SUPREME COURT ERRED IN RULING ON DRUG TESTS

The U.S. Supreme Court made a mistake in ruling that students who
participate in extracurricular activities in public high schools can be
randomly tested for drug use.

The high court's 5-to-4 ruling that schools' interest in getting rid of
drugs at schools outweighs students' right to privacy is another example of
government chipping away at the constitutional rights of its citizens,
which include the right to be left alone when doing nothing wrong.

School officials shouldn't be allowed to test students just because they
choose to participate in after-school activities. Since there is no
justification for randomly testing all students, the court has come up with
another way to allow drug-testing in some form.

In 1995 the Supreme Court allowed random urine tests for student athletes.
We can understand the justification to test student- athletes because of
the danger of using steroids, amphetamines or other performance-enhancing
drugs, and the threat of injury or death related to strenuous activity. But
what reason is there to test students who want to join the chess or drama club?

We understand that parents and school officials instinctively seek to
protect children from drug use. If parents want to test their children,
that's one thing. But the schools should not have that privilege.

Random drug-testing not only infringes on rights and freedoms of students,
but also puts unnecessary burdens on schools and their resources. The time
and money used to administer drug tests should be used to provide a better
education in the classroom.

Even though the Supreme Court has given schools the right to test students
for drugs, schools have the right to decline to do so. In protecting the
rights and freedoms of their students, they should.