Safford Middle School officials did not violate the civil rights of a 13-year-old Safford girl when they forced her to disrobe and expose her breasts and pubic area four years ago while looking for a drug, according to the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling.
And what "drug" was that? Ibuprofen, the same over-the-counter painkiller you probably have in your purse, pantry, car, or break room.
This isn't even War On Drugs territory; it's plain old War On Students. You and I can easily and privately treat our headaches, cramps, or whatever, but teenagers are expected to beg for pills from the school nurse. And if they don't, well, this is what happens: they get humiliated with a search that has no legitimate use (no, you can't hide a whole bottle of Advil in your bra), in order to further a policy that has no legitimate purpose behind it.
Two students claimed this girl had some ibuprofen, and school officials took that as a sign that her clothes needed to come off. If she had willingly stripped for someone and been caught, she'd be held up as another case of Teens Out Of Control, and one or both of them would likely be branded a sex offender. If she had been forced to strip by someone who wasn't a school official, then we'd call it rape.
But apparently it's all good as long as you work for a school, your victim isn't willing, and you claim you're looking for a legal drug that's used by millions of people with virtually no side effects.
What will it take for people to realize that the consequences of "zero tolerance" policies like this one are far, far worse than anything they might prevent?
Update: Whoops, forgot the link! Here's the news story, and here's the judicial opinion.