Random, Suspicionless Searches of Students' Belongings: A Legal, Empirical, and Normative Analysis

This Article provides a legal, empirical, and normative analysis of an intrusive search practice used by public school officials to prevent school crime: random, suspicionless searches of students’ belongings. First, it argues that these searches are not permitted under the Fourth Amendment unless schools have particularized evidence of a substance abuse or weapons problem. Second, it provides a normative evaluation of strict security measures in schools, especially when they are applied disproportionately to minority students. Third, drawing on recent restricted data from the U.S. Department of Education’s School Survey on Crime and Safety, this Article provides empirical findings that raise concerns that some public schools may be conducting unconstitutional searches of students’ belongings. In addition, it shows that these potentially unconstitutional searches are more likely to take place in schools with higher minority populations than in schools with lower minority populations, even after taking into account school officials’