FATHER CITES LOCKNEY CASE IN JOB LOSS

LOCKNEY - The man who sued the Lockney school district because of its
mandatory drug-testing policy said Friday he lost his job as a farm hand
because of his involvement in the lawsuit.

"It has everything to do with last night," Larry Tannahill said, referring
to the community's large show of support for the policy in a Thursday-night
school board meeting.

"I knew this was coming," Tannahill said. "What I told him (his boss)
several months ago was that I knew what was going on, that this was taking a
lot of time, that it was hard on him and his family and his business, and I
understood if he wanted me to go ahead and leave. I opened the door for
him."

Tannahill said he thinks he did the right thing by opposing the drug policy.
He said he was informed of his dismissal Friday morning but knew before the
meeting Thursday he would be leaving at the end of the month.

Lindan Morris, who operates Floyd County Farm and Ranch Supply in Lockney,
said he employed Tannahill as a farm hand.

Morris said the suit had nothing to do with Tannahill's dismissal. Morris
said Tannahill was hired last fall to work through the harvest season only.
Morris said he kept Tannahill on longer as an act of kindness.

"The policy had nothing to do with him losing his job," Morris said. "If it
did, he would have been gone a long time ago."

Morris said Tannahill has missed a lot of work recently. In the last 15
days, Tannahill left early or came in late five times, Morris said.

Tannahill said he missed some work during the past few weeks, but "nothing
has been neglected." He said he knew Morris for a long time but worked for
him only six months.

The American Civil Liberties Union named Tannahill and his 12-year-old son,
Brady, as plaintiffs in a lawsuit against the Lockney Independent School
District this month. The lawsuit alleges the sixth-grader's Constitutional
rights are being violated under conditions of a mandatory drug-testing
policy the school board approved late last year. Under the policy, students
who fail to submit to a drug and alcohol screening are subject to
punishment, as are those who test positive.

Refusing to take the test equals a positive result, Lockney schools
superintendent Raymond Lusk said, and that means the student will have to
serve three days of in-school suspension, have three drug-counseling
sessions and 21 days of suspension from extracurricular activities.

Because of the lawsuit, attorneys for both sides said the boy will not be
subject to punishment until a ruling is made. The American Civil Liberties
Union is providing representation for the Tannahills.

Larry Tannahill said his main objection to the drug-testing policy is that
students are tested whether or not there is suspicion of drug use. He said
the mandatory testing policy interferes with responsibility he and his wife
share as parents.

"One of my arguments has been if you think you've got a problem with one of
my boys, call me. I'll take care of it. That's my job. The good Lord gave
them to us, not to the school district," he said.

School board officials Thursday night heard a final appeal of Tannahill's
case but took no action. About 700 people showed up for the meeting, many
wearing red and white T-shirts supporting the board's policy.

Tannahill is the only parent who declined to sign a waiver allowing the
testing.

Tannahill said he has no plans to take court action in an effort to get his
job back.

"I understand he (Morris) is under a lot of pressure. He has a family to
support also," Tannahill said.

He also said he has no plans to leave the area.

"I'm very proud of the way the community has reacted," he said. "The school
has been great. There are no problems there."

He said that while public support for his stance on the drug-testing issue
has been lacking, he has received quiet support from within the community.

Globe-News Staff Writer Jessica Raynor and Morris News Service contributed
to this report.