Photograph shows Chromebook USB and lead. Photo taken by Ryan Bennett, '28
Photos taken by Ryan Bennett
There is a new online trend where students destroy their school-issued Chromebooks. Recently this happened at C.W. Baker High School and the Jamesville-Dewitt Middle School. The Baker High School student stuck a screwdriver in the USB port, which caused a fire. The student has been charged with criminal mischief and reckless endangerment, said Baldwinsville Police Chief Michael W. Lefancheck.
The most popular method of achieving destruction is sticking a piece of lead in the USB port. When the lead is inserted into the USB port, it causes a short circuit within the 5-volt USB port. A short circuit is when an electric current flows down the wrong or unintended path, which would be the lead, with little to no electrical resistance. When a short circuit is present, electrical energy is rapidly converted to heat. This heat can cause the lithium battery of the Chromebook to overheat. An overheated battery releases smoke, toxic and flammable fumes, and could possibly create a fire. In short, it “fries the internal device,” says Technology TA Alan Zimmerman.
Even if the laptop doesn’t catch fire, the damage caused by the lead in the USB port can cause damage to the motherboard, rendering the Chromebook unfixable. A Chromebook is considered unfixable “when the value to fix it exceeds the amount it costs to replace it,” Zimmerman said.
The consequences of intentionally damaging a Chromebook can be found in Jamesville-DeWitt High School’s student handbook, “Persistent damaging or destructive behavior will result in an out-of-school suspension for a minimum of five days and a superintendent’s hearing.” Along with this, in the schools’ code of conduct, it says that if you intentionally damage school property between $50-$500, you will either face a level 2, level 3, or level 4 violation.
A level 2 violation may include, but is not limited to, a meeting with high school officials or support staff, detention, and/or a restitution to the school. A level 3 violation may include, but is not limited to, a meeting with school district personnel, a restitution to the school, and/or a maximum 3-day suspension. A level 4 violation may include, but is not limited to, a max 5-day suspension, a superintendent hearing, a restitution to the school, and/or possible cooperation with a law enforcement agency.
A student sticking a piece of lead into a Chromebook could be considered as an attempt to set a fire, according to Principal Gregory Lawson, which may lead to a conversation with the SRO to decide whether or not law-enforcement needs to be involved. You will face at least a level 4 violation for that.
And there are many factors that influence which of the violations the student will have to face. Here are some that are listed in the schools code of conduct, “1. The student’s age. 2. The nature of the offense and the circumstances which led to the offense. 3. The student’s prior disciplinary record. 4. The effectiveness of other forms of discipline. 5. Information from parents, teachers, counselors, and/or others, as appropriate. 6. Other extenuating circumstances.” The way the Chromebook is broken can show whether the damage is accidental or purposeful.
If a student accidentally damaged a Chromebook, there would be a referral to the Chromebook center, and there would be no consequences. The Chromebook would just get replaced or repaired. The average replacement cost of a Chromebook is around $500.