Closing Statement:
In conclusion, the use of drugs and smoking during school, students not being on their own property, and the number of shootings in schools by students strongly prove that school searches should be permitted. There are also many more arguments to prove that schools should be allowed to search students and their belongings while they are in school when there is reasonable suspicion.
Second Argument:
Students on the school campus are not in their own homes they are on someone else’s property. The fourth amendment states that, “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.”
One example of a court case handling illegal drug use at school happened in April, 2012. “Christian Alaniz, Jr., age 18, was seen in an area known for drug activities. He was brought to the principal’s office and asked to empty his pockets. When he did, a glass pipe and synthetic marijuana was found.” Alaniz then challenged the search, to weather it went against the fourth amendment.
Opening Statement:
Ron Paul once said, “The fourth amendment is clear; we should be secure in our persons, houses, papers and effects, and all warrants must have probable cause.” Schools should be allowed to search students and their belongings while they are in school. First of all, about 17% of high school students in the United States students drink, smoke, use drugs during the school day. There are multiple court cases that show the importance of staff members being allowed to search students for illegal objects to insure safety for both the students and staff members at the school. Second, students on the school campus are not in their own homes they are on someone else’s property. The school should be able to search lockers because they do not belong to the students. Third, one statistic states that every school day, at least 100,000 students in the United States bring guns. From 2013 till now, 160 incidents have occurred including fatal and nonfatal assaults, suicides, and unintentional shootings in schools in the United States. To ensure that these incidents don’t occur staff members of a school should be allowed to search students, if there is reasonable suspicion.