Strip Searching for Motrin

The Supreme Court heard a case today that tells me a little bit about how school has changed since I was a 13-year old:

Reporting from Washington -- The Supreme Court gave a skeptical hearing today to lawyers who were urging a rule against strip searching students at school.

Instead, most of the justices voiced concern that students could hide dangerous drugs such as crack cocaine or heroin in their clothes.

The case before the court concerns a 13-year-old Arizona girl who was strip searched in a nurse's office after a school friend said the girl, Savana Redding, had brought white pills to school. The pills were extra-strength ibuprofen, which is commonly taken for headaches and cramps.

Last year, a U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the strip search of Savana Redding was unreasonable and unconstitutional since the pills were ibuprofen. And the court held that the school officials who ordered the search were liable for damages.

But in their comments and questions, most of the justices signaled they are inclined to overturn that decision.

Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. said the school officials should be shielded from being sued since the law governing school searches had not been clear. In the past, the court has said public officials cannot be held liable for damages unless they violate a "clearly established" right.

I think that zero tolerance drug policies in school have clearly gone too far. When I was 13 I had a tendency toward headaches. In fact, I spent the afternoon of my first day of 7th grade in the school nurse's office with a headache so bad I was throwing up.

After that day I started carrying a bottle of Excedrin to school with me every day. If I started to feel a headache coming on I'd take a couple of those and I'd be fine. I don't remember ever sharing the medicine with anyone else, or ever being asked too. Carrying personal medicines like that were not a problem.

Now, a student can't even bring sunscreen or any medications to school without having written authorization on file and having it dispensed by a nurse. I think the only medication a student can carry on their person is a rescue inhaler.

However, if the student becomes pregnant the school is free to obtain an abortion without parental notification or consent.

My, how school has changed.

However, getting back to the Supreme Court case, some common sense needs to be returned to our schools and we need to get off the zero tolerance silliness. I don't think blanket approval for strip searches is any better an idea than zero tolerance for Motrin.