Interrogations and Searches
When may school officials question a student or conduct a search?
In the interests of promoting student safety and attempting to ensure that LTS is safe and drug free, school officials may, from time to time, conduct searches. Such searches are conducted without a warrant and as permitted by law.
Administrators, teachers, and other professional personnel may question a student regarding the student’s own conduct or the conduct of other students. In the context of school discipline, students have no claim to the right not to incriminate themselves.
Students shall be free from unreasonable searches and seizures by school officials. School officials may search a student’s outer clothing, pockets, or property by establishing reasonable cause or securing the student’s voluntary consent.
A search is reasonable if (1) the school official has reasonable grounds for suspecting that the search will uncover evidence of a rule violation or a criminal violation and (2) the scope of the search is reasonably related to the circumstances justifying the search, such as the extent of the search, the objectives of the search, the age and sex of the student, and the nature of the infraction.
Desk Searches
Students should have no expectation of privacy in the contents of their desks or other school property. Desks assigned to students remain at all times under the control and jurisdiction of LTS. The school will make periodic inspections of desks at any time, with or without notice or student consent. School officials will remove any item that violates school policy or that may potentially be dangerous.
Students have full responsibility for the security of their desks and shall be held responsible for any prohibited items found therein. A student’s parent shall be notified if any prohibited articles or materials are found in a student’s desk or on the student’s person.
Random Drug Searches
In order to ensure a drug-free learning environment, LTS conducts random drug searches of all school facilities. LTS may use or contract for specially trained, nonaggressive dogs to sniff out and alert school officials to the current presence of concealed, prohibited, or illegal items, including drugs and alcohol. Canine visits may be unannounced. The dogs shall be used to search vacant classrooms, vacant common areas, and the areas where
vehicles are parked on LTS property or at school-related events. The dogs shall not be asked to alert on students. A dog alert to an item in a classroom constitutes reasonable grounds for a search by school officials.