TRI In The News
Taking Stand for Founding Principle
From One News Now
Original article available here
Parents in Missouri have filed a lawsuit in response to the lockdown and mass search of their children's belongings while at school. Fourth Amendment violations are being cited.
The Rutherford Institute has filed a lawsuit against the Springfield Public Schools for announcing a lockdown and allowing sheriff's officers to randomly search students' private belongings.
"Besides the invasive nature of these kinds of things, what it teaches students in the future is that you live in a police state, that the police can [do this] without a search warrant, without you doing anything wrong, without them proving [they have] probable cause under the Fourth Amendment, that becomes normal," notes John Whitehead, president of the Institute.
He laments that students in America are increasingly being viewed as suspects without probable cause.
"That's why the Fourth Amendment was put in our Constitution -- it's that we're not supposed to be treated like we're suspects, that we have bodily integrity, our homes are our castles," the attorney contends. "But increasingly the law and the way this country treats us is going against that founding principle, and I think it's really sad and very unfortunate."
A U.S. District Court has sided with the schools, declaring that school officials did not violate students' constitutional rights. The Rutherford Institute is appealing that decision.
