The year was 2003. It was a simpler time. A more innocent time. A time where school officials could strip search a 13-year-old girl because they suspected that she had ibuprofen pills hidden somewhere on her body. Ah, the good old days.
When you think drugs in schools, you immediately think of eighth-graders carrying perscription-strength ibuprofen pills, each one about the equivalent of two Advils. And when that image comes into your mind, you strike at those evil-doers who would dare attempt to vanquish their headache, flaunting their school’s antidrug policies. How dare that schoolgirl, who describes herself as “between nerdy and preppy,” want to have a clear head in order to be diligent in her lessons and advance onto higher levels of education. Insolence such as that will not be tolerated. That girl will be strip searched and forced to stand naked before the school nurse and an administrator!
Kind of like this, only a violation of Constitutional liberties.
So how did this incident come about? Well, the girl in question used to be friends with this other girl. This other girl was found with pills and blamed the first girl. Because a 13-year-old will never lie in order to get out of trouble, school officials logically proceeded to humiliate the first girl, in accordance with school policy.
"I swear, Jiminy, those pills aren't mine. Please disregard my nose."
Of course, this wasn’t the first time that the girl had been causing trouble. A few months before, the girl had been acting rowdy at a school dance and goofing off with her friends (the nerve), and had served alcohol at a party before that dance (according to somebody who wasn’t even there). So, the school officials had all the justification they needed. Then the bomb dropped.
Apparently the people at this school who ordered the search weren’t aware that kids and their parents were allowed to bring lawsuits against the school system if their actions were considered to be heinous and criminal. Apparently the Civics teach wasn’t involved in the strip search.
"Remember everybody, don't forcefully strip search a 13-year-old girl on the unfounded allegation that she might be carrying drugs. Unless she's into that sort of thing."
So now, the embarrassed girl, backed by the ACLU, is going before the Supreme Court. One of the tenets of the lawsuit is that the school didn’t even check the girls record to see if she had a history of problems, which she didn’t. The district, in a reply to that allegation said this (and yes, this is an actual quote): “Her assertion should not be misread to infer that she never broke school rules, only that she was never caught.” It would appear that every textbook in that school and lawbook in the district attorney’s office was missing the phrase “innocent until proven guilty.” Completely understandable oversight.
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
What part of the country breeds people this retarded?
I guess we have to take care of the problem before these kids get to college and mass produce ritalin in order to stay up late, excel academically, and reach the American dream.
Josh, I have a few queries regarding the amount of pills (if any) this girl did have of high-strength ibuprofen. I will be honest, I didn’t read the article thoroughly so maybe this was answered, but being that I feel like posting I would hate to find the info in the article and then have nothing to write. But if this girl did in fact have a large amount of ibuprofen pills I would be wondering why as well. Ibuprofen to a 13 year old could easily be called vicadin and sold for 10 bucks a pop or perhaps other hoochy bartering currency (NOT TO MENTION THE ENHANCED EFFECT THIS DRUG WOULD HAVE ON A 85 POUND TEEN). I for one know also that high strength ibuprofen can have some interesting effects if snorted…but one can never jump to conclusions. Just a thought. Innocent 13 year old scapegoat or counterfeit middle school pill pusher?
I just figured it out? She needed the pills to give to the kids in school who are now tatooing their eyeballs. Yes, that is correct, tatooing the whites of the windows to the soul. Don’t believe me, utube it.
@Adam Chaney
This girl in fact had no pills on her. Presumably because she snorted them all on the ride to school. That is impressive because school buses are known to be bumpy, making the snorting of illicit substances all the harder.
i like friend ship with u.