THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, January 3, 1997 TAG: 9701030004
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letters
LENGTH: 66 lines
Gloria B. Johnson, an American government teacher at Northampton High School on the Eastern Shore, writes:
My class has been studying the 4th Amendment regarding searches and seizures and is very interested in the recent case involving the lawsuit of the student against Maury High School. They have debated the issues involving school safety vs. individual rights and have written responses to your Dec. 13 editorial in regard to Norfolk's search policy.
We don't have the extreme drug problems and violence in our school system that the greater Hampton Roads area schools do. This is probably the reason why we don't have random drug searches or security guards with metal detectors. Our school rarely even has any type of school drug or weapon search.
After reading about the recent case with random search and seizures in Maury High School, I find random searches to be quite offensive and hope we never have them here.
How can one student be asked to dump all of his/her belongings to be searched while other students possibly won't have to go through the same procedure? If one student is going to be searched, all students must be searched.
MATT FOGLE
Belle Haven, Dec. 16, 1996
I feel drug searches are necessary in today's world. With all the drugs and weapons, you never know who is carrying around what.
The fact is the searching is good, as it has reduced drug offenses in school. In 1993-94, there were 74 offenses at Maury High School, and this year there have been only six offenses.
The lawsuit against Maury is ridiculous. The young man just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. It is not like the cops are out to get him or anyone else. They probably did not know he had already been searched, because there were different cops doing the different searches.
ADAM LATTIMORE
Eastville, Dec. 17, 1996
Tightening school security doesn't solve any of the problems, it only keeps them out of the classroom. The drugs found in schools still circulate outside of them, and any guns found in schools can be reobtained and used outside of the school.
You fail to mention that the majority of students who are caught with drugs or guns are expelled, which normally only causes the problem to elevate. The school's job is to provide a safe education. I agree with your editorial that what the schools are doing is a good idea, but it cannot be truly effective unless society helps to solve the whole problem.
MORGAN TRUITT
Machipongo, Dec. 16, 1996
Random searches of high school students are the best thing that could have happened to the Norfolk public schools. Because of these searches, drug contraband is down from last year, and so are concealed weapons.
The school has the right to search the students if it wishes. If the students don't want to go to that school, then let them transfer. If they don't have anything illegal, they don't have to worry about anything.
As long as the students' educational environment is safer, let the searches stay.
JASON K. JAMES
Cape Charles, Dec. 16, 1996