Brad Baumann Ryan Benson Andrew Smith

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Brad BaumannRyan BensonAndrew Smith

• Mr. Faris
• Civil Liberties
• Period 5
• 9/15/06

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Vernonia School District v. Acton

• Or Students Rights and the Lack Thereof

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Who was involved?

• Plaintiff Wayne Acton
• Defendant Vernonia School District

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What is the issue?

• James Acton, at the time a 7th grader, wanted to
  join football
• He was required to take a drug test, but his
  parents refused
• He was denied participation, and his parents took
  it to court

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When did this happen? When was the case heard?

• The incident itself happened in the fall of 1991
• The case was heard at the Supreme court on March
  28th, 1995

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Where did it happen? Where did the case take
place?

• The issue was with one of Vernonia School
  Districts grade schools
• The case made it to the Supreme Court in
  approximately four years

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Why was there an issue?

• The school district came to the consensus that
  drugs could lead to increased injuries in sports,
  and with the athletes supposedly leading the drug
  culture, they decided to institute mandatory drug
  tests for all athletes
• The Actons refused because they believed that it
  violated their sons fourth amendment right to
  have privacy in his bathroom use

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How was the case resolved?

• The court ruled in favor of the school district
  on June 26th, 1995
• Their decision was made on the grounds that the
  athletes, being under the schools (and thus the
  states) supervision during school hours, have
  their fourth amendment right suspended in favor
  of the schools interest

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Aftermath

• Like in many similar cases, the court ruled that
  schools have the right to monitor their students
  to a certain extent
• Schools should only be concerned with what
  happens on their campus
• However, their logic is certainly reasonable, and
  it is a good thing that they care about the
  safety of their student body

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Bibliography

• Oyez, http//www.oyez.org/oyez/r
  esource/case/626/
• UMKC School of Law, http//www.law.umkc.edu/facult
  y/projects/ftrials/conlaw/veronia.html