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The Borgen Project

In the name of safety some school officials might pat down everyone going to a school dance confiscate students smartphones and go through their texts or pictures search. Practically speaking it is never a good idea for a student to keep contraband on themselves in their purses or backpacks or in their lockers.

School Lockers What Can A Teacher Search Legalzoom Com

Schools have the right to search lockers and book bags with a probable cause and or a warrant.

Should schools search students lockers and backpacks. Yes Its not their locker. However if a search is conducted without their consent and they are prosecuted as a result of that search the best thing to do is to consult with an attorney that has experience in criminal law. Backpacks are spread out around many campuses with laptops phones ipods and other electronics ready to be stolen because students dont have a secure place to keep their backpacks.

Schools should be able to search students lockers because its the schools locker that they pay for to be put in. Schools are advised to inform each student of the schools right to search lockers including removal of locks and should have appropriate policies in place that they communicate to students so that the students have a reduced expectation of privacy see. If students knew that at any given moment they could be asked to search book bags or lockers than.

If your locker is considered personal property then your school may not search your locker unless it has a reasonable suspicion that it may find something against the law or school rules. Students have a privacy right in their personal belongings such as backpacks and school officials must have reasonable suspicion before searching a students items. The United States Supreme Court has wisely delegated the decision to allow random locker searches to the jurisdiction of each individual school district or school.

Kids might be forgiven for feeling like they dont have any rights at school. Schools have more leeway than police when searching students pockets backpacks lockers and other belongings but there are limits. Students only use it for that year.

Case made it legal for school officials to search a students property or belongings such as backpacks lockers or cars as long as there is reasonable suspicion that a student broke a school rule or committed a crime. 55 of phones stolen each year are. Lockers on the other hand are owned by the school so the school can search those without having reasonable suspicion.

All the Yes points. Schools have more leeway than police when searching students pockets backpacks lockers and other belongings but there are limits. Lockers are a great way to bring down theft in schools important items are kept locked away and students can be more relaxed.

Random searches of student lockers in grammar schools high schools and even colleges have become a national topic for debate in the United States. If students know their lockers are subject to search they may be less likely to bring banned items to school in the first place making the school environment safer. Yes schools should check students backpacks and lockers.

Besides its effectiveness in practice the very presence of a school locker search policy can be an effective deterrent. Are these searches violating privacy rights. The safety of our nations people should take priority.

Yes but only lockers The school should be able to search the lockers because it belongs to that school not the students. Lockers are school property. Do schools have the right to search students lockers.

Searching book bags and lockers would reduce if not stop school shootings and other weapons and contraband inside of schools. Wormwell An Educators Guide to the Role of the Principal Canada Law Book 2008 at 280. Students are merely allowed to use them as they do with sports equipmen It is in the interests of all students that drugs and weapons are not in school.

There is no expectation of privacy when it comes to school property your child uses. However under the fourth amendment it states that a search must have probable cause but not a search warrant and you can not just base it on a rumor. Unless the student buys the locker the school has every right to search the locker especially if they have a probable cause.

But if your locker is considered school property then your locker can be searched.