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Dogs, Drugs and Rights
listen:
  On June 7, 2007, all 1,100 students at ConVal High School in Peterborough were unexpectedly taken out of class and brought to the football field as drug sniffing dogs inspected their lockers for possible contraband. Because of this incident, the New Hampshire Chapter of the ACLU has filed a suit against the town, its police and the school district claiming that this kind of search in unconstitutional. ConVal is not the first school in the state to conduct surprise searches and many are divided on this topic. Search proponents say it’s a necessary evil to fight drugs abuse in schools while those against it demand it violates students rights. We’ll look closer into this case, what’s being done in other schools and if these kind of drug searches are needed or go overboard. Guests
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Two things:
First, when I was in highschool, it was well known among the students that two of the teachers smoked pot, occasionally even in the teachers lounge. Since it is school property and not that of the principal or superintendent, I wonder if your guests would encourage similar treatment of the entire school staff, up to and including the physical plant of the SAU offices?
Second, and I could be totally wrong about this, but doesn't the school property actually belong to the town or county, and wouldn't this set a precedent to search all such peoples and their effects on all such property if and when some authority suddenly decides it should be so? I believe this is what the ACLU is trying to protect the public against.
I was very disappointed that both James Gaylord and the chairman of the school committee that called in to the show just don’t see the issue at stake here.
They just don’t see that civil liberties are a critical part of what makes the United States special and it is critical that we teach this to our children.
I feel the pain of the school administrator who works so hard to keep everybody in the community happy and to protect his students, but I ask that they try to take a step back and see the larger picture.
And to the gentleman who called and said. “I am a live free or die kinda guy, how much is this costing us taxpayers”. Live free or die is not just tax free.
Excellent points Jim.
One caller : "...just doesn't infringe on the students' rights ...that much"
Usually I feel that laura does an excellent job of balancing, (perhaps only because i tend to agree when she applies pressure), but I couldn't help but find myself slightly dismayed at her lack of pointed questions of the pro-search side. (especially after admissions like the above).
Everyone was kinda admitting they violated the constitutional rights, but saying its "oh my children!" "I have a right to teach in a drug-free school place", "i'd rather give up my rights to get the druggies out" ......... this is not how its supposed to work in our society.... you don't get to give up my or my childrens' rights.