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Home > News Archive > 2000 > Maryland School District Repeals Student Drug Testing Policy
Maryland School District Repeals Student Drug Testing Policy
August 24, 2000 - Easton, MD, USA
On August 16, Talbot County, MD school officials agreed to end student drug testing, settling a lawsuit filed by Easton High School students, parents and the American Civil Liberties Union.
In January, a student told school officials that a group of 18 students attended a party where drugs and alcohol were present. The students were then dragged from their classes and forced to line up on the auditorium stage and submit urine specimens for drug screens. Female students were asked personal and embarrassing questions, such as if they were on birth control pills (which can cause a false positive on some drug screens) in front of their peers. The students were told they would be suspended and possibly expelled if they did not submit to the drug tests.
According to the settlement, the school system must: pay an undisclosed amount in damages and all legal fees to the students, arrange a meeting of school board President Steven Harris, Superintendent J. Sam Meek, students and parents to hear student complaints and to apologize "for any harms the students suffered," remove any mention of drug testing from the students' files and conduct an internal review of the conduct of Meek, the school principal Timothy Thurber, county Health Department drug counselor Sarah Smith and pupil service coordinator Beth Nobbs.
Graham Boyd, who heads the ACLU national drug program said this case may cause other school systems to review policies.
"A majority of schools in this country do not do this kind of drug testing," Boyd said. "In most cases, officials decide it's expensive, ineffective in stopping drug use and subject to these kinds of abuses. But, to my knowledge, this is the first time a school system has admitted wrong, paid damages and dropped the policy."
For more information, please contact Graham Boyd of the ACLU at (203) 787-4188.
updated: Aug 24, 2000
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