New Jersey v TLO (1985) Landmark Case
Your backpack, their rules
A 14 year old student abbreviated as TLO was caught smoking in the bathroom of her school. She denied doing anything, however when her bag was searched there was more than enough evidence to prove she was both dealing and smoking. TLO deemed the search unconstitutional (going against the US constitution) because the teachers did not have a warrant to search her bag. Was a warrant necessary in this case?
Breakdown Verdict.
The verdict? No, a verdict was not needed, a 6-3 vote in the school’s favor. Schools only need a reasonable suspicion to search a bag, not a probable cause. However, there must be a good reason and the search should not be prolonged into rummaging.
Result Going Forward.
Schools are given more freedom to control what goes on within their grounds. Whenever a student enters a school, they leave a bit of their privacy at the door; this has also created more instances of minor searches resulting in unnecessary police involvement. Acceptable rules in schools continue to be an ever-changing line between maintaining a safe learning environment and giving students freedom.
Do you agree with the verdict?
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