NCJ Number
163309
Journal
School Safety Dated: (Fall 1995) Pages: 29-32
Date Published
1995
Length
4 pages
Annotation
The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision in Vernonia School District 47J v. Action has clarified and expanded the power that educators have to do what is reasonably necessary to ensure safe learning settings in schools by requiring urinalysis for certain students to detect drug use.
Abstract
The administrators noticed a significant increase in disciplinary problems in their small Oregon school district and attributed this increase to student drug use. In 1988 the school board approved a policy requiring student athletes to submit to random urinalysis as a condition of being allowed to play school sports. A seventh-grade student was not permitted to play football when both he and his parents refused to consent to his required urinalysis. No evidence suggested that he had ever used drugs or that reason existed to suspect him of drug use. The Court decided that the school district's policy met the requirements of both the 4th and 14th amendments of the Constitution. The decision continues the basic framework of the law and require school policies to satisfy the test of reasonableness. It also underscores the importance of eradicating drug use by students to remove that threat to maintaining a safe and effective learning setting. Footnotes and description of book on school search and seizure issues