such as using cell phones for during school hours and as a result, their performance may deteriorate. They also risk facing disciplinary action imposed by the District Attorney if the school decides to forward the matter. I would also call the student’s parents and let them know what is happening and talk to their children. Parents are the student's first contact, and they know what is right or wrong and appropriate or not for their children. Because of their relationship, they stand a better chance to discuss with the children in detail and find lasting solutions to the problem (Wood, 2009).
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References
Department of Justice. (2015). Citizen's Guide to U.S. Federal Law on Child Pornography. Retrieved March 27, 2017 form https://www.justice.gov/criminal-ceos/citizens-guide-us-federal-law-child-pornography
Findlaw. (n.d). Annotation 6 - First Amendment: Freedom of Expression--Speech and Press. Retrieved March 27, 2017 from http://constitution.findlaw.com/amendment1/annotation06.html#1
Wood, R. H. (2009). The First Amendment implications of sexting at public schools: a quandary for administrators who intercept visual love notes. JL & Pol'y, 18, 701.
