A human rights group has filed a lawsuit on behalf of the around 900 students at Georgia’s Worth County High school after 40 officers showed up, without a warrant, and proceeded to frisk and grope all of the students in a “drug sweep.”
They put the school on lockdown for four hours and ordered many students into hallways, where they were forced to stand spread eagle, the lawsuit says.
According to the suit, officers cupped boys’ genitals, touched girls’ vaginas, reached inside bras, touched girls’ bare breasts, patted their buttocks and placed their hands inside students’ underwear. No drugs were found.
CNN was unable to contact Worth County Sheriff Jeff Hobby or his lawyer for comment. But the sheriff told CNN affiliate WALB the searches were legal — despite not having warrants or permission from parents or the school system — because school administrators were present during the pat-downs.
The mass-violation of these students rights took place on April 14 and as students and their parents explained to AJC, they are both disturbed and furious.
One-by-one, the classes were directed to the hall. K.P. said they were told to face the wall — boys in one line, girls in the other. The students were told to put their hands against the wall as the deputies conducted the body searches.
She said the female deputy inappropriately touched and groped her breast. She lifted up her bra and touched her vaginal area through her jean pockets, according to K.P.
“I was just scared because I had never been put in that position,” she said. “I felt sexually violated….I was very angry.”
The fact that not a single drug was found just highlights how bogus this kind of “public safety” measure is. Sheriff Jeff Hobby defended ordering the raid by saying he still thinks there are drugs at the high school and the middle school, even though he has brought in drug-sniffing dogs and probably sexually assaulted hundreds of students without finding these magic “drugs.”
The Sylvester Police Department did a search on March 17, and found no drugs.
When asked about that previous search that came up dry, Hobby said he didn't think that search was thorough, so he decided to do his own.
He said he believes there are drugs at the high school and the middle school, but also said that he will not do another search, due to response from community.
It sounds like it is time for Sheriff Hobby to go take up something like bottle-ship building or stamp collecting.