STUDENTS PRESUMED GUILTY

I very much enjoyed the March 24 story "Student privacy vs. safety" and
applaud Ms. Heald for her courage and conviction. I'm sure that she is not
alone among high school students in feeling violated and belittled by the
suggestion of mandatory drug-testing policies.

If we truly want to help young people make informed, healthy decisions, we
must educate them honestly on the potential dangers of recreational drugs,
including alcohol and tobacco. Instead, we treat them worse than criminals
- -- presumed guilty until proven innocent.

What kind of message is this sending? We can do better.

Alexandra Meyerson, Bayside