Cory de Vera reports:
City Councilman Doug Burlison and his wife Mellony are asking the American Civil Liberties Union to help them stop the apparent practice of locking down Springfield schools to randomly search students for drugs.
[…]
According to the letter from the ACLU, Central High was locked down around 10 a.m. April 22. Police officers with one or more drug dogs entered classrooms and ordered students and teachers to leave, and leave behind any belongings. While students were in the hall, their belongings were searched.
Connor told the News-Leader when students returned to their class room, it was obvious their backpacks and purses had been rifled through. “One of the kids said he saw dog slobber on his stuff. They had moved one girl’s purse across the room.”
At 11 a.m., according to the ACLU letter, Principal Ron Snodgrass told students over the intercom to go to their fourth-period class. If students passed the drug dog and the dog signaled an alert, and the student’s clothing was searched, the student was told to go outside.
Read more in the News-Leader.