Washington State Supreme Court Rules Random Drug Testing Violates Students’ Constitutional Rights
Drug Policy Alliance
3/13/2008
The Washington State Supreme Court has ruled that a random drug testing policy is unconstitutional.
The Washington State Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the Wahkiakum School District’s random drug testing policy is unconstitutional and violates student athletes’ rights under the higher privacy protections of article I, section 7 of the Washington State Constitution.
The Drug Policy Alliance and the Washington Education Association (WEA) filed an amicus curiae (friend-of-the-court) brief in the case arguing that random student drug testing is unsupported by scientific research, may deter students from participating in extracurricular activities, undermines trust in student-teacher relationships while creating a hostile school environment and may evoke oppositional behavior in students who may try to “beat” the test, among other concerns