As it weighs the high-profile case of a 13-year-old girl strip-searched at school, the U.S. Supreme Court is grappling with where to draw the line between protecting student privacy rights and allowing school officials to take steps to ensure a safe environment. During oral arguments, several of the justices seemed sympathetic to the challenges…

Outlines the confusion surrounding a Supreme Court decision in the "New Jersey vs. TLO" case, which put at issue the prohibition against unreasonable searches in schools. The Court's decision allows a lower standard of reasonableness to be applied in school searches. The standards are not clear and are open to serious question. (MD)

In 1985 the United States Supreme Court concluded that the Fourth Amendment's prohibition against unreasonable searches and seizures does apply to public school officials. Offers some hypothetical examples for public school officials to consider regarding mandatory urine testing and the reasonable suspicion standard. (MLF)