This study examined federal and state court decisions related to student Fourth Amendment rights following the "New Jersey v. T.L.O." ruling in 1985. There has been minimal research in judicial treatment of students' Fourth Amendment rights across regions of the country and less to what extent regional rulings implicitly or explicitly…

The Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees "the right of people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures" by governmental officials. In a 1985 Supreme Court decision, "New Jersey v. TLO," students' privacy rights in public schools are afforded a lower…

Public secondary school administrators should deduce from the 1985 "New Jersey v. T.L.O." Supreme Court decision that searching students does not violate the Constitutional prohibition against unreasonable searches and seizures when there are reasonable grounds for suspicion. The "Wallace v. Jaffree" case, decided in the same…

The Supreme Court's "T.L.O." decision and its application by the lower courts provide school administrators with considerable guidance in dealing with search and seizure situations. A nationwide survey of 238 high school principals indicates the status of search and seizure practices in public secondary schools. (MLF)