Hochul: Students should not look at phones during threats

Hochul speaks about phones in schools

Gov. Kathy Kathy Hochul said she hears concerns about banning phones in schools during a shooting incident, but she believes students need to respond to that threat and not their phone.

Gov. Kathy Hochul on Friday weighed in on the debate on use of cell phones in schools.

Parents have expressed concern about bans that prevent students from accessing them during the school day, especially after recent school threats.

Hochul shared her opinion at a conference called Disconnected, which was put on by New York State United Teachers. She said law officers tell her that kids should not be focused on their phones in a potentially dangerous situation.

“Listen to law enforcement who said if there is a crisis on the school grounds, there is a shooter running loose, the last thing you want happening is for your child to be looking on their cell phone, maybe videoing, sending messages trying to go viral and not paying attention to the adult in the room who is trained to get them to safety,” she said.

The governor also says cell phones have often taken over human interactions in school.