Threaded 5

Search of School Lockers

The discussion assignment provides a forum for discussing relevant topics for this week on the basis of the course competencies covered.

For this assignment, make sure you post your initial response to the Discussion Area by the due date assigned.

To support your work, use your course and text readings and also use the South University Online Library. As in all assignments, cite your sources in your work and provide references for the citations in APA format.

Start reviewing and responding to the postings of your classmates as early in the week as possible. Respond to at least two of your classmates’ initial postings. Participate in the discussion by asking a question, providing a statement of clarification, providing a point of view with a rationale, challenging an aspect of the discussion, or indicating a relationship between two or more lines of reasoning in the discussion. Cite sources in your responses to other classmates. Complete your participation for this assignment by the end of the week.

After a shooting incident at another high school, the administrators at Riverdale High decided to conduct a sweep of all school lockers. They believe that the student profile and neighborhood of their school are similar to those where the shootings took place. There is, therefore, a possibility that a similar crime might occur.

The school administrators also think that a random search might be a good deterrent to keep students away from bringing guns or drugs to school. During the search of lockers, the policemen, who were asked to conduct the operation, also did a pat-down search of students who walked by.

You are the defense attorney for a student in whose locker marijuana was found during the search. The student was also found to be in possession of the same drug during the pat-down search.

Based on the case above, write an analysis that addresses the following questions:

• Do you believe that your client’s Fourth Amendment rights were violated under New Jersey v. T.L.O. (1985)? Why?
• How has case law changed with regard to school searches or other constitutional rights on school property, since the T.L.O. case?
• Should high school students enjoy the same constitutional protections on school grounds as they would on the street? Discuss the balance between student safety and personal privacy and explain where you believe the line should be drawn.

Support your responses with adequate research and supporting data. Review and comment on the submissions of at least two of your classmates by the end of the week.

Cite any sources using APA format on a separate page. Let’s learn how to cite sources using

APA guidelines

.