Strip Searched At School
Three seventh-grade girls were forced to strip down to their bra and underwear during a strip search at school. The female teacher, who was apparently asked to conduct the strip search by the school’s principal, was searching for $42 that went missing from another student. It’s not clear why they suspected these three girls or if they actually found the money, but I’m not sure it really matters either way. If my place of employment suspected I had stolen from then they wouldn’t ask me to strip to my skivvies. Instead they would investigate and get the police involved if need be.
But let’s look at this from both sides.
On one hand, girls in middle school strip down in the locker room to change in to gym clothes. And it was a female teacher so they didn’t have to be embarrassed by undressing in front of a man. Maybe there was good evidence that one of these girls stole the money and the girls were mouthy and refused to cooperate. Plus theft cannot be tolerated in school (or anywhere for that matter).
On the other hand, this isn’t prison (or the airport). I think a student (and his/her parent) has a reasonable expectation that they won’t be strip searched in the middle of the school day or by any staff member. Does a teacher even know how to conduct a strip search? Do they give lessons on how to strip search a student during those teacher inservice days? Also, when you undress in the locker room you tend to do it quickly while amongst your peers. You aren’t usually standing around half naked while faculty watches and scrutinizes you. And so what if they were mouthy (although I’m not saying they were since the article doesn’t specify…I’m just purely speculating). They are 12. Mouthy is practically the definition of tween and teen. You don’t deal with mouthy by making them disrobe.
In this case the principal sent a letter of apology to the students and their parents saying he “used bad judgment.” You think? I think that’s quite an understatement. He has since been put on a two week leave.
How would you react if your middle school daughter (or son for that matter) told you they were strip searched at school today?
Tags: Michigan, Monroe, strip search at school, Trinity Lutheran School, TweenRelated Stories
POSTED IN: School Issues
10 opinions for Strip Searched At School
Lisa @ Corporate Babysitter
Oct 9, 2008 at 12:50 pm
I don’t care if they could see the bulge of a wad of hundred-dollars bills underneath the clothing — no child should be told to remove their clothes without a parent present (or a parent’s consent, I guess). I would be outraged.
marye
Oct 9, 2008 at 2:52 pm
there are not many things that would make me go ballistic.
This is one. I am not sure what they could do to make it up to me either…I don;t even know these kids and I am livid.
Which again, is one more reason it is good that my kids have all been homeschooled..I do not play well with school authorities.
Kamber
Oct 9, 2008 at 7:05 pm
That is awful. I would so angry. There is no reason to get teenage girls to STRIP in SCHOOL. Ask them to empty their pockets. But not strip. Also the parents need to be involved in that. I hope the parents take action towards the school.
Brianne
Oct 10, 2008 at 6:17 am
I’d be furious! This is just absolutely ridiculous. The school should be hoping and praying that they don’t get hit with a lawsuit. My daughter probably wouldn’t be staying in that school.
Angela
Oct 10, 2008 at 8:36 am
Ooooo. I’d be so angry! Taking your clothes off in the locker room is way different than being strip searched. The school should have called the parents in to be present for the search, as well as the local police department. At this age, the threat of a strip search in front of mom or dad, and the police, would probably have made the culprit step forward. The school was WAY out of bounds on this one.
bill
Oct 10, 2008 at 10:01 am
After I calmed down, several days later, I’d sue the SOBs as fiercely as I possibly could.
Kelly
Oct 10, 2008 at 10:03 am
I’d be getting a lawyer pronto. That is insane!
Thomas
Oct 11, 2008 at 8:38 pm
I used be a security guard at a school and I have investigated sevvral thefts. I was to report of a theft and they call into girls locker room. They wanted to strip serch a few 10th grade girls but I didn’t becuase I could lose my job and badge and not be aloowed to work as gaurs=d police officer ever but the women security gaurds did it and I think the girls costution rights were violated. the didn’t find the item that was taken. I think who reoirted thinks that these girls had somthing to do with it. I am not a judge.
Amy
Oct 23, 2008 at 4:14 pm
I’m sorry, but there’s no comparison between showering/changing/being nude in the girls locker room and being strip searched.
Locker room nudity is no big deal, and it serves a good purpose in the case of showering after getting sweated up in gym class.
Being strip searched is just plain humiliating, and it’s a violation of those girls rights.
David
Nov 16, 2008 at 12:37 pm
I applaud all of the parents who realized that this is just plain wrong.Usually with a post like this you get at least one member of the “the teacher is always right,even when he/she is wrong” crowd. For those with that mentality,you might want to rethink that!
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