VOLUNTARY DRUG TEST HAS WORKED ELSEWHERE

I graduated in 2000 from a high school in Washington state. Originally, the
school board and a community full of senior citizens there passed the right
to drug-test any student. The ACLU threatened a lawsuit, asserting it was
against our constitutional rights for a drug test to be required in a public
school.

Many students agreed that drugs were a large problem, and through community
gatherings and student input, it was agreed to find another way that was
legal.

Eventually, our school required athletes and members of a school club or
group to sign a release that they would submit to random, mandatory drug
testing. A school can commit legally to drug-free athletes and club members,
but it is against student rights to test every student.

They cannot actually force all athletes and club members to test, but they
can require, in order to "make" the team or become a member of a club, that
students sign a release saying they're willing to submit. Again, this cannot
be required of all students, but it is legal to do random testing of
athletes.

I am against drug use; however, I am much more against the violation of my
civil rights. If authorities require all public education students to take
drug tests, then they could require every citizen to drug-test, and that
rapidly could progress to legalizing the search of any home for drugs, even
without suspicion.

Nicole Boxley