Court: Girl’s rights violated by school strip search


APTOPIX Scotus School Strip Search

Savana Redding was strip-searched by school officials when she was just 13. They were looking for ibuprofin.

Wow. The Supreme Court is really dealing with some hot topics lately.

Here’s the newest ruling on student rights. The court ruled that a strip search conducted on a 13-year-old Arizona girl as part of a school’s “zero tolerance” policy for drugs violated her Constitutional rights.

The girl, who is 19 now, was told to strip down to her undergarments in front of a secretary and school nurse because it was suspected that she was in posession of — get ready for it — prescription-strength ibuprofin.

The story is heartbreaking. I cannot imagine how that poor girl must have felt, and I wasn’t surprised that she eventually left school.

But it does bring up some really good questions: How far should schools go to eliminate drugs on campus? And would I feel differently about the strip search (I find it appalling) if school officials were searching for weapons instead?

Jennifer Gish

3 Responses

  1. Jen Smith says:

    I was very happy for this girl when I heard the decision earlier. I don’t think the schools should have the right to strip search for weapons or drugs. If a search is warranted, a police officer (of the same sex) and the student’s parents should be present.

  2. K-Wing says:

    Yeah, how could the school possibly have thought it was a good idea to do that without the parent present? The police can’t interview a minor without the parent, why would a school be able to go way, way past that? I can searching a bag, or asking a student to turn out their pockets, but once primary articles of clothing (pants, shirts, etc) need to be removed the parents must be involved.

  3. K-Wing says:

    Sorry, meant “I can SEE searching a bag…”