HARRAH PARENTS SUE OVER DRUG TEST POLICY

The parents of a Harrah High School student suspended for refusing to
take a drug test is challenging the school's drug policy in federal
court.

Byron and Sonja Wilkins filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday against the
Harrah Public School District. Their son, Byron Keith Wilkins III, was
suspended from school in March after the school's drug dog made a
"hit" on his backpack.

School officials removed an "unknown substance" from the backpack and
sent it to the Harrah Police Department for testing, the lawsuit says.

Wilkins, a junior, was then taken to the office of Assistant Principal
Mike Clifton where he was asked to take a drug test to prove he wasn't
under the influence of drugs, the lawsuit states.

On advice of his father, Wilkins refused to take the test and he was
immediately suspended for the rest of the school year. The Harrah
Police Department could tell upon visual inspection that the substance
in question was not an illegal drug and didn't even bother to test it,
the lawsuit states. School officials could not be reached for comment
Thursday.