Student Searches

STUDENT SEARCHES

The 4th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution protects individuals from unlawful searches. However, the law allows school officials to conduct searches of students under certain limited circumstances.

1. Searches based on reasonable suspicion;
2. If a student has engaged in conduct that causes an administrator to have reasonable suspicion that the search will turn up evidence that the student has committed a crime, is about to commit a crime, or has violated applicable laws, regulations, or school rules, the administrator may conduct a search of that student. The administrator must:
   • Be able to articulate the reason for the suspicion and the facts and/or circumstances surrounding a specific incident;
   • Be able to reasonably connect the student to a specific incident, crime, rule, or statute violation;
   • Have relied on recent, credible information from personal knowledge, and/or other eyewitnesses;
   • Ensure that a search based on reasonable suspicion is not excessively intrusive in light of the student’s age, gender, and the nature of the offense.