Vice Principal takes a student's cell phone, loses it before the school day was over: 'The VP does not have to replace the phone because district policy says they aren't responsible for any lost items.'

Author image for Emmy Pratt
Emmy Pratt • Senior Editor
Apr 5, 2026 8:00 AM EDT

This guy has lost 6 or 7 student cell phones in the past year alone!

Should teachers and school administrators be allowed to confiscate students' cell phones? Some parents argue that their kids' phones are the parents' property because they pay for them, so another adult should not be permitted to take them, even for a short while. Other parents strongly encourage teachers to reprimand students for phone use in class because they feel it disrupts the educational process. Either way, schools need a cell phone policy across the board. Having different rules in every single class can send mixed messages to students. If it's okay to have your phone out in English class but unacceptable in Math class, students are much more likely to pull out their phones in Math class. If there is a blanket ban on cell phones in the classroom, then teachers should all have a consistent way of enforcing it. If teachers are going to confiscate phones, they should put them somewhere where they know they can't be stolen by other students or easily lost. Imagine the horror of taking your student's cell phone and losing it?

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  • The Vice Principal in this story doesn't have to imagine that, because he's lost at least 7 of his students' phones over the past year. Yep, you read that right. At this point, I wonder if he's selling these phones on eBay for a profit, because who is stupid enough to lose 7 phones in one year?

  • School boy with mobile phone in school corridor
    via Getty Images (Unsplash+)

    A teenage boy scrolling on his phone while walking down the hallway, unaware that this is one of the last times he'll ever see his phone.

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • My school's Vice Principal lost a student's cell phone

    Yep. The vice principal confiscated a student's cell phone the other day and lost it. They were looking for it today afterschool, with the Vice Principal just looking sort of nonchalant and slightly perplexed, asking teachers if he'd left it in their classroom while he made his rounds throughout the week.
    via u/hijirah
  • The student looked confused and worried. He's my student and I asked if he had Find My iPhone, but he said. the VP told him to turn off his phone when it was confiscated.
    via u/hijirah
  • District policy is that the student must keep their phone in their assigned locker, so this student had his phone confiscated because it was on his person.
    via u/hijirah
  • A row of metal lockers sitting next to each other
    via S. Ross Morris

    High school lockers, which hold the cell phones of the student body. 

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • I asked another teacher if the VP would have to replace the phone and the answer was no because district policy says they aren't responsible for any lost, stolen, etc.
    via u/hijirah
  • A man sitting at a table with papers in front of him
    via Nem Malosi

    A school vice principal looks over his work, unashamed of the damage he has caused to his students' property. 

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • This is sort of messed up, but also the students have a habit of breaking the rules without consequence.
    via u/hijirah
  • Not saying this is a consequence at all. I have confiscated phones, but I usually return them to the student right after class or, worst case, afterschool.
    via u/hijirah
  • I put it in my locked desk but now I'm thinking I don't want to bother confiscating phones anymore.
    via u/hijirah
  • I'd hate to be responsible for a lost phone. These students are wild and I have caught a student trying to steal his own phone back from my locked desk.
    via u/hijirah
  • Apparently, there's another VP who has lost about 6 or 7 cell phones this year. I had a student last year who initially refused to give me his phone, saying that this VP lost or broke his phone and his mom said to not give it to a teacher ever again.
    via u/hijirah
  • I didn't believe him because these kids lie so much, so I told him to go homeschool with his mom or give me the phone.
    via u/hijirah
  • I reassured him by putting it in my cargo pocket with my own phone and promised I'd keep it safe, but I wasn't going to negotiate in the moment.
    via u/hijirah
  • Anyway, so that's one thing going on where I work.
    via u/hijirah
  • Legitimate_Winner148 Sounds like your school needs some guidelines around handling of phones. Our school has a procedure. Phones are checked in with s specific person. They are put in envelopes, labeled, and locked up. Students are allowed to collect their phones at the end of the day. There is nobody wandering around with a student's phone. I walk them down to the person or call them to come to our class. There doesn't seem to be any lost phones and students know where they are.
    via u/Legitimate_Winner148
  • hijirah Original Poster's Reply My last school was like this during testing, but otherwise, students were expected to just keep their phones put away. But teachers could still confiscate. Your described way sounds more organized and secure.
    via u/hijirah
  • Aspiring_Moonlight One phone is a fluke. 6 or 7 is a pattern and if true they need to be investigated. Either they're incompetent or selling them
    via u/Aspiring_Moonlight
  • hijirah Original Poster's Reply Now I'm starting to wonder.
    via u/hijirah
  • ConfusionHuge7922 It's on top of the toilet paper holder in the staff bathroom.
    via u/ConfusionHuge7922
  • hijirah Original Poster's Reply You might be right. I'm going to put this suggestion in GroupMe.
    via u/hijirah
  • Crafty_Possession_52 If a faculty member confiscated my kid's phone and lost it, I would be fit to be tied.
    via u/Crafty_Possession_52
  • hijirah Original Poster's Reply Same, honestly. This is absurd. I hope that they replace it, but the other teachers have told me that they won't.
    via u/hijirah
  • Appropriate-Primary7 6 or 7 phones, lolz Definitely the year for that!
    via u/Appropriate-Primary7
  • hijirah Original Poster's Reply I know!!! The kids would say that but I couldn't believe them because that seems like a lot. But she (the other vp) admitted it and said she just doesn't know how she keeps losing them.
    via u/hijirah
  • Crafty_Possession_52 I can't believe I have to say this, but breaking cell phone policy does NOT justify stealing the student's personal property.
    via u/Crafty_Possession_52
  • hijirah Original Poster's Reply I agree with you to an extent. But instead of calling it "stealing", I'd say the vp was irresponsible and lost it. Still doesn't make it right, but I'd want to be fair with my phrasing. And, to be clear, I don't like this vp so I wouldn't defend him.
    via u/hijirah
  • Caliente_La_Fleur Relinquishing to the school admin is the same as relinquishing something to any other authority- they are now responsible for it. Even property in jail is accounted for and catalogued, and expected to be returned (worked in a max facility after I discharged, one of my varied jobs was property intake). This admin is a POS if they are going to hide behind a dubiously enforceable legal protection for the loss of something that costs several hundred to over 1000 dollars. Same with
    via u/Caliente_La_Fleur
  • hijirah Original Poster's Reply I agree with you. I hope the parents do sue. They don't speak English and the mom is very ill with an autoimmune disorder. They may or may not be documented. For those reasons and others, I don't know if they'll take any recourse, which is sad.
    via u/hijirah
  • Crafty_Possession_52 It makes no practical difference. If you take something from me and don't give it back, you may as well have stolen it. You may as well have tossed it in a lake.
    via u/Crafty_Possession_52
  • hijirah Original Poster's Reply Not true. The intention matters. Doesn't make it right that he lost the phone, but his intention was not to take it and never return it. Even though it's worked out to be that the student will not return it.
    via u/hijirah

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school stealing students principal teachers irresponsible district cell phone lost parents
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