Dad Sues Principal For Confiscating His Son’s iPhone

An angry Singaporean man is suing the principal of a prestigious school for confiscating his son’s mobile phone for three months.

According to Straits Times, the secondary school bans students from using phones during school hours as it considers them a distraction.

Now, the student’s father is now claiming damages and demanding the school returns the phone, arguing that it has infringed on property rights.
The man had lent his iPhone to his son, and it was confiscated on 21 March after the boy was caught using it during school hours, according to court documents. The boy was told the phone would be returned after the three month confiscation period.

The father has since filed a lawsuit claiming an unknown amount of damages, as well as a legal injunction demanding the phone be returned immediately while the case proceeds.

However, the parent’s request to have the phone returned immediately was turned down by District Judge Clement Julien Tan. 

The judge ruled that the principal was justified in holding on to the phone, as the school rules had made it clear that any student caught using a phone during school hours will have it confiscated for at least three months.

He added that returning the phone prematurely may result in the school being “faced with demands from parents or guardians for the return of confiscated phones”.

“This may also send a wrong signal to the students that they can use their mobile phones during school hours with impunity,” the judge said

In the end, the father’s request for the school to return the phone early was denied by the judge.