Pubdate: Sat, 20 Jul 2002
Source: Daily Ardmoreite, The (OK)
Copyright: 2002 The Shawnee News-Star
Contact: http://ardmoreite.com/stText/sendLetter.html
Website: http://www.ardmoreite.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1574
Author: The Shawnee News-Star
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Testing)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)

IF STUDENTS HAVE TO BE TESTED, SO SHOULD FACULTY, STAFF

Tecumseh's Board of Education scored a major victory last week when the 
U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of its drug testing students involved in 
extracurricular activities. Little did we know then, however, that the 
board doesn't require faculty or staff, other than bus drivers, to take 
drug tests as a condition of employment. The school district doesn't do 
random testing of faculty or staff members as is in place for the students 
involved in athletics and extracurricular activities.

The Tecumseh school board's attorney, Linda Meoli, says that state law 
prohibits teachers from being drug tested randomly or upon suspicion, 
although the board does have the authority to conduct pre-employment 
testing. But once employed, the board doesn't have authority to require 
further testing. This hardly seems fair. The school board was adamant in 
taking this to the highest court in the land based on the principle that 
the policy was justified. It was also costly for the school district but 
the ruling will affect school districts throughout the nation.

Now, the school board needs to take it a step further and at least require 
that all faculty and staff, including administrators, be drug tested as a 
condition of employment.

This would help set an example for the students. Faculty and staff are not 
necessarily exempt from drug problems any more than the students they teach 
and serve as mentors. We'd think that faculty and staff would have no 
problem with such a policy unless they are using drugs.

It's extremely important that those we entrust with our students on a daily 
basis be drug fee just as much as those to whom they are mentoring.

- -- The Shawnee News-Star
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom