AUDIO TRANSCRIPT: Debate sparks over Phone Ban put in Connecticut High School
Sofia Destaso: Across Connecticut, students like Peyton Malzewski are beginning their school days like never before.
Peyton Malzewski: As I walk into school in the morning, I hear the first bell go off. Indicating to me that it’s now time for me to put my phone away. I get to the magnets, I magnet it shut and place it in my bag for the whole entire day.
Destaso: Connecticut and dozens of other states are recommending phone restrictions in school. But the town of Fairfield went further— no phones at all.
Dr. Greg Hatzis: We started it on October 6th because we wanted to like take a month to just make sure we thought through everything carefully and people would get used to the idea.
Destaso: Fairfield Ludlowe High School Principal, Dr. Greg Hatzis says it is not a power play by the school.
Hatzis: You know we’re not banning technology, first of all. You know we’re just talking about the inappropriate use of phones.
Destaso: But that message resonates a bit differently in Connecticut, where the past has made clear just how critical communication at schools can be.
CNN: This is CNN’s breaking news. The breaking news is coming to us out of Connecticut, the south-western part of that state, where police are reporting that they are responding to reports of a shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School.
Destaso: Among the most deadly shootings ever, the tragedy at Sandy Hook left parents worried about the safety of their kids at school. It’s a fear that lingers more than a decade later and one that continues to frustrate parents today.
Renee Filloramo: I know a lot of teachers and I think the police department was quoted as this not being a safety concern, but if there’s a lockdown and I want to get in touch with my daughter, I have no way.
Destaso: Fairfield resident and parent Renee Filloramo believes that this issue isn’t just about safety — it’s about trust. She says limiting access to phones sends the wrong message to students about accountability.
Filloramo: We’re not teaching them anything by taking a phone away. How about teaching responsibility and choice? Life is all about choices.
Destaso: And that frustration isn’t just coming from parents. Many students like Peyton Malzewski say the phone ban has done more harm than good — making school life more disruptive than before.
Malzewski:They’ve been having to take phones or watches or computers from kids and I feel like when you take something fully away, everybody just wants it more.
Destaso: Students may call it restrictive, but Principal Hatzis sees it as a chance for students to develop better habits.
Hatzis: This is an opportunity for students to figure out a little bit earlier how to navigate more challenging situations.
Destaso: That is especially true as students face challenges they didn’t expect from the phone ban. Malewski says this includes school visits from college representatives.
Malzewski: A lot of them relied on us having phones to be able to make sure we were staying in touch and they would pass around QR codes for us to scan.
Destaso: No phones means no way to connect on the spot with those college reps.
Malzewski: When I get home today, I have like a list of schools that I need to reach out to so they can sort of make a note of the fact that I was there because their previous system required us using our phones.
Destaso: And she is not the only one having to adjust. For sophomore Lilah Filloramo, even simple communication throughout the school day has become a challenge.
Lilah Filloramo: I wanted to text my mom during homeroom because I was asking about pickup and I couldn’t text her. I was trying to Google Chat her because I had done that before and they banned Google Chat, so I had to like email her. I could have known the answer like two minutes and already gotten off my phone, but now I was having to go through all these extra things. It felt like I was back in elementary school.
Destaso: As the new phone policy settles in, reactions remain mixed. Students continue to express frustration, but teachers like Principal Hatzis say they’re starting to see subtle changes in behavior.
Hatzis: We are definitely noticing some things. Number one, in passing time you can see students’ faces in the hallway, like literally people’s heads are up.
Destaso: Some people at school call it progress, but students like Malzewski say the habit of having a phone nearby is hard to break.
Malzewski: Since I am so used to it, it’s definitely been very challenging to sort of rewire my brain into knowing that I’m not supposed to have it.
Destaso: What’s happening here and around the country suggests this may be the future of education. Similar phone restrictions are being rolled out in many states, as districts look for new ways to keep students focused and engaged in the classroom. But Renee Filleramo says it’s a hard sell.
Renee Filloramo: Youre shifting a students focus from the classroom and what’s being taught to what if? What if there’s a lockdown and I don’t have my phone. What if there’s an active shooter and I don’t have my phone. What if?
Destaso: And that all-important what if question is one parents in Fairfield hope they never need to learn the answer to. Reporting for N-C-C News, I’m Sofia Destaso.
FAIRFIELD, Conn. (NCC NEWS) — As schools across the country move to restrict student cellphone use, one Connecticut town is taking the policy a step further: banning phones entirely during the school day.
At Fairfield Ludlowe High School, students now start each morning by locking their phones into magnetized pouches that stay sealed until dismissal. The policy went into effect Oct. 6, marking a major shift in how students, parents and educators navigate daily school life.
“I hear the first bell go off,” said student Peyton Malzewski. “That tells me it’s time to put my phone away for the whole entire day.”
Connecticut is among dozens of states recommending limits on phone use in classrooms, but Fairfield officials wanted a stricter approach. Principal Greg Hatzis said the decision took weeks of planning and is not meant to punish students.
“We’re not banning technology, we’re just talking about the inappropriate use of phones,” Hatzis said.
Still, the policy has reopened long-standing concerns in a state shaped by the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. For some parents, limiting access to phones raises fears about communication during emergencies.
“If there’s a lockdown and I want to get in touch with my daughter, I have no way,” said Fairfield parent Renee Filloramo.
Filloramo said the issue goes beyond safety and touches on trust and responsibility. She believes students should be taught how to manage phone use rather than having devices taken away altogether.
“We’re not teaching them anything by taking a phone away,” she said. “Life is all about choices.”
Students have also voiced frustration, saying the ban has created new challenges. Malzewski said enforcing the policy has sometimes caused more disruption, with staff confiscating phones, smartwatches and other devices.
“When you take something fully away, everybody just wants it more,” she said.
Hatzis disagreed, calling the ban an opportunity for students to build healthier habits.
“This is an opportunity for students to figure out earlier how to navigate more challenging situations,” he said.
Some of those challenges have been unexpected. Malzewski said college representatives visiting campus often rely on students’ phones to share QR codes and contact information. Now, due to the phone ban, students have to follow up later from home.
Sophomore Lilah Filloramo said even basic communication has become more complicated. She described trying to contact her mother about after-school pickup and being unable to text or use messaging platforms banned under the policy.
“I had to email her,” she said. “It felt like I was back in elementary school.”
Despite the pushback, school officials say they are already seeing subtle changes. Hatzis noted that students appear more engaged during passing periods.
“You can see students’ faces in the hallway. People’s heads are up,” Hatzis said.
As similar restrictions roll out nationwide, Fairfield’s experience reflects a broader debate over how schools balance focus, safety and student independence in an increasingly digital world. For parents like Filloramo, unanswered questions remain.
“You’re shifting a students focus from the classroom and what’s being taught to what if? What if there’s a lockdown and I don’t have my phone. What if there’s an active shooter and I don’t have my phone. What if?” Filloramo said.