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Raequan Pressley
ENG 111
December 1, 2015
Persuasive Essay
Should School Searches Be Allowed?
When it comes to searching students and their property in school, many people agree that
searches should be allowed. In my opinion, school searches should be forbidden unless there has
been parental consent and student consent to do so. It all boils down to the privacy of the student
and their belongings. In many cases a student is considered a minor unless they are 18 years of
age, which in normal cases, they are a senior in high school. At this age the student has the right
to agree or disagree to a search.
In the United States, schools have the right to search things such as lockers and desks
because it is considered school property. It does not matter if the student is using it and they do
not need permission to search these items. Drug sniffing dogs can be brought into the school
when there is suspicion that a student or students have committed a crime or will be committing
a crime. These dogs are trained to sniff out illegal substances in the school. But what about the
students who are innocent and have not done anything wrong. This is an invasion of privacy and
makes students feel uncomfortable when they feel that they are being persecuted. Imagine
sitting at your desk and a police officer of school official comes to you classroom to retrieve you
because someone told them that you have been selling drugs out of your locker. In some cases,
people would argue that these methods keep other students safe and lowers crime rates within
schools. But it actually causes students to lack trust in their superiors. They have been treated as

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if they are guilty from the start. Anything said to those officials can and will be used against you
in court and as a minor you would not know that.
Students should have the same rights as an adult outside of school. In most states a
student is able to refuse a search but then it is assumed you are guilty because it looks as if you
have something to hide. For example, a friend of mine was in class at a local Charlotte high
school. Drug sniffing dogs were being escorted around the halls of the school. The students had
no knowledge of this search beforehand. There were very little drugs found but after figuring out
that the school lockers were being searched, students began to feel on edge. Nothing was sent
out to inform the students that a search would be taking place in the school that day. The school
officials were searching a particular students belongings but they didnt find any drugs. They did
find a prescription medication that the student was required to take on a schedule so he had his
medicine in his locker. The student was removed from class and in turn missed out on valuable
class time. He was asked if he consented to a search of his belongings and person. He declined
this search. Immediately the student felt violated. His parents werent notified about the request
to search, only that he was being suspended for having drugs in his property. This leads to a
number of issues, such as that student missing out on class time, feeling on edge while in school
and not being able to bring doctor prescribed medicine to school when it is necessary. The
student was suspended for 5 days and as a result of this missed important instruction and
assignments. He later had to make them up with very little time to avoid a failing grade in that
class.
In the community people of all ages are protected by the Fourth Amendment, which
states that people are free from unreasonable searches. These rights are interpreted a little
differently in schools. Because there is a need to protect the students and make sure students and

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the community are safe, schools administration can determine when a search is necessary. A
student in public school may be subject to a search because of issues within some communities
and students bringing illegal items or substances to school. So other students are being punished
because of another persons actions. A school that has had an incident where a student has
brought a knife or gun to school may be subject to more searches or even metal detectors. In
Charlotte, an alternative school requires that all students be searched before entering the
building. In this school the students have charges ranging from fighting to gun possession. In
this instance, I believe it is acceptable because that expectation has been set beforehand. Student
handbooks do outline the policy for searches but I believe that it is very vague in describing what
rights the students have. All students should be treated fairly and should be fully informed on
their rights. A student who has never been any trouble should not be subject to search and
seizure of personal belongings. All parents should be contacted before a student is even spoken
to, especially if the student is a minor.
All students should be informed of their rights beforehand. Students have the right to feel
safe in their schools but should not have to worry about being labeled as a guilty party before
they even know what is going on. Rule number 33 In the Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools
Handbook, states that a student must cooperate and not obstruct during a reasonable and
authorized search of the person and/or vehicle. Nowhere in the handbook does it state that a
student has a right to deny the search. This is unfair because these items are considered personal
property. Even though students have a right to deny search of personal property, it does not state
that they do in the handbook. This is misleading and a person reading this is lead to believe that
they do not have any rights when it involves personal property. This makes a person feel
violated and in most cases untrusted.

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In conclusion, all of this boils down to privacy and personal space. The Fourth
Amendment rights should be honored inside and outside of school walls. All people should be
treated fairly whether they are in school or not. A minor should not be taken advantage of
because they are nave or lack knowledge of their rights. All parents should be required to be
contacted in the instance that a search is being requested and a student must be made of aware
that they have a right to refuse search.

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Works Cited
United States of America. Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools. Board of Education. Code of Student
Conduct. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://www.cms.k12.nc.us/mediaroom/backtoschool/Documents/20152016%20Code%20of%20Student%20Conduct%20(English).pdf>.

"Searches for Weapons and Drugs." Creating Safe and Drug-Free Schools:. N.p., Sept. 1996.
Web. 01 Dec. 2015. <https://www2.ed.gov/offices/OSDFS/actguid/searches.html>.

"What Does the Fourth Amendment Mean?" United States Courts. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Dec. 2015.
<http://www.uscourts.gov/about-federal-courts/educational-resources/about-educationaloutreach/activity-resources/what-does-0>.