PUPILS STRIP-SEARCHED FOR DRUGS

Five Long Bay College students were made to strip naked from the waist down
as part of a police drug search in a school office.

The family of at least one of the boys are considering laying a complaint
with the Police Complaints Authority and taking legal action against the
school on the grounds the search was unreasonable and breached his rights.

The school has confirmed the strip search happened and say police had the
legal authority for it.

The male students, aged 14 to 17, are understood to have been suspended
after they were allegedly found smoking cannabis outside the school grounds
by police last Wednesday morning.

Constable River Lamb and a member of the youth aid section were on their
way to the school to talk to fifth formers about drugs, the law and their
rights, when they caught the students.

Deputy principal Mike Jackson said the students were taken to his office,
where they were questioned and individually searched - without the presence
of the other boys.

Each was asked to turn away and remove his trousers and underwear. No
cannabis was found.

Mr Jackson said Constable Lamb went to "great pains" to ensure the students
were not embarrassed.

Police told the school they had the power to search for drugs under the
Misuse of Drugs Act, he said.

"Because our students were involved we made sure there was someone there
from the school. We were acting under the best information we had been
provided by police."

But lawyer Patrick Walsh said there had to be reasonable grounds for a
search under the Misuse of Drugs Act.

"We believe the school didn't follow correct procedures by way of informing
parents their children were to be interviewed by police."

The boy's family were not told what had happened until afterwards but under
the Children, Young Persons and their Families Act, children under 16 were
entitled to have a parent or nominated adult present when questioned, he said.

Long Bay principal Stephanie Norrie said the school would continue to take
a clear stand on drug use as it could have a disastrous impact on students'
learning.