How Is This Not A Strip Search?

Filed in National by on September 9, 2009

I’m getting tired of these stories, and have even gone as far to tell my children to disobey any school administrator/teacher that tells them to remove their clothing.  Who would have thought that I’d have to add don’t listen to a school administrator/teacher when they tell you to strip to my do not talk to strangers, call me if you’re going to be late list.  But I have, and I resent it.  Now, I know strip searching a student is an action 99% of administrators and teachers would never partake in – most probably feel the same way I do.  That said, the fact this is happening – again – makes me wonder about what happens when a group of adults with authority get together behind closed doors with students.

And why these people weren’t fired immediately and placed on the sex offender registry is beyond me.  Sounds harsh?  Tough.  If any other adult did what these fools did what do you think would happen to them?

Oh, but they’re denying that what they did was strip searching.  “Crozier (Interim Superintendent) said faculty members denied it was a strip-search. “According to our board policy, it was an allowable search.”  Um, okay.  You decide.

Hudson’s client, who is 15, “was asked to remove all of her clothing including her undergarments,” he said.

One mother said the girl refused to take off her underwear in front of everyone, but went around a corner and did so.

Some of the girls didn’t take off their underwear because it was more revealing than the other girls’, making it more obvious that nothing was hidden underneath, said Noethe, one of the lawyers.

Hudson said, “Someone asked if they could just lift up their bra and they were told that wasn’t good enough.”

One of Noethe’s clients was searched twice, he said.

“She was told to take her clothes off and put them back on, then told to do it again because we need you to take your bra off,” Noethe said.

The search occurred in the presence of the student who reported the missing $100, the lawyers said.

How is this not strip searching?  BTW, the missing money wasn’t found on the girls.

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A stay-at-home mom with an obsession for National politics.

Comments (10)

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  1. Donviti says:

    didn’t the Supreme Court just rule against this. WTF is wrong with people.

  2. cassandra_m says:

    I wonder if it would mean anything if parents who would object to this treatment would send a letter to the kids’ school — noting for the record that they do not grant permission for strip searches and that you should be called if there is a reason to do so. Just trying to pre-empt the BS.

  3. pandora says:

    I like that idea, Cassandra.

  4. Perry says:

    No reasonable/moral person, school official or not, would ever carry out a strip search on a child under these circumstances. Those who do act as though children are prisoners and have no rights. And who knows, some in authority may actually be perverts. We’ve seen too many of these authority figures misbehave; the priest pedophiles come to mind. The parents should be present for any investigative procedure like this involving their child, no exceptions!

    In addition to the children who are victimized, all of us are, like Pandora who is forced into having to warn her children and teach them how to respond should they be confronted by an irresponsible request. The unfortunate byproduct for all of our children is the reduction in esteem for all their teachers, regardless, to the point where the best of teachers are somewhat tarnished. But given the circumstances, there is no other option than what Pandora has advised to her children.

    The point to emphasize to our children is to keep things in perspective, that most teachers and administrators are good people who want the best for them and will work hard in their behalf.

  5. Exactly, pandora. I would tell your children that they should never agree to any strip search, and they will not agree to anything like that unless their parents are called. I like cass’s idea that parents send letters.

    I don’t see how they think they’ll get away with this. I think parents should talk to their PTAs and make sure that numerous people make it clear that this is not acceptable. I think schools should try to put rules in place for these situations. Just sending the kids home for the day is a better solution then stripping them.

    I don’t think these people are pedophiles, I think they’re on power trips.

  6. pandora says:

    I agree, Perry. And I hate having to advise my children on this issue, but I know that if a teacher/administrator told my kids to strip… they would listen simply because they’d feel they had no choice. Sad.

  7. Tim Pancoast says:

    Wow, I hope that this is the last we see of that kind of nonsense and insanity. I am afraid it won’t be though. All over $100 too. I bet the legal fees are going to be a lot more than that.

    I agree with Unstable Isotope that people should be geting involved in their PTAs and ensuring that such things never happen in Delaware. It must be a clear policy of every district that strip searches and all other invasive searches are not acceptable.

  8. all things in moderation says:

    ” It must be a clear policy of every district that strip searches and all other invasive searches are not acceptable.”

    because common sense and judgement left the building long ago.

  9. Miscreant says:

    “I wonder if it would mean anything if parents who would object to this treatment would send a letter to the kids’ school — noting for the record that they do not grant permission for strip searches and that you should be called if there is a reason to do so. Just trying to pre-empt the BS.”

    EXCELLENT idea.

  10. Mark H says:

    Personally, I like throwing the administrators in a sex offender status, even thought it might not stick in court. Although the Supreme Court usually gives the students next to no rights, even they’ve ruled against this in the past.

    But honestly, is this a bit of post 9/11 removal of our rights? We as a nation, so that we could pretend to be more secure, have given up quite a bit of our liberties. The TSA is certainly not made air travel any safer, just more annoying.