Vernonia School Dist. 47J v. Acton case brief

Vernonia School Dist. 47J v. Acton case brief summary
515 U.S. 646 (1995)

CASE SYNOPSIS

Appeal of judgment on writ of certiorari from United States Court of Appeals for Ninth Circuit, which reversed lower court's ruling and held petitioner school district's drug testing violated U.S. Constitutional amends. IV and XIV, and Or. Constitutional art. I § 9, in respondent student's and his parents' action.

CASE FACTS
Petitioner school district required student athletes to submit to drug testing, for which the student's parents had to sign consent forms. Respondents, a seventh grade student and his parents, refused to sign the testing consent forms and filed suit seeking declaratory and injunctive relief from enforcement of the policy on the grounds that it violated the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments, U.S. Constitutional amendments IV and XIV, and Or. Constitutional art. I, § 9. The trial court denied the claims and dismissed the action.

DISCUSSION

• The appeals court reversed and held that the policy violated the asserted constitutional provisions. 
• On appeal, the Court vacated and remanded. Students were not entitled to full Fourth 
• Amendment protections where the state's interest in preventing drug addiction among students was compelling and student athletes had a decreased expectation of privacy.
• Also, the urinalysis and accompanying disclosure requirements were not significant invasions of privacy.

CONCLUSION

The district court's judgment was vacated and remanded. Students were not entitled to fullFourth Amendment protections as the state's interest in preventing drug addiction among students was compelling, student athletes had a decreased expectation of privacy, and the urinalysis and accompanying disclosure requirements were not significant invasions of privacy.

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