ISSUE ISN'T A CIRCUS

JEFFREY HUNTER, a Lockney High School student, was right last week when he
said that the community should respect the opinion of Larry Tannahill, who
is challenging a school board policy requiring all students in grades six
through 12 -- including his son -- to submit to drug testing.

However, Mr. Hunter was wrong when he said the controversy is "between the
members of our community," and that "it should stay that way." It was
shortsighted for him to describe the controversy as "our deal," because of
the constitutional issues involved. The case could result in a judicial
decision affecting students throughout the United States.

In February, we said that random drug testing has a place in public schools.
However, we also said that we are not convinced that it is appropriate to
test ALL students, nor to punish a student because a parent has refused to
consent to having a child tested.

We are pleased that Lockney school trustees have withheld action against Mr.
Tannahill's son until a lawsuit challenging the district's policy has moved
through the courts. The student should not be punished when there is the
possibility that the courts may find the policy to be unconstitutional.

Media aren't the problem

We stand firm on our conviction that mandatory drug testing of all students
is inappropriate. The Fourth Amendment protects against unreasonable
searches by requiring probable cause. Unless Lockney school officials have
probable cause to suspect every student of using or possessing drugs, the
district shouldn't be conducting mandatory testing.

We take issue with elementary school teacher Karen Wilson who said that this
issue has become "a big circus" and that the media "blew the thing out of
proportion."

We see this case as a serious constitutional matter and not a circus created
by out-of-town media. Because of the far-reaching effects this case could
have on schoolchildren throughout the nation, it is appropriate for local,
state and national media to cover this issue.

But our greatest concern is with what appears to be a community attitude
that Mr. Tannahill has done something wrong by exercising his right to
challenge the constitutionality of the policy.

Is Lockney getting dangerously close to having a mob mentality about this
issue? There has been a threatening letter to Mr. Tannahill, more than 30
people shouting at an A-J reporter, a reporter from Plainview having to be
escorted out of town for his own safety and calls for Mr. Tannahill to
leave.

Justice system is working

Traci McQuhae, a student, asked whether Mr. Tannahill "knew what he was
getting into when he started this."

Mr. Tannahill didn't start anything. He simply exercised his right to object
to a policy that he believes is unconstitutional. Our question is this: Did
Lockney's school trustees consider the possibility that a parent would
object to mandatory drug testing or the media interest that would be
generated if the policy was challenged in federal court?

Lockney residents need to understand that this case and the media attention
it generates are not going to go away quickly.

This challenge is what freedom is all about -- the right to disagree with a
majority opinion. Stay calm, and allow this nation's justice system to
continue to work for ALL Americans.