Public schools have transformed significantly over the past several decades in response to broad concerns about rising school violence. Today's public schools are high security environments employing tactics commonly found in jails and prisons such as police officers, security cameras, identification systems, and secure building strategies.…

This study examined Columbine's impact on case outcomes related to student searches and its implications for civil liberties and school leader discretion. Using data from 236 court cases since the U.S. Supreme Court ruling of New Jersey v. T.L.O. in 1985, critical search dimensions and outcomes (e.g., level of suspicion) were examined using…

In the April 1999 issue of this journal, Michael Ferraraccio argues that the justifications advanced for using metal detectors in schools are not sufficiently compelling to outweigh students' Fourth Amendment privacy rights. In the accompanying Counterpoint, Robert Johnson cites lower court cases to support the constitutionality of their used on a…

Asks whether proponents' justifications for using metal detectors to counteract school violence are compelling enough to override students' privacy interests. Concludes that there are serious constitutional concerns raised by using metal detectors. The rationale for upholding school searches in other contexts does not apply to metal-detector…

Examines the problems of drugs and violence in public schools, with focus on urban schools and the national initiatives and federal laws influencing school practices along with relevant court cases. Final comments discuss the implications for policy and practice. (GR)

This digest presents a brief review of recent Fourth Amendment decisions that affect the rights of students and the parameters of schools' authority to maintain a crime-free environment. Although Federal decisions apply nationwide and do mark the boundaries of permissible state and local action, state and local laws and regulations must always be…