Safety issues within schools were once thought to only be a problem in urban areas. Schools all over the United States and the world have issues with safety. The main concerns of every school administration should be the safety of its students, faculty and staff. You would think that searching suspicious students or any student would not be an issue, because it would be for the better meant of the whole school population. Even with some of the recent acts of violence and the safety of the students being jeopardized schools are still among the safest places for children to be. Schools provide, structure, supervision, and discipline for all, some students don't have any of that at home. Student Searches are one of the best ways to keep a school safe.
             The fourth amendment right: "The right of people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures..." This is the right that causes all the issues over the right to search students. The fourth amendment applies to all youth when they are out side of the school setting but while they are in the school environment this right is diminished. Prior to 1985, it was questioned as to whether or not this right applied to students. Many teachers and administrators argued that while these children were in the school system they, the teachers, were acting in the place of the parent and therefore have the right to search students at any time without probable cause. In 1985 (New Jersey vs. TLO) a teacher reported a student smoking in the bathroom, this justified a search of the students purse, they found cigarettes and a lighter but still continued to search where they found illegal substances, the student took the issue to court, with the charge that her fourth amendment right had been violated. The search was legal up and to the point were they found the cigarettes they should have stopped them, the search became illegal when they c...