As an educator, I, along with all educators, must be knowledgeable about the laws and school policies in regards to search and seizures of students. Although I am aware of the state and school policies, the school district I work for only wants the administration to deal with searches and seizures of students. We must notify the administration immediately if we have reasonable suspicion of students violating school rules or state laws. From there, the administration will conduct the search or other precautions when or if they see fit. When searching book bags, purses, and lunch bags, the Mountain View School District’s handbook states, “All book bags, purses, lunch bags, and back packs are subject to searches. These items cannot create safety …show more content…
Students should not assume or expect privacy with regard to their assigned locker. The administration reserves the right to open and search any locker at any time. Lockers are subject to random safety inspections or searches. Some searches will be conducted based on individual, reasonable suspicion, or may be sweeping in nature. School authorities may seize any illegal materials. Such materials may be used as evidence in disciplinary proceedings. Prior to a locker search, a student shall be notified and given an opportunity to be present. However, where school authorities have a reasonable suspicion that a locker contains materials that pose a threat to the health, welfare, and safety of people in the school, students' locker, possessions, and vehicles may be searched without prior warning or a student's presence. All objects, contraband, or other items confiscated during searches will be secured and delivered to the proper authorities in a timely fashion. The Superintendent and/or the Board of Education may authorize the use of trained police dogs to search for any concealed drugs at anytime. In addition, any other illegal materials that are or may be confiscated may be used in any disciplinary action(s). Note: Student rights and due process procedures will be strictly maintained throughout the search and …show more content…
Again, my duty is only to transfer my knowledge and suspicion to my superiors. Also, it explains that searches will take place either randomly or if there is reasonably suspicion. As stated in the PA Code, the handbook makes sure to clarify that a student can be present during a search if they choose. Also, it clearly states that any materials found will be used and handed to authorities if need be. Lastly, the handbook makes sure to inform the students that the students’ rights and due process will be upheld the whole time. Overall, I believe the handbook covers all guidelines and premises found in the New Jersey v. T.L.O
In the court case SMYTH v. LUBBERS, 398 F.Supp 777 (1975) the plaintiff’s rooms were searched without a warrant or probable cause by campus police officers that were acting as officials of the state. They seized a substance that was alleged to be marijuana and proceeded to arrest the plaintiffs. The court held that the search and seizure was illegal because, that two of the campus police officers were acting as representatives of the county police at the time, and there are rules in the student handbook at that college in place to protect students from illegal search and seizure, and those rule were not followed. Just like in Jones v. Rohward University, Deary Jones was subjected to an illegal search and seizure. This search and seizure is
Banks, was the handling of the searches. According to Shade v. City of Farmington (2002), administrators should conduct a search first and then utilize expertise of SRO if evidence is discovered. The administration was not involved in the initial search. In both Horton v. Goose Creek Independent School District (1983) and New Jersey v. T.L.O. (1985) the court deemed it legal to conduct drug searches for probable cause of school lockers and cars in parking lot, so the search of Truant’s belongings was justified if it had been completed by administration first. Ms. Banks should not have conducted any search. The cigarettes and lighter found in the car should be returned to Truant’s parents. Since no drugs were found during the mishandled searches, a drug test should not have been conducted. This was a violation of Truant’s rights. There were no reliable sources corroborating Truant’s use of drugs, nor did any of the searches reveal a reasonable suspicion of his drug
A. Rule: The court case of T.L.O. also establishes a more compassionate standard of what they review as a “reasonable suspicion”, in what goes on to determine whether or not the lawfulness of the search was in the school policy or follows district policy too. To lead reasonable suspicion can sum up and equalized,when it leans toward a lessen of any chance of finding evidence of wrongful behavior in a student or individual. Of all the information Wilson acquired from the Faculty and other questionable sources from students, Marissa’s statement of the pills came from Savannah that lead was sufficient in justification of a search upon Savannah’s backpack. In addition the Savannah’s outer clothing. Savannah reasoning could be possibly was reckoning of carrying the tylenol. The disgraceful strip search and seizure that ultimately exposed her private areas to some degree.The content of this belief failed to match the degree of intrusiveness she was getting from the school. Nothing was led to suggested the amount and quantity of the drugs, could appeal to pose a real danger to any of the students or to that of Savannah in carrying pills in her underwear or in bra.School officials are allowed and can search any students belongings and lockers. They are entitled to qualified immunity where it clearly states and establishes as qualified immunity and established
They stated that search measures used by school officials to "root out" contraband must be "reasonably related to the objectives of the search and not excessively intrusive in light of the age and sex of the student and the nature of the infraction."
Unreasonable searches are to be prohibited in middle schools. Since the reasons for Redding being search was at the request of the principal. Wilson, he was the main person discussed. The nurse and secretary were acting as agents for Wilson in order to perform the search that he was unable to do because he was male. The school’s rules for the suspicions of illicit drugs were modified to adjust to how it should be handled by school officials. The reasonable standard of suspicion and probable cause has an implicit bearing on the reliable knowledge of what is known and discovered. The rules of the school do strictly prohibited the use of nonmedical use, possession, or sale of any drug on the school grounds. The majority feels that the manner in which she was searched was unjust and that it should have been more proof before they proceeded to perform a strip search of the student. The search of the backpack and outer clothes could be expected because of reasonable suspicion of concealing drugs, but the strip search was unnecessary because her clothes did not have pockets and they did not have the right or enough proof to proceed with the strip search in the manner that they did. The Court has adopted a different standard for searches involving an intrusion into the human
The upshot was reversal of summary judgment as to Wilson, while affirming the judgments in favor of Schwallier, the school nurse, and Romero, the administrative assistant, since they had not acted as independent decision makers. It is noted and recognized that the school setting requires some modification of the level of suspicion of illicit activity needed to justify a search, and held that for searches by school officials. The standard of reasonable suspicion has been declared on the school and the legality of a school administrator's search of a student. Cases that are on probable cause have an implicit bearing on the reliable knowledge element of reasonable suspicion, as we have attempted to flesh out the knowledge component by looking to the degree to which known facts imply prohibited conduct, the specificity of the information received. The lesser standard for school searches could as readily be described as a moderate chance of finding evidence of wrongdoing. In this case, the school's policies strictly prohibit the nonmedical use, possession, or sale of any drug on school grounds, including any prescription or over-the-counter drug, except those for which permission to use in school has been granted pursuant to board policy. The majority finds that subjective and reasonable societal expectations of personal privacy support this type of search, which it labels a strip search, as categorically distinct, requiring distinct elements of justification on the part of school authorities for going beyond a search of outer clothing and belongings., in the majority's view, although the school officials had reasonable suspicion to believe that Redding had the pills on her person, they needed some greater level of particularized suspicion to
When the school official searched Cyrus’s locker he found Cyrus’s phone and it was okay for the school official to search Cyrus’s phone without a search warrant because the school official had a probable cause. As it is stated in the handbook, “Administrators may search a student or his/her property (including vehicles, purses, knapsacks, gym bags, etc.) with or without the student’s consent” (Arlington Schools Students’ Handbook 5). It is okay for the school official to search Cyrus’s locker because Cyrus sent the photos out and that was the probable cause.
2. The Supreme Court established that a warrant isn’t necessary in school due to the fact that students aren’t under the protection of police officers but instead by the school. The court decided that a search is reasonable if a) “specific facts, together with rational inference from those facts, justified the intrusion, and b) the search was reasonably related in scope to the circumstances justifying it. Also, there can be random drug testing for students in school involved in extracurricular activities, and
With the use of proper search and seizure guidelines, schools are allowed to search students lockers without a warrant. Lockers and backpacks are subject to search with reasonable suspicion. To search a locker, a school staff member or police officer would have to have reasonable suspicion, probable cause, and student consent in some cases (Ehlenberger). For reasonable suspicion to occur, “ the search would be justified at its inception, meaning that there are reasonable grounds for suspecting that the search will reveal evidence that the student has violated or is violating the law or school rules, and the search is reasonably related in scope to the circumstances that justified the search, meaning that the measures used to conduct the search are reasonably related to the objectives of the search and that the search is not excessively intrusive in light of the student 's age and sex and the nature of the offense” (Ehlenberger). Probable cause to search is when” "known facts and circumstances are sufficient to warrant a man of reasonable prudence in the belief that contraband will be found" (Ornelas v. United States, 1996, at 696)”
Can police conduct a search and seizure at a public school initiated by school officials?
Prior to the landmark ruling by the United States Supreme Court, New Jersey v. T.L.O., 469 U.S. 325, 105 S. Ct. 733, 83 L. Ed. 2d 720 (1985), the clarity on how search and seizures applied to students in public schools were unclear. A particular case from 1969 can shed some light regarding on how the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution defines student rights in public schools. In Tinker v. Des Moines, 393 U.S. 503, 89 S. Ct. 733; 21 L. Ed. 2d 731 (1969), the court found that:
Schools shouldn’t be allowed to conduct random searches of students private items. I mean schools make it so our private items stay private so why can they do searches through
Schools need to maintain a disciplined and safe learning environment. There are many disciplinary actions that are in use today and although some can disagree about the amount of discipline that is best for maturing children, it is reasonable to be in agreement that a positive learning environment begins with physical and emotional safety. School safety includes a broad range of matters, including, fighting, bullying, drugs, alcohol, weapons, and etc. Many schools use varying methods in an effort to maintain school safety. Some schools limit school access and require all visitors to sign in. Physical surveillance is another common method of addressing school safety issues along with use of staff and student identification. Among all these
According to the National Education Association, at least 100,000 students bring guns to school, 160,000 students skip classes because they fear physical harm, 40 students are killed or hurt by firearms, nearly 6,250 teachers are threatened with bodily injury, and 260 teachers are physically assaulted. These facts are not based on once year, but as every single school day. Could one even imagine what the numbers might look like on scale for a month of school, let alone a whole year? So would starting with searching lockers really be a step to far to try and lower the numbers? Some may think yes due to the school invading the students’ privacy. The majority of people though will say no, doing searches of student’s lockers is not a bad
If we tell the office that the kid had brought a gun to school, he would get that gun confiscated and he would not have it anymore. If we tell the office of anyone that has something they are not supposed to have it can be saving the school from having a very dangerous threat to the students, teachers, and the school. Telling someone about a student having a dangerous thing can save some of the student’s lives and possibly teachers in the school. If we had this rule it would possibly be a benefit for our school in some ways more than others. This can be a safe rule