Strip Search a 13 Year Old and Keep Your Job

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

Who, exactly, believes it is reasonable to strip search a thirteen year old honor student because she might be hiding ibuprofen tablets?

For starters, vice principal Kerry Wilson and for finishers five of the eleven justices sitting on the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, who ruled Friday that Savana Redding was violated. I guess it was just her rights that were violated. [turns and spits] Not often TWC sides with the ACLU.

Common sense informs us that directing a 13-year-old girl to remove her clothes, partially revealing her breasts and pelvic area, for allegedly possessing ibuprofen, an infraction that poses an imminent danger to no one, and which could have been handled by keeping her in the principal's office until a parent arrived or simply sending her home, was excessively intrusive.

And all this to find prescription-strength ibuprofen, Wardlaw wrote, noting that one pill has the strength of two over-the-counter Advil and might be commonly used by young women to treat menstrual cramps.

And, to paraphrase R C Dean, if a strip search to find the equivalent of over-the-counter pain relievers isn't unconstitutional, what would be?

This atrocity is the predictable result of block headed zero tolerance drug policies implemented by robotic public school administrators and enforced by intolerant, rule bound, brain dead zealots with no capacity for critical thinking. 

Setting aside for the moment one's emotional outrage, let's ask ourselves another question: What rational grown adult would risk exposing an employer to this kind of potential legal liability over a Motrin? The arrogant self-righteousness is stunning.

This is your trillion dollar Drug War, America. The one you lost thirty years ago. The one that sacrificed my children's American birthright. The one that torched the Bill of Rights. And for what? To keep some junkie off the needle? DEA's effectiveness at keeping the streets drug free is also stunning. And 92 year old Kathryn Johnston? Well she's dead. Gotta break a few eggs, right?

No ibuprofen was found. Kerry Wilson isn't sweating, he's standing in the shade, safe under the blanket immunity umbrella erected by the government to protect itself from any and all claims against it's employees. He is, in fact, still employed by the school district. UPDATE: I received several emails pointing out that vice principal Kerry Wilson is, in fact, liable for monetary damages stemming from this ruling.

And those of us who swore vengeance in the form of a billboard in Wilson's home town, showing his photo and the words I strip searched a thirteen year old and didn't lose my job are feeling a nudge of guilt right now for not following through.

This is America, not some third-world hell hole. That five robed justices could in any way consider that strip searching a thirteen year old girl, without a warrant, without parental consent, without a court order, and on the basis of a hot tip from another girl who was in deep doo doo herself speaks volumes about the cesspool we call a judicial system. Says quite a bit about public education as well.

Where the heck is Jamie Kelley and his Fountain of Tourettes to describe these people and what needs to be done to them?

If there is justice in the afterlife, surely the theological place of eternal damnation will embrace them all. Won't need robes there.

Shotgun Sings The Song Regards,

TWC

Tip of the glass to Jacob Sullum

Comments

[Col. Hogan]

Hence my admonition: keep your kids out of the government children's prison system. They are child abuse. Even the best kids can get screwed, out of the blue, for no predictable reason. Every day's a crap shoot.

[Jeff]

Let me see if I understand this correctly. It is illegal to swat you kid on the ass with a paddle for mouthing off to the teacher but you can strip search her if some other kid says she has Motrin. That about right?

[Lone Chatelaine]

I cannot believe this happened and this man is not in a wheelchair or something.

If that had been me my father would have put him in the hospital. And if it had been my child or one of my family's children, I would have reamed his ass with a shotgun.

This makes me sick.

[Some Girl's Dad]

That guy would be dead.

[Some Girl's Dad]

Make that [begin edit] an adjective that begins with 'F' was removed [end edit] dead.

[TWC]

Sorry, Dad, I had to delete your well intended expletive. I kind of feel the same way, used the very same words as a matter of fact.

I wish I could say that it's because my mom reads the blog, but heartless as that may be, she doesn't. My clients do, my kids do, many old ladies do, so I try to keep a modicum of decency about the place. Thanks for understanding that. Thanks for dropping by.

[TWC]

Jeff, I believe you meant the VP couldn't swat your kid on the butt with a paddle but he could strip search her. That, apparently, is correctomundo. However, the full 9th Circuit has now said that you can't do a strip search looking for Advil.

When I was in grade school they still used the paddle and if a teacher or administrator had strip searched a girl looking for aspirin there would have been hell to pay, and right now.

LC, yes, if this was a lot of people's dads the guy would be in a wheel chair or worse. I can assure you that had it been the House Blond the trial would be mine. Actually, I'm just evil and whacked enough to believe that I would figure out a way to get it done and get away with it. Maybe I should write a novel........

If you aren't paying really close attention you would not realize that Kerry Wilson did not actually strip search the girl. It was the school nurse and someone else, acting on his orders. Both of them should have refused.

At the time, many of us believed that Kerry Wilson did the deed himself. Kerry Wilson should be fired, if for no other reason than he obviously has poor judgment.

Col H,

I agree, but there is nothing voluntary about public school, not everyone can afford private schooling, and although home schooling is an option for some, in some states it's a bitch to get through the process.

I cannot imagine something like this happening a hundred years ago, or even fifty years ago for that matter. It was unthinkable.

[TWC]

Might add that the whole Kathryn Johnson thing just flames me out as well. Not real fond of The Man anyway, but that is unbelievable. The good news is that Atlanta has fired or transferred the entire narcotics unit out and has all new officers in narco.

I heard the DEA thug carved another notch in his pistol grip to commemorate the Kathryn Johnson kill.