THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, January 24, 1996 TAG: 9601240357
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JON GLASS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 100 lines
Alarmed by a reported rise in marijuana use among the city's high school students, the School Board may subject athletes and other teen leaders to random drug tests.
Board member Robert F. Williams, who made the case at a board retreat last week, cited a U.S. Supreme Court ruling last summer that gives schools the legal authority to screen student athletes for drugs.
To curtail the spread of drugs in the schools, Williams argued, the court's ruling should apply to other student leaders who, like athletes, serve as role models for their peers.
Williams said he would include class officers, band members and other students who participate in extracurricular groups that represent the school system in public.
``I would hope that for students who might be lured into using drugs, this would confront them with a choice about what was more important to them - using drugs or participating in activities that might bring them recognition and accolades and maybe benefits in later life,'' Williams said Monday.
District officials said high school principals are reporting an increase in student drug use. Students interviewed also said that smoking marijuana has become more popular and that more young people are trying it.
``We're seeing an increase of alcohol violations on campus, but we're hearing about kids smoking marijuana on weekends and evenings, and that scares me,'' Superintendent Roy D. Nichols Jr. said.
Nichols acknowledged that a drug-testing policy would be controversial.
``It's a can of worms,'' he said. ``As soon as we go beyond what the court says we can do, there's going to be a court case and we're going to have to defend it.''
Kent Willis, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia, said to target students simply because they were leaders is ``irrational.''
``It's Big Brother in action when schools randomly test students,'' Willis said. ``It teaches kids the wrong lesson, that government can arbitrarily invade your privacy.''
Willis said schools instead should use the authority they already have to test students they suspect are using or selling drugs.
Virginia education officials said that Lynchburg is the only school district they're aware of in the commonwealth that randomly screens athletes for drugs. Lynchburg budgets about $50,000 a year for its program, and last year gave 1,505 tests, Assistant Superintendent Roger Jones said Tuesday.
In Lynchburg, students who test positive for drugs are suspended from their athletic teams. In Norfolk, students who fail the drug test likely would be ineligible to participate in sports or extracurricular activities, officials said.
Including non-athletes in a district drug-testing policy could be challenged in court, legal experts said, even though the Supreme Court's decision seemed to suggest that schools could go beyond sports teams to combat a perceived drug problem.
``A lot of School Board members feel they have more discretion but they don't want to exercise it,'' because drug-testing is so controversial, said Gwendolyn Gregory, deputy general counsel for the National School Boards Association. ``I frankly can't point to anyone who has implemented a program'' that goes beyond athletes.
City Attorney Philip Trapani said the School Board could put itself on firmer legal ground by asking youths to define what type of student is considered a role model and basing a drug-testing policy on that definition. The Supreme Court ruling defined athletes as role models.
``That would be very defensible,'' Trapani said.
Many students and parents in Norfolk, while raising concerns, said they would not object outright to a drug-testing policy. Some even welcomed it.
``I don't really care, because I have nothing to hide, myself,'' said Norview High senior Paula West, 17, who plays on the volleyball team and is an honor student. ``But I think the teachers and coaches should be tested, too, if the students are subjected to it.''
West said students' rights already are curtailed on campus because school security guards can search them, their lockers and their cars.
Junior Cory Jordan, 16, a Maury High wrestler, said he understands the rationale behind testing athletes, whose performance could be affected by drugs. He still questioned the wisdom.
``It just seems like it's a violation of your privacy,'' Jordan said. ``School officials already have a lot of power and that would increase it.''
Parent Willie N. Bennett, president of the Booker T. Washington High School Parent-Teacher Association, said he thought all students should be tested. He predicted a battle, though.
``It's going to be controversial because you're going to get into the `race thing,' '' Bennett said. ``But it's not a black-white thing. Drugs are killing everybody. Our kids are dying.''
At minimum, it appears likely that the School Board will consider a proposal to randomly test athletes, officials said.
``I like the concept,'' Nichols said. ``We'll probably come up with a proposal going only as far as the court says we can go.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Norfolk School Board member Robert F. Williams made the case for
drug tests at a retreat last week.
KEYWORDS: DRUG TESTING SCHOOLS by CNB