Analysis of the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision in "Board of Education of Independent School District No. 92 of Pottawatomie County v. Earls," wherein the Court held that random drug testing of students taking part in extracurricular activities is constitutional. (PKP)

A national survey of employee drug testing programs revealed that constitutional concerns of protecting employees from unnecessary invasions of privacy, unlawful search and seizure, self-incrimination, and loss of employment were often secondary to the public's perceived need for an efficiently run and safe bureaucracy. (JOW)

A 1990 survey indicated that, although the overall incidence of drug-testing programs among employers surveyed in 1988 were unchanged, the proportion with employee-assistance programs and formal, written policy statements regarding drug use among employees had increased. (Author/JOW)

This launches a new periodic feature in Reclaiming Children and Youth. "Justice Alerts" examines current laws and policies against the twofold standards of solid science and moral values. This inaugural article explores the legal issues and political rhetoric surrounding random drug testing in schools and describes how science is being…

The Vernonia (Oregon) School District passed a mandatory random drug testing policy for student athletes that was later upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court. A survey of randomly selected superintendents in five geographic regions disclosed that a majority of respondents who knew about the case were leaning toward not adopting a similar policy. (28…

Analysis of 2001 United States Supreme Court decision in "Earls v. Board of Education of Tecumseh Public Schools," upholding random drug testing for students participating in extracurricular activities. Discusses implications for school policy and practice. (Contains 15 references.) (PKP)

By upholding a student's refusal to provide a urine sample, the Seventh Circuit Court correctly avoided further erosion of the Fourth Amendment's privacy principle. In "New Jersey v T.L.O." (1995), the U.S. Supreme Court shrunk the probable-cause standard to reasonable suspicion in the special context of public schools, retaining the…

This study determined whether long-term abstinence reinforcement could maintain cocaine abstinence throughout a yearlong period. Patients who injected drugs and used cocaine during methadone treatment (n = 78) were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 abstinence-reinforcement groups or to a usual care control group. Participants in the 2…

Both public and non-public school educators are aware that courts, over the last several decades, have played an increasingly significant role in defining school policy. Decisions in such areas as school desegregation, prayer, public school financing, student rights, collective bargaining, and other personnel issues attest to the extent and…

The Supreme Court, in "Vernonia School District 47J versus Acton," ruled that a school district's policy authorizing random urinalysis drug testing of student-athletes did not violate the Fourth Amendment. Discusses the decision and why such a policy is permissible under the Fourth Amendment's prohibition against unreasonable searches…

Suggests ways that drug use/abuse might be associated with felony crime and discusses discrepancies of investigations into drug use/abuse and crime. Asserts that there is insufficient evidence to establish differential effects of specific substances that produce biochemical effects on acceleration of particular types of felony crime. (Author/PVV)

A discussion of mandatory drug testing for college athletes reviews the National Collegiate Athletic Association's policy, arguments for and against such testing, the results of relevant court litigation, and the legal ramifications for college administration. The testing of employees in both public and private sectors is also briefly addressed.…

Discusses drug testing for park law enforcement officers, presenting drug screening guidelines for park managers. The article examines how to establish programs, whether to screen, legal aspects, and implications of the Handicap Act (which makes it difficult to dismiss employees claiming the handicap of substance abuse without providing…

New federal rules mandate drug and alcohol testing for all school district employees who are required to have a commercial driver's license. Describes the major elements of a testing program and the types of testing required. Recommends building support for the testing program by involving employee labor leaders, board members, and a cross-section…

Discusses the importance of drug-testing policies for educators by analyzing the recent Sixth Circuit Court of Appeal's decision in "Knox v. Knox." Concludes that mandatory drug testing for educators in safety-sensitive positions will not infringe on the constitutional rights of school employees. (Contains 30 footnotes.) (MLF)