This Teacher Did Something Illegal To Stop His Students From Texting In Class

A science teacher in Florida called Dean Liptak was sick of his students texting in class. He decided to do something about it.

Hey purchased a cell phone jammer, reports WTSP-TV. The illegal device reportedly cut off the signal from the cell tower on Fivay High School’s campus in Florida.

Jammers are very, very illegal and the school district was not happy with his decision.

The Pasco County School District found out about the jammer thanks to Verizon. The company didn’t prosecute Liptak for his actions, but the school suspended him without pay for five days.

“Verizon had come to the school saying someone had a jamming device, because the cell phone service was being interrupted in the area,” district spokeswoman Linda Cobbe told WTSP-TV.

In a written statement to the district, Liptak said he’d researched jamming devices online and spoken to a deputy before obtaining one. The deputy, Liptak claimed, had told him jammers are only illegal when they’re used with “bad intentions.” This is incorrect. Jamming devices violate federal law.

Besides being illegal, the jammer was a problem primarily because it ended up blocking the cell phone signal for much of the school. It’s great for teachers who want their students to pay attention, sure, but it hinders communication in an emergency situation.

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