AdamLinnRegionalHighSchoolDistrictv.

LNS
WrittenbySupremeCourtJusticeAnisaSyed
Mod4

BackgroundInformation:
TheAdamLinnRegionalHighSchoolDistrictrecentlyimposedarandomdrugscreening
policyforallofitsstudentsinvolvedinextracurricularactivities.Accordingtothepolicy,
anyoneinterestedinparticipatinginanyoftheseactivitiesisrequiredtoagreetoberandomly
screenedforillegaldruguse.Theschoolsstarquarterback,aheavilyrecruitedNCAA
Division1prospect,failedthescreeningandwasremovedfromtheschoolsfootballteam.
Thestudent(whoisreferredtobyhisinitialsLNSbecauseofhisstatusasaminor)issuing
theschoolonthebasisthatthepolicyisunconstitutional.Thisissuehasalreadybeenruled
onbyNewJerseyStateSupremeCourtinfavorofthedistrictandtheplaintiffisnow
appealingthecasetoUSSupremeCourt.

Informationoutliningtheargumentsmadebybothparties
Thisissueonrandomdrugtestinghasbeenacontroversialissuesincethelate
1980s,andeachhaveadifferentoutcome.Thosewhoargueunconstitutional,saythispolicy
isviolatingmainlytheir4thAmendmentrights,andthosewhosaytheyareconstitutional,
arguetheyareinfavoroftheamendment.Thefollowingaresimilarcasespleadingtoboth
sidesofthecase:
OnelandmarkSupremeCourtCaseisthecaseofT.L.O.v.theStateofNewJersey,
1985.StudentT.L.O.wasaccusedbyherteacherofsmokinginthebathroom,whichwas
illegal.Aftershedeniedshewassmoking,theschoolthensearchedherbagandfound
cigarettes,smallbills,marijuana(andotherproductsusedforthedistribution),andalistof
namestowhichtheschoolassumedwaswhothegirlowedmoneyto.Whenpresentedtothe
juvenilecourt,T.L.O.arguedher4thamendmentrightshavebeenviolated.Thecourtdecided
itwasntinviolationofherrights,andthattheevidenceinherpursecouldbeusedagainst
her.ThecasewasthentakentotheUSSupremeCourt,wheretheyconcludedthatschools
havetherighttosearchtheirstudentsundernosuspicion,andundernowarrantthisrestricts
youfromyourFourthAmendmentrights,yourprotectionfromunreasonablesearchand
seizure,inschool.
ThecasesofSkinnerandVonRaabaremajorSupremecourtcasesthatasaresult,
othercaseshavebasedtheirdecisionsoffofthem.Skinnerv.RailwayLaborExecutives
Association,in1985,dealtwithrequiring,forcingRailwaylaborexecutivestotakeadrugtest
toensurethesafetyofthoseusingrailways.Thecourtruledconstitutional,thatthislawwas
notinviolationofthe4thAmendment,becausethesceneconsistedofoverseeingrailroad
employeeswhowerecapableofendangeringthelivesofothers.NationalTreasury
EmployeesUnionv.VonRaab,1989,consistedofdemandingdrugtestingsforanyUS
CustomsServiceapplicantsthatwouldhandletheinterceptionofillegaldrugs,carried

firearms,andoperatedwithsensitiveinformation.TheCourtruledconstitutional,notin
violationoftheir4thamendmentrights(therighttoprivacy),despitethecomplaintsagainst.
Thesetwocasesinfluencedtheconclusionforthenextcase,VernoniaSchoolDistrictv.
Acton,1995.
ThecaseofVernoniaSchoolDistrictv.Acton,1995,startedwhenathleteswere
recognizedforillegaldruguse.Theschoolclaimedthattheuseofthesedrugincreasedtheir
chanceofgettinghurtduringasport,whichresultedintheschoolissuingstudentswho
participateininterscholasticathleticstoberandomlydrugtested.Thecasewasbroughttothe
courtwhenJamesActonwasntallowedtoplayfootballfortheschoolafterhisparents
wouldntallowhimtotakethetestasaviolationofhis4thAmendment.Thecourtruled63in
favoroftheschooldistrict,statingthatathleteshavelessprivacythanotherstudentslikefor
example,physicalexamsorgettingchangedinthesameroom.Inordertokeepdrugfree
schoolsandtoensurethesafetyofstudentsinschool,thesetestsarenecessary,especially
forstudentathletes,whoriskgettinginjuredduringasportwhiletakingdrugs.
Whatallthesedrugtestrelatedcourtcaseshaveincommonisthattheyareallmade
tosecureyoursafety,andthesafetyofotherswhichiswhatyouwouldwantifyouwereat
workorschool.Thiscorrespondswiththesocialcontract,thatyouhavetogiveupsomeof
yourfreedomforprotection.

Unlikethelastcases,thecaseofChandlerv.Miller,1997,hastheoppositeoutcome.
ThiscaseinvolvednomineesorcandidatesforastatepositioninGeorgiatobedrugtested
negative30daysbeforequalifyingtobenominated.Libertarianpartynominees,represented
throughChandler,statedthistestwasinviolationoftheir4thamendmentrights.Thecourt
ruledinfavorofChandlerduetoGeorgiasfailuretopresentevidencethatshowedthere
beingapreviousdruguseproblemwithstateofficials.Thedrugtestdidfallunderthe
categorythatisprotectedbythe4thAmendment,therighttobeprotectedfromunreasonable
searchandseizure,duetothefactthatthetestswereunreasonablebecausetherehasnt
beenanyrelatedissuesinthepast.
Anothercaseinvolvesdrugtestingingrades612inTexas,whichisthecaseof
Brooksv.EastChambersConsolidatedIndependentSchoolDistrict.Inresponsetodrugand
alcoholuseconcern,theprincipalatEastChambersConsolidatedIndependentSchool
Districtchose3studentstolookthroughtheiryearbookandpickoutthestudentsthatmaybe
usingdrugsoralcoholtheoutcomewasofstudentsweresuspectedtobedrinkingand
97%tobeusingdrugs.Thiscausedtheschooltodevelopadrugandalcoholtestwhena
studentjoinsanextracurricularactivity.StudentBrooksrefusedtotakethetestuponwanting
tojoinanactivity.Whenthiscasewastakentothecourtduetothecomplaintthetestwasan
invasionofprivacy(4thAmendmentrights),thecourtruledthetestwasunconstitutional.Even
thoughthereasonforthesetestsweretomakesuretherewasnoharmdonewhiledoing
suchactivityandthetestswereoptional,therewasnosufficientevidencethattherehasbeen
aproblemwithdrugoralcoholrelatedaccidents,thusclassifiedasunreasonablesearch,a
partofyour4thAmendmentrights.

Whatallthesecaseslabeledunconstitutionalhaveincommonisevidence.Onwhat
Iveresearched,therehasbeenlittletononeknownevidencethatdrugsandalcoholhavean
effectincertainsceneswheredrugtestswouldbeneeded.

CourtsDecision
Afterresearchingbothsidesoftheargument,whethertheAdamLinnRegionalHigh
SchoolDistrictv.LNScaseshouldberuledconstitutionalorunconstitutional,Ifeelasthough
basedontheConstitution,thecourtshouldruleinfavorofAdamLinnRegionalHighSchool
District.Duetothefactthattheuseofdrugsoralcoholbeforeorduringafootballgameisnt
justputtingyourwellbeinginharmsway,butitalsoputsthelivesofotherstoo,isreasonable
suspicioneveniftherehasntbeenanypastincidentsinthatschool.Historyrevealsthere
havebeenmanydrugandalcoholrelatedinjuries,andinthesettingofnewdriversinhigh
school,youwouldwanttoensurethesafetyofothersbeforeaninjurydoesoccur.Also,the
governmenthasthisideaofdrugfreeschools,sotohelpthemknowthatstudentsarent
drinkingordoingdrugs,theyissuetests.Tohelpexplainmypoint,thecaseofVernonia
SchoolDistrictv.Acton,1995dealswithsimilartopics.
Asstatedpreviously,Actonwasdeniedtheprivilegetoplayfootballasaresultofhis
parentsnotsigningtheconsentform.ActonandLNSaresimilarinthefactthattheyareboth
notallowedtoplayfootball,andtheyarebothsuingonthetermsthatthetestsare
unconstitutional,violatingtheir4thamendmentrights.ThecourtsrulingintheActoncasewas
thateventhoughthestudentssawthetestsasaninvasionofprivacy,thestudentathletes
alreadyhavelimitedprivacyforexamplepreseasonphysicalexams,andchanginginto
uniforminthesameroomasotherpeers.Also,tokeepthegovernment'sideaofdrugfree
schools,thetestaredesignedtoshowconsequenceswhendrugsareusedandtoprevent
drug/alcoholrelatedaccidentsfromhappening,especiallyduringagame.
Inconclusion,basedonthecourtcasesdescribedpreviouslyandtheConstitution
itself,thecasedealingwithAdamLinnRegionalHighSchoolDistrictv.LNSshouldberuled
constitutional.Ibelievethatbasedonthe4thamendment,Therighttobesecureintheir
persons,houses,papers,andeffects,againstunreasonablesearchesandseizures,shallnot
beviolated,LNSshouldntbeallowedtoplayfootballuntilthedrugconsentformgets
signedandthestudentsdrugclearanceisconfirmed.Thispolicyisconstitutionalbasedon
thefactthattoensurethesafetyofyourselfandothersduringaschoolactivity,itis
reasonabletosearchforillegaldrugsoralcoholuse.ThisisstatedinthecaseofVernonia
SchoolDistrictv.Acton.Youasastudenthavelessrightsinschoolthanyoudointhepublic.
Theschoolisactingasaparentalfigureandhastheabilitytoviolatecertainrightswithout
thembeingmarkedatunconstitutional.

Bibliography
Forinformationoutliningtheargumentsmadebybothparties:
(usedforallcases)
http://education.findlaw.com/studentrights/drugtestingbackgroundinformation.htm
https://www.aclu.org/druglawreform/studentdrugtestingrelevantcaselaw
http://www.studentdrugtesting.org/sdt_legal_actions.htm

ForT.L.O.v.StateofNewJersey:
http://www.uscourts.gov/Multimedia/Podcasts/Landmarks/NewJerseyvTLO.aspx
ForSkinnerv.RailwayLaborExecutivesAssn:
https://www.aclu.org/druglawreform/studentdrugtestingrelevantcaselaw
http://scholarship.law.marquette.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1581&context=facpub
https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/489/602/case.html
ForNationalTreasuryEmployeesUnionv.VonRaab
http://law.jrank.org/pages/23465/NationalTreasuryEmployeesUnionvVonRaabSig
nificance.html
ForVernoniaSchoolDistrictv.Acton
http://www.oyez.org/cases/19901999/1994/1994_94_590
ForChandlerv.Miller
http://www.studentdrugtesting.org/sdt_legal_actions.htm
http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/96126.ZS.html
http://www.oyez.org/cases/19901999/1996/1996_96_126
ForBrooksv.EastChambersConsolidatedIndependentSchoolDistrict
https://csl.sog.unc.edu/node/1167
http://www.leagle.com/decision/19891489730FSupp759_11393.xml/BROOKS%20v.%
20EAST%20CHAMBERS%20CONSOL.%20IND.%20SCHOOL%20DIST
.

ForConcludingParagraphs
http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/pubs/20104025/