cannabisnews.com: Drug Tests Approved for Schools Drug Tests Approved for Schools Posted by FoM on March 10, 2000 at 09:05:39 PT By Randy Ellis, Staff Writer Source: The Oklahoman Online Public schools can force students to take drug tests to participate in extracurricular activities, an Oklahoma City federal judge ruled Thursday.U.S. District Judge David L. Russell issued the precedent-setting ruling in a case in which two high school students sued the Tecumseh school board, alleging the district's drug testing policy violated their constitutional right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures. The U.S. Supreme Court previously ruled that a school district could require drug testing of students engaged in athletic competition. Russell's ruling expands that decision and means school districts can require students to take drug tests to participate in other extracurricular activities such as choir, marching band, color guard, Future Farmers of America, Future Homemakers of America, academic teams, pompom squads and cheerleading. "We're extremely pleased with the decision," Tecumseh School Superintendent Tom Wilsie said Thursday. "We feel we had presented a good case, and we're pleased the court agreed with us." The schools' drug testing policy was suspended pending the outcome of the federal court decision. Wilsie said the school board will have to meet to discuss reinstating the policy. That probably will be done at a special meeting of the board, but no meeting has been called. American Civil Liberties Union attorney Graham Boyd, who represented the students who sued the school district, could not be reached for comment Thursday on whether an appeal is planned. In a 25-page order, Russell discussed the tragic impact that drug use has had on school children. "While the evidence in this case does not show a drug problem of epidemic proportions, or a student body in a state of rebellion, it certainly shows legitimate cause for concern," the judge wrote. "This court is well aware of the prevalence of illegal drugs in our society, including schools." He also noted "the devastating effects of illegal drug use, not only upon the users, but upon the countless others whose lives are touched." "Children grow chemically dependent more quickly than adults, and their record of recovery is depressingly poor," he wrote. "The effects of a drug-infested school are visited not just upon the users, but upon the entire student body and faculty, as the education process is disrupted." Considering what is at stake, Russell said he found the intrusion into the students' privacy interests to be "minimal." The Tecumseh drug testing policy required all students who participate in extracurricular activities to submit to drug testing. Students were required to undergo drug testing randomly during the year while participating, and at any time while participating in competitive activities upon reasonable suspicion. The district's drug test is designed to detect amphetamines, marijuana, cocaine, opiates, barbiturates and benzodiazepines. Random drug testing was conducted at Tecumseh schools on about eight occasions during the 1998-99 school year, with about 20 students tested each time. Steve Wedel, Contributing Staff Writer Published: March 10, 2000Copyright: 2000 The Oklahoma Publishing Co.Cannabis News Student Drug Testing Articles & Archives:http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/list/drug_testing.shtmlhttp://www.alltheweb.com/cgi-bin/asearch?type=all&query=cannabisnews+student+drug+testing Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #6 posted by Brenda on April 11, 2001 at 11:08:06 PT: Congress needs to think Well I happy to see people sticking up for our rights. Now I'm a high school student and drug testing would close down all activities that we participate in. We know our rights and we aren't so willing to give them up. Even those who don't personaly use the drug are mad at this issue. We were raised to stand up and fight for what you want and now, those F***ers in Congress are telling us the opposite. Someone make up your mind!!!!!!!!! [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by Tim Stone on March 10, 2000 at 14:46:23 PT The result And the result of ever widening drug tests of high school kids will most likely be what? Marijuana use might go down. And use of alcohol, cocaine, solvents, speed will likely increase. Alcohol and solvents aren't tested for and cocaine and speed, being water-soluble, will wash out of the body in a few days, unlike cannabis which can hang around for weeks. Jeez, school board geniuses, great job of protecting the children. (sarcasm) [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by FoM on March 10, 2000 at 12:50:52 PT Check this out! Hi greenfox,I can't do much of anything for a few months. I have to have major dental surgery the end of this month and we have a relative that is in critcal conditions, he just was flown in yesterday from Mexico to Cleveland's VA Hospital I think he is the Mayfield Heights VA Hospital but I am out of touch with the family at the moment and it makes us sad so it will take til summer for me to want to be getting out to an event. They had to put him on a respirator last night. Check out NorthCoast NORML for their upcoming event schedule. Here is the link!Pece, FoM! NorthCoast NORML [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by Freedom on March 10, 2000 at 12:44:01 PT What a flawed decision. Conservative judges have more than shown their willingness to sell out the Bill of Rights to the Prohibition God.The main drive and thrust of prohibitionists now is to push drug testing into every nook and cranny of our lives they can, for they know law enforcement has a very poor chance of catching and punishing any given drug user. I can easily see a day where you cannot have a driver'slicense, a credit card, or a bank account without submitting to these humiliating tests. Said tests which only test for marijuana effectively, encourage hard drug use, and give false positives on the EMIT on 1 in 10,000 tests.Give it a lttle more time, and far more information will be gleened from these tests. What prescriptions do you take?What is your genetic profile? What health problems do you have? Are you pregnant?I am truly horrified we have come to the point where the government has a right to demand my bodily fluids for examination without any probable cause.At the recent CASA conference, the mainly prohibitionist audience cheered when the point was made that even if a casual user's occasional use of marijuana did not influenece his work, an employer should test because that employee might be using marijuana at home in front of their children.It is not the job of the state government, nor of the school, to play in loco parentis. If my child were to develop a drug abuse problem, the last people I would want involved would be these prohibitionist zero tolerance bozos.Our entire democratic value system is being corrupted in the name of stopping Joe Six-Pack from smoking a joint at the end of the day. It is unbelievable. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by Dave in Florida on March 10, 2000 at 10:57:12 PT Just say No >Russell's ruling expands that decision and means school districts can require students to take drug tests to participate in other extracurricular activities such as choir, marching band, color guard, Future Farmers of America, Future Homemakers of America, academic teams, pompom squads and cheerleading.>The Tecumseh drug testing policy required all students who participate in extracurricular activities to submit to drug testing.Students were required to undergo drug testing randomly during the year while participating, and at any time while participating in competitive activities upon reasonable suspicion. Well now kids, we need your support to "just say no" to extracurricular activities. Wouldn't that just throw the antis for a loop! Stand up for your rights. Tell them to teach you the constition. Do they even teach PAD (Problems of American Democracy) anymore? [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by greenfox on March 10, 2000 at 10:10:05 PT: ·...·:::The Gathering of the Minds:::·...· Heya all, it's green here. I've tried (very unsuccesfully) to gain the attention of all you people, so.. listen up!~ :)I think we should all have a picnic at the end of this month or the beginning of next. Now, FoM lives in Ohio. Hell, we might even be able to do something and tie it in with a NORML function (I know the folks the cleveland chapter very well..) Now... the real question:Would there be ANY interest in this at all? If so, who's interested? :) I see so many insightful things posted here, it'd be very cool to meet some of the minds behind it all.So... please post your thoughts on this one, (and FoM, i did *try* to email you some time ago regarding this, but you didn't reply so...) sorry for the off topic post, but i figure this is the best way. ?? :)Later!-greenf0x [ Post Comment ] Post Comment Name: Optional Password: E-Mail: Subject: Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message] Link URL: Link Title: