11-Year-Old And Her Family Stand Up For Privacy And Probable Cause
Her Pennsylvania school district's requires that she go through urine testing in order to participate in choir and other activities, and she and her family are having none of that. CBSnews reports:
The American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania said Wednesday it filed the lawsuit Wednesday on behalf of the sixth-grader from Peach Bottom, Pa., and her parents. They say the drug-testing policy violates privacy rights under the state constitution, and want a county judge to prevent the Solanco School District from enforcing it.
The girl was removed from the orchestra and the chorus at her middle school and can't participate in athletic or academic teams without agreeing to random urine testing by school officials. More here from Care2.com, by Anna Klenke:
Although it seems shocking to test middle schoolers for drugs, random drug testing in schools is not a new issue, although it is most common at the high school level. The 1995 Supreme Court Vernonina School District v. Acton verdict ruled in favor of random drug testing for school athletes, and a 1998 case expanded the ruling to include all extracurricular activities, not just sports.What is the justification for testing students for drugs? Nearly all proponents of this practice believe that the threat of random drug testing will be enough to prevent students from taking drugs. But studies have shown that while random drug testing does seem to stop students from taking drugs in the short term, it does almost nothing to ensure long-term abstinence from drugs.
And for those students -- like the middle schooler in Pennsylvania -- who are conscious of their rights, drug testing can easily be seen as an invasion of privacy.
Now, I understand if we're going to have 11-year-olds "operating heavy machinery," that we might want to be careful that they aren't chugging six packs before school, but choir?
There's a continuing erosion of rights in our country. Stand up for yours and your children's -- and in turn, all of ours -- when some government agency or government-affiliated body tries to yank them from you.
via ifeminists
Hmm. She has to have valid photo ID to buy liquor AND to attend school. She has to perform at a minimum level to remain in those activities.
While her parents do not in order to vote.
My guess is that there's a future TSA pedo in the lab, waiting for a job at the airport.
It's just a power game.
Radwaste at March 25, 2012 4:10 AM
And then what happens when a false positive happens?
Or for that matter a true positive?
The student doesn't have drugs on him/her at school. Are they going suspend the student for activities outside of school? Report them to police? Require counseling?
What about coming up positive for alcohol because the parents gave their child wine with dinner?
Jim P. at March 25, 2012 5:57 AM
Today: "If she's done nothing wrong, she has nothing to fear."
In five years, another girl: "The tests show you ate peanut butter that morning, you're expelled."
John A at March 25, 2012 9:32 AM
Seriously? What idiocy!! Are they doing this to all the kids, or just her? This is way beyond the pale.
Flynne at March 25, 2012 9:40 AM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2012/03/25/11-year-old_and.html#comment-3098543">comment from FlynneApparently, to all the kids. Ludicrous.
Amy Alkon
at March 25, 2012 9:51 AM
I don't know. When do you start?
Most people seem to be in favor of it at the Varsity High School and Collegiate level. When should it start. I know people that have put thier children on steroids before the testing window or in the summer. Could this be designed to prevent this?
Btw, I don't know how random it really is. Our son has been randomly chosen for the last three years. He wouldnt mind so much if they would just take a sample. Instead he has to get up at about 5:00 a.m. for an appointment which wears him out on game day.
Jen at March 25, 2012 9:51 AM
Adam Carolla spoke about this general subject last week. Paraphrasing, he said that in order to eliminate all of this unwarranted persecution & intrusion into the lives of innocent people without any cause or reasonable suspicion, a whole lot of people are going to need to stand up at once and say "NO!".
Robert W. (Vancouver) at March 25, 2012 10:08 AM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2012/03/25/11-year-old_and.html#comment-3098563">comment from Robert W. (Vancouver)Absolutely right.
Amy Alkon
at March 25, 2012 10:11 AM
The high school my daughters attended had a random drug testing that parents could opt out of. I opted my kids out of it. Like I would trust the school with any test results.
sara at March 26, 2012 6:06 AM
At my son's school not only did you have to agree to the program to participate in the extra activities, the family had to pay for the test.
nuzltr2 at March 26, 2012 8:26 AM
Shouldn't we be encouraging students who are risk of drug use to participate in extra curricular activities rather than barring them from them? Frankly, athletics were the reason I was a straight arrow, till my early twenties at least.
I can maybe see the wisdom of testing varsity football players. They have prestige and pussy on the line, maybe it will keep them straight. But really, what does the JV 200 meter hurdler have to lose? And is the hurdler going to be better off loitering at 7-11 with the other kids who don't have extra-curriculars?
smurfy at March 26, 2012 2:25 PM
I can maybe see the wisdom of testing varsity football players.
Whatever "wisdom" you see there is the same "wisdom" expanded to choir and band now.
Unix-Jedi at March 28, 2012 2:01 PM
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