Story originally printed in the La Crosse Tribune or online at www.lacrossetribune.com

Published - Friday, July 18, 2008

Onalaska schools may ban locker room phones

By BOB SEAQUIST / Special to the Tribune

ONALASKA, Wis. — Cameras, video recorders and cell phones will be prohibited from Onalaska school

locker rooms if the school board gives final approval to a privacy policy at its July 28 meeting.

“Cell phones create all sorts of opportunities for people to use impulsively and severely damage another person,” Superintendent John Burnett said at the school board meeting earlier this week.

“According to state statute, all districts must have this policy in place.”

The policy will be explained to all athletes and their parents, according to high school activities director Ryan Vogler.

“It is because we don’t want kids thinking it is a joke or it is not serious. It is very serious, and it just can’t happen,” Vogler said.

The policy also prohibits members of the media from locker rooms before, during or after games and practices.

The La Crosse School District requires students first get their principal’s permission before bringing cell phones or other electronic communication devices to school, said Randy Nelson, the district’s associate superintendent of instruction. If approved, he said, use of the devices is strictly limited, including not infringing on the rights of other students.

Holmen High School students can use cell phones only in the lunch room before and after class and during lunch, said Dave Oldenberg, assistant principal. Cell phones are not allowed at Holmen’s middle or elementary schools, he said.

The ability of cell phones to transmit digital photos and text messages led La Crescent-Hokah High School District to banish them from campus in 2005.

Local News Editor Scott Rada contributed to this report.