The plaintiffs in the Goshen County Schools drug testing policy case filed an appeal last week to the Supreme Court of Wyoming. A notice of the appeal was entered into the district court of the Eighth Judicial District court Nov. 16.

Second Judicial District Judge Wade Waldrip last month ruled in favor of the district and denied the plaintiff’s requests for injunctions stopping the drug testing.

In his decision, Waldrip found that the district’s policy is not in violation of the state’s constitutional protection against “unreasonable searches and seizures.”

Goshen County Schools Superintendent Ray Schulte declined to comment because the case is back in the court system, but previously said the district would continue to cooperate if the plaintiff’s filed an appeal.

However, lead defense counsel for the district Tracy Copenhaver said in a statement he thinks the higher court will uphold Waldrip’s October decision.

“My only comment is that the District Court decision is well written and strongly supported by the law and we are confident it will be affirmed,” he said.

Harriet Hageman, lead attorney for the plaintiffs, said it’s premature to discuss more details about the appeal, but said she and her clients maintain that the drug testing policy is unconstitutional.

“We knew that we would end up in the Supreme Court (of Wyoming),” she said.





For the complete article see the 11-25-2009 issue.

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