Columbus, Ga. ? Kevin Francois gave up his lunch break to talk with his mother, but it ended up costing him the rest of the school year.

Francois, a junior at Spencer High School in Columbus, was suspended for disorderly conduct Wednesday after he was told to give up his cell phone at lunch while talking with his mother who is deployed in Iraq, he said.

His mother, Sgt. 1st Class Monique Bates, left in January for a one-year tour.

“This is our first time separated like this,” Francois, 17, said Thursday.

Bates came to Fort Benning with her son from Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah, Ga. Since her deployment overseas, Francois, whose father was killed when he was 5 years old, lives with a guardian in Columbus.

The incident happened when Francois received a call from his mother at 12:30 p.m., during his lunch break.

Francois said he went outside the school building to get a better reception when his mother called. A teacher who saw Francois on his phone told him to get off the phone, but he didn’t.

According to district policy, students are allowed to have cell phones in school but cannot use them during school hours.

Francois said the teacher tried to take the phone, causing it to hang up.

The student said he then went with the teacher to the school office where he surrendered his phone.

Assistant principal Alfred Parham said the teen’s suspension was based on his reaction when he was asked to give up the cell phone.

Francois admitted he was partially at fault for his behavior but said he should have been allowed to talk with his mother.

“I don’t feel I should’ve changed any of my actions,” he said. “I feel I was right by not hanging up the phone.”