Searches and Seizures
Unfortunately, most searches, regardless of scope or lack of probable cause, are permitted by school staff. However, if you are subjected to a raid such as the one at Goose Creek in 2003, you most likely have grounds for a lawsuit in some form. If there is a question as to the search's scope or other measure of legality, we recommend that you Contact Us or go straight to an attorney. We also recommend that you download our Search and Seizure Limitations manual.
Your Right to Forbid a Strip Search - Regardless of your constitutional rights, your teachers or the police can always strip search you if you let them. So don't.
Bomb-Note Writer Wins in Court; Takes on School - While we do NOT encourage students to create a case similar to this one (neither does the host site), this article highlights numerous Constitutional issues on the subject, as well as other issues.
Text of the "Student and Teacher Safety" Act of 2006 - A recent bill that dramatically lowers the burden of proof that is required for a search of a student to be legal. If you are or have been searched under the guidelines of the new law, we recommend that you Contact Us or go straight to an attorney as there may be grounds to challenge the search as well as the new law.
Searches and Seizures in Public Schools - Covers some of the dramatic differences and injustices between searches in school and searches that occur outside of school.
There is very little information regarding the limitations of searches and seizures in schools available on the internet, to the best of our knowledge. If you have additional information of relevance, please bring it to our attention.