Pubdate: Sun, 25 Mar 2001
Source: San Jose Mercury News (CA)
Copyright: 2001 San Jose Mercury News
Contact:  750 Ridder Park Drive, San Jose, CA 95190
Fax: (408) 271-3792
Website: http://www.sjmercury.com/
Forum: http://forums.bayarea.com/webx/cgi-bin/WebX
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Testing)

COURTS INCREASINGLY VOID DRUG TESTING IN SCHOOLS

Six years after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling upheld random drug testing of 
student athletes, spurring hundreds of school districts to adopt similar 
policies, several recent court decisions have struck down broader programs 
that test non-athletes. Some experts say the newer rulings reflect a shift 
in the public's approach to preventing drug use.

Last week, the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, in Denver, said the 
Tecumseh, Okla., school district violated students' constitutional rights 
by requiring drug tests for anyone who participated in interscholastic 
activities.

Early this month, a federal judge rejected mandatory drug testing for all 
students in grades seven through 12 in Lockney, Texas. And state courts in 
Indiana, New Jersey, Oregon and Pennsylvania have expressed similar 
reservations about such policies.
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MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager