We never thought this day would come, but our hometown of Waldwick, New Jersey has introduced a random drug testing policy for high school students that, if approved, will be implemented as a pilot program in the 2011-2012 school year.
The policy states that students who participate in privileged activities, such as extracurricular activities and parking on the high school campus would be subject to the random testing.
The entire board of education, except one person, voted for the policy. Dominic Novelli abstained because he realizes what a travesty this is.
They think that this will discourage students from taking drugs or drinking alcohol. This only discourages kids from participating in school activities.
Why would you want to play football if you need to pee in a cup or get blood taken?
Our children will no longer feel safe if this policy passes. If your child tests positive or even a false positive, it will allow the police to charge the parents, arrest and send the student to jail and search the parents' home.
The Waldwick Board of Education is stripping students of their rights. They're stripping parents of their rights. It's turning the school system into a police state! This is an act of terrorism because they are terrorizing our children.
The Waldwick Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Patricia Raupers, has only been on the job one year so she's doing everything she can to keep her job. This is why she's forcing this ridiculous measure down everyone's throat. She can best be compared to a new CEO that issues massive layoffs to show who is in charge. Rauper wants to get noticed.
In reality, being a Superintendent of such a small town like Waldwick is an easy job. The position should have been shared with another town. Instead, we're stuck paying her ridiculous $180,000 salary.
Raupers is supposed to be trying to save the town money. The town passed the budget so that the school system could purchase books and provide a better education for their children. Instead, Raupers is giving our money to Quest Diagnostics to perform these drug tests.
This is completely illegal and such a policy has already been found unconstitutional. In 2001, a New Jersey judge blocked Hunterdon Central Regional High School's random drug testing policy in a challenge brought by the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey on behalf of three area families.
"The Court's opinion recognizes that the State Constitution protects individuals from searches, such as urine tests, unless there is evidence that they have done something wrong or unless the government demonstrates a great need for such a search," said Ravinder S. Bhalla of the Newark firm Krovatin & Associates, who represented the families on behalf of the ACLU.
"Students should not have to surrender their right to privacy in order to participate in athletics and extracurricular activities, and participation in these school programs does not significantly diminish an individual's reasonable expectation of privacy or the intrusiveness of a suspicionless drug testing program," Judge Guterl wrote.
Courts in other states, such as Pennsylvania and Indiana, have also held that their state constitutions prohibit such random testing.
What's next? Will the Waldwick Board of Education hire a police officer to do a forced pat down of your child? Will they purchase a drug sniffing dog?
Waldwick will be sued for this!
This is not whether you're for or against drugs. It's whether you're for or against the rights of your children.
Please call, write and email these people. We guessed on some of the emails, but we they should be correct.
raupersp@waldwick.k12.nj.us Dr. Patricia Raupers - Superintendent of Schools
carrollk@waldwick.k12.nj.us Kevin Carroll, Principal
clancym@waldwick.k12.nj.us Michael Clancy, Assistant Principal/Athletic Director
Board of Ed Members
levinep@waldwick.k12.nj.us
marrod@waldwick.k12.nj.us
monacod@waldwick.k12.nj.us
novellid@waldwick.k12.nj.us This is a good guy!
oriakj@waldwick.k12.nj.us
sandvee@waldwick.k12.nj.us
tesorierol@waldwick.k12.nj.us
Superintendent's Office
Phone: 201-445-3131
155 Wyckoff Avenue
Waldwick, NJ 07463
4 comments:
My child goes to Waldwick and I have no issue with a random drug test.
What bad outcome could possibly come from the test? Could some parent who is unaware their child is taking drugs now be notified and address the situation? Could some kid think twice and not do drugs because of peer pressure so he/she isn't kicked off a sport they enjoy playing and might even help them with their college tuition?
Please let everyone know what horrible outcome for your child could occur from the drug testing.
I'd understand if they gave the student a drug test if he or she wasn't acting appropriately in school or if they found drugs in his locker, but random testing is illegal.
It violates the US and NJ Constitutions right to privacy and protection from illegal search.
Take note of the judge's comments mentioned in the article.
"The Court's opinion recognizes that the State Constitution protects individuals from searches, such as urine tests, unless there is evidence that they have done something wrong or unless the government demonstrates a great need for such a search," said Ravinder S. Bhalla of the Newark firm Krovatin & Associates, who represented the families on behalf of the ACLU.
"Students should not have to surrender their right to privacy in order to participate in athletics and extracurricular activities, and participation in these school programs does not significantly diminish an individual's reasonable expectation of privacy or the intrusiveness of a suspicionless drug testing program," Judge Guterl wrote.
Nice job brother
Based on current New Jersey law the school probably *does* have the right to implement this wrongheaded policy, unfortunately.
However, there are other ways parents can challenge the decision. For more information contact me at djacobs@aclu-nj.org.
Deborah Jacobs
Executive Director
ACLU of New Jersey
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