Written by Hitesh Pylla
When students enter a public school, they must acknowledge that they shed a number of their constitutional rights, specifically those ensured under the First Amendment. Understandably, interruptive actions or speech that may intercept the learning or safety of other students may be countered with disciplinary measures by the school. While such a rule is justifiable, not all of the students’ rights are stripped from them once they pass the “school gates”. In the New Jersey v. T.L.O. case, the Supreme Court set the precedent that the exclusionary rule of the Fourth Amendment does apply in public schools, and public school officials require nothing but probable cause for searches. The Supreme Court’s conclusion on the New Jersey v. T.L.O. case was accurate, as it ensures the safety of public school students by allowing school officials the efficiency to spot out criminals.
Such a case involving students’ Fourth Amendment rights is the New Jersey v. T.L.O. case. When school officials suspected high schooler T.L.O. to be in possession of cigarettes on school grounds, they searched her purse with nothing but probable cause; no warrant was issued to permit this search. Upon examination, they found the suspected cigarettes, a modicum of marijuana, and a list of names of students who owed her money. With this evidence used against her in the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court of New Jersey, Middlesex County, T.L.O. was found guilty for possession of marijuana, and charged with one year probation. However, T.L.O. argued that her Fourth Amendment rights had been violated, as the officials had never been issued a warrant to search her purse. Consequent to this argument, the case traveled to the Supreme Court by appeal. The Justices were then faced with the question of whether the exclusionary rule should apply to searches and seizures conducted by public school officials on school property. With a 6-3 decision, the Supreme court decided that the rule should apply in school, but school officials should not require a warrant to conduct the search.
The Supreme court was faultless and justified in its position, as granting school officials the ease of catching criminals secures the safety of public school students. Despite T.L.O’s Fourth Amendment rights, she was on school property, where a number of student rights are suspended to keep students focused and unharmed. It is only fitting for the Fourth Amendment rights to be limited for the same purpose. In order to ensure the safety of such a concentrated number of people all in one building, it is preferable for public school officials to be able to search a student’s bag with ease. When T.L.O carried marijuana and cigarettes, she posed as a threat to other students. Without having her purse searched, T.L.O would have otherwise been able to continue selling illegal substances on school grounds. The Supreme Court’s decision ensures an effective way to search students’ bags and lockers with probable cause. Without the haste of a warrant, other sellers like T.L.O. can be spotted and stopped with more efficiency.
The Supreme Court’s decision on the New Jersey v. T.L.O. case was accurate, as it ensures the safety of students in public schools by allowing officials the efficiency to spot out criminals. In the New Jersey v. T.L.O. case, school officials searched T.L.O.’s purse without a warrant on school property. T.L.O. claimed that the search was a violation of her Fourth Amendment rights, and the case proceeded to the Supreme Court on appeal. The Supreme Court determined that the search was constitutional, and set the precedent that school officials may conduct school searches without a warrant, though they do require probable cause; this allowed for an increased security in public schools, and undeniably was beneficial to the safety of the students. Considering how increasingly accessible harmful substances have become in public schools, privacy is often a risk worth sacrificing if it results in enhanced security.
Hitesh Pylla is a 17-year-old from New Jersey who loves to write essays, blog posts, and articles. He has previously been published on the SBPL Teen Zone and tutors English at his high school.
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