A state district court judge found the controversial Goshen County School District drug testing policy constitutional in a decision made last month.

The plaintiffs in the case, which included multiple parents and guardians of county students, sought a ruling which would stop the drug testing via preliminary and permanent injunctions, but Second District Judge Wade Waldrip denied the requests in siding with the school district.

Goshen County Schools Superintendent Ray Schulte said the decision allows the district to continue its drug testing, but added that he understands the judge’s decision isn’t likely to change people’s minds.

“Some people are obviously not going to be supportive of the notion of a random drug test,” he said.

However, Schulte said he believes in the legal process of looking to the courts to make such decisions.

“Ultimately, we live by the decisions that the courts make,” he said.

The district’s policy dictates that seventh to 12th graders wanting to participate in Goshen County schools extracurricular activities must sign an agreement stating the student is subject to random, suspicionless drug testing.

Students who refuse to consent to the testing are barred from participating in school-sponsored extracurricular activities for one year.

They central issue in the case was whether the policy and its drug testing of students qualified as an “unreasonable searches and seizures,” which the Wyoming Constitution protects citizens against.



For the complete article see the 11-11-2009 issue.

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