As bad as I think illegal drugs are; I think it is even worse that our school officials are taking on law enforcement roles. I think the only circumstance under which a strip search should be done by school officials is if they think a student is hiding a weapon. In that case there is a threat of imminent danger to other students and school officials. If they suspect illegal drugs, or theft, and feel a strip search is warranted they need to contact law enforcement and it should be the same criteria as for any LEO search.
The purpose of schools and school officials is to educate- period. Their role should not be a law enforcement type role. I know the law allows the school officials to act as law enforcement but I personally feel it is absolutely wrong.
What some people keep ignoring is that the girl could have been kept under observation sitting in a chair somewhere, where she wouldn’t have time to stash drugs somewhere, until her parents or some other authorities arrived to deal with the situation appropriately.
There was simply no excuse for a strip search for prescription medication over the word of a girl with a history who was already in trouble for having drugs herself and likely just wanted to bring someone down with her.
I suppose the people who don’t mind strip searches like that on other people wouldn’t object to an anonymous tip about drugs in their own house so the SWAT team can bust down their door, shoot someone and maybe the dog/cat/canary/whatever, ransack the house, strip search the occupant, and then say it shouldn’t upset anyone because they had *suspicion* and they didn’t find anything.