7-402B - Search and Seizure

Policy 7-402B

SEARCH AND SEIZURE

Desks and School Lockers

Desks and school lockers are property of the schools. The right to inspect desks and lockers assigned to students may be exercised by school officials to safeguard students, their property, and school property with reasonable care for the Fourth Amendment rights of students. The administration will annually ensure that students are advised of this policy.

The exercise of the right to inspect also requires protection of each student’s personal privacy and protection from coercion. An authorized school administrator may search a student’s locker or desk under the following conditions:

1. There is reason to believe that the student’s desk or locker contains weapons, contraband material, or the fruits of a crime.
2. There are reasonable grounds for suspecting the search will turn up evidence that the student has violated or is violating either the law or the rules of the school.
3. The measures used to conduct the search are reasonably related to the objectives of the search and not excessively intrusive in light of the age and sex of the student and the nature of the alleged legal or rules infraction.

Student Search

Students or their property, including automobiles parked on school property, may be searched if there are reasonable grounds for suspecting the search will turn up evidence that students have violated or are violating either the law or the rules of the school. The scope of the search must be
reasonably related to the objectives of the search and not excessively intrusive in light of the age and sex of the students and the nature of the infraction.

Police Involvement in School Searches

A police officer may conduct a warrant less search related to the arrest of a student and may scan the area of the arrest and any public area for evidence in plain view. A search warrant is not necessary for the search of a student on school property if the police believe the student is armed or is attempting to destroy evidence of the commission of a crime.

Members of the school administration may seek police assistance in the search of a student’s locker or other school locations when the administration has reasonable cause to believe that a crime has been committed or a school rule is being violated.

Reference:CGS 10-2221 and 54-33n

Adopted11/10/98
Modified 10/12/99
Inspiring Each Student to Excel

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