Back in the 80s, when I was in high school, warrantless locker searches were implemented as part of the War On Drugs.  It was pointed out at the time that minors don't have the full suite of rights that adults do, and that schools act in loco parentis while students are on school grounds.  Ergo, schools have as much right to search your locker as your parents do to search your closet.

Of course, the argument gets a bit weak for 18 year old students, but ISTR there were other arguments involved as well (such as "the school owns the locker and lets you use it, it's not actually yours").

In short, twenty years ago students didn't have the right to demand a warrant before being searched, and nothing has changed to make me think they'd get that right now.  If anything, it's gotten less likely.

This is not a signature.

We have free speech zones, passenger control areas..might as well change the schools to be rights-limited. I have no objection since A) I have no kids and B) I blame the parents of kids for supporting this.

Still the thought occurs to me -- why just the kids? Why don't we search the handbags of staff in addition to the students bookbags? Surely if its good enough for Brittany its good enough for Mrs. Hartford the physics teacher.  Why the presumption that kids are the only ones carrying drugs? I say search the math teacher with a hangover and 2 tylenols in his wallet. Suspend the coach with a swiss army knife in his gym bag.

If its student AND teacher safety, shouldn't we be checking the teachers too?

My proposal is this: For every infringement on student rights that are legislated because the student happens to be in a school, the same infringement should be applicable to  the adults entering the school as well.

Yup..definetly time to bail this country.

Memory is a strange bell, jubilee and knell.

As Thalia noted in the subQ, I'm wondering why teacher, adminstrator, and school board groups all oppose it.  It's probably not a great bill.

Aside from that, and aside from the legal issues, it seems like a questionable idea educationally (if anyone cares any more).  What values does it teach the kids?  Fear authority?  Safety always comes before liberty?

If the issue were really weapons, then maybe we're stuck with metal detectors.  But random searches is another level of intrusion, and seems remarkably ineffective besides.

When my sister was in high school, she was in teh girls bathroom with some other girls who were smoking cigarettes.  A teacher comes into the restroom and decalres that she smells marijuana.  So she takes all the grils to the principals office for a strip search.  Without a warrant.  No drugs were found.  My parents thought about suing the school, but ultimately they did not do so.  My sister transferred out to another school.  I think my parents and my sister should have sued the school.    Warrantless strip searches are a violation of privacy rights.  They could happen at any time, and in this case there were no drugs.