Then when he found not only cigarettes but marijuana he was justified in continuing to search for contraband. was seen smoking but denied it, the principal had reasonable suspicion to conduct the initial search of her purse. The court ruled that a school official may conduct a search of a student if there is a “reasonable suspicion” that a crime has been or is in the process of being committed, or that a school rule has been broken. The court debated whether the search of her purse was a violation of the Fourth Amendment. When the girl confessed to the police that she had been selling marijuana at school, she was charged and placed on probation. He found a pack of cigarettes, a small amount of marijuana, a marijuana pipe, empty plastic bags, a substantial number of $1 bills, an index card listing students who owed her money, and two letters that suggested she was dealing drugs. The assistant principal demanded to see her purse and proceeded to open and search it. The girl was taken to the principal′s office, where she denied everything. At a New Jersey high school, a teacher caught T.L.O.* a freshman girl smoking in the bathroom. Supreme Court decision that set the standard for school search and seizure policy. The leading case on this subject is New Jersey v.
The courts have also addressed the issue of safety at school through a number of cases. The Safe Schools Act of 1994 provides funding for conflict resolution and peer mediation programs in schools.
Nearly all students are aware of incidents of bullying, physical attack, or robbery at school.Whether as victims or witnesses, students are equally likely to worry about school violence. The Gun-Free Schools Act of 1994 mandates expulsion from any school receiving federal funds (which includes most public schools) for bringing or possessing a firearm at school.Ī substantial number of sixth- to twelfth-grade students report high levels of violent crime, weapons, and gangs in their schools.