Pubdate: Thu, 30 Jan 2014
Source: Pocono Record, The (Stroudsburg, PA)
Copyright: 2014 Pocono Mountains Media Group
Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/PEKmDRjJ
Website: http://www.poconorecord.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4529
Author: Beth Brelje
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Testing)

DRUG-TESTING BAN LIFTED FOR DELAWARE VALLEY STUDENTS

Delaware Valley School District students will soon be required to 
provide a cup of drug-free urine for the privilege of driving to 
school or being involved in extracurricular activities.

That is, one cup to get started, and then random urine tests as long 
as they remain involved.

Random, suspicionless drug testing has been the district's policy 
since 1996, but it was banned from practicing it since Pike County 
Judge Joseph Kameen issued a temporary injunction against testing in July 2011.

Kameen vacated the injunction Jan. 21 and ruled that Delaware 
Valley's drug testing policy is constitutional and now may continue.

The injunction came at the request of the ACLU of Pennsylvania on 
behalf of Glenn and Kathy Kiederer of Milford, who objected when 
their then-12-year-old daughter was required to be tested for drugs 
to join the school scrapbooking club.

That daughter and another daughter refused to take the drug tests 
because the family believed it was a violation of their civil rights.

The injunction affected all students by temporarily banning the 
school from random, suspicionless drug testing until the case was 
heard. (Suspicion-based testing had been allowed and was not disputed.)

"We are thrilled with the judge's decision. The testing program 
helped a lot of kids in the past -- both those that were using drugs 
and those that used the program as a great excuse to not use drugs," 
Delaware Valley School District Superintendent John Bell said.

In his decision, Kameen's said the district proved three key points: 
that there is an actual drug problem in the school district; 
individualized proof that the targeted students are likely part of 
the drug problem; and reasonable proof that the policy addresses the 
drug problem.

The district used evidence that in some cases was based on hearsay 
and the memories of school officials of events from the 1990s.

For example, there was mention of a drug-sniffing dog hitting on 21 
middle school lockers in 1996; a student convicted of selling heroin 
in the high school bathroom in 1998; a recollection of a public 
meeting in the 1990s when the president of the student council, who 
did not testify in this case, said drugs were everywhere in the 
school and being sold in the bathroom; and a recollection of a police 
chief who said 35-40 percent of Delaware Valley students were using heroin.

Although at the time school officials did not keep records of which 
extracurricular activities drug users were involved in, school 
officials looked back at the records, recalled this information and 
determined some students who used drugs also drove to school or were 
involved in football, basketball, track and field, National Honor 
Society, Odyssey of the Mind, drama club and vocational instruction.

In 2011, each urine test cost $29. "We have a call into the testing 
company for pricing," Bell said.

What did the school spend in legal fees for this case? Bell could not 
offer a figure.

"Since it was covered by our insurance carrier, no money was taken 
out of the budget to defend the program," he said.

It is unclear if the ACLU of Pennsylvania is done with this case.

"We are filing a post-trial motion in the case tomorrow, which is the 
first thing that has to happen. Depending on what the judge does with 
that post-trial motion, we will make a decision about appealing," 
said ACLU Senior Staff Attorney MaryCatherine Roper.

"I don't know if the school will immediately seek to enforce the 
policy against our clients or other students or not. We haven't heard 
anything about that yet. If and when the school does that, our 
clients will make a decision about whether to keep participating in 
their activities."

With board approval, testing of students in grades 6-12 will likely 
start in the spring, Bell said.

STATEMENT FROM BOARD MEMBER

Delaware Valley School board member Zachary Pearce released this 
statement on the district's drug testing policy:

"While I've had my reservations in the past regarding our pupil drug 
testing policy, I now believe it to be entirely appropriate in acting 
as a tool to deter drug use and/or experimentation. In the wake of 
Judge Kameen's decision to vacate his previous injunction, and as 
chairman of the Policy Committee, I've directed the administration to 
send me a revised policy ASAP. The full board will be asked to 
readopt the policy at the February regular meeting. I'd also like to 
remind the public that I'm the only board member who was randomly 
drug tested under the previous policy. I've heard the concerns of 
parents in the interim, and I agree with them. We need to reinstate the policy."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom