DeKALB | The Senate is currently reviewing a new law that would give teachers the authority to conduct searches. The House passed the bill last week that would expand the right to search students to now include teachers instead of just administrators.

The Student and Teacher Safety Act of 2006 allows teachers to search any student without a warrant. The bill also gives teachers the right to have random drug tests done on all students participating in extracurricular activities.

These searches do not violate the Fourth Amendment under this new bill. Nonetheless, some students feel these school searches are unnecessary and a violation of their personal privacy.

Sophomore history major Dan Bono is appalled by the act.

“I should not have to worry about being searched,” he said. Bono, like some students, said he believes student searches of any kind are wrong. “A 13-year-old girl in a classroom should have the same right to privacy as a 30-year-old man.”

Lindsey Hall, DeKalb High School principal, said these types of searches are sometimes necessary.

“It is our legal right to search someone or something that could endanger anyone in the school,” Hall said.

DHS officials said they would only search someone if there was a reasonable level of suspicion.

“We would only perform a search if there was a chance something illegal going on,” said DHS assistant principal John Hahn.

Section three is the most controversial part of the bill, which would allow any teacher to search a student as opposed to a disciplinarian or a security guard. With this, even some school officials disagree.

“Searches are best left up to school administrators, not teachers,” Hall said.

Despite any discrepancy over who should conduct the searchers, they would be held up in court without question.

If a student was searched and something illegal was found, the student would suffer repercussions twofold because they would be punished by both the school and the police,

“In most cases, punishment starts with the school and will lead to both [police and school involvement],” said Hahn.

The bill passed the House of Representatives Sept. 19 and is now awaiting approval from the Senate.

Ryan Strong is a City Reporter for the Northern Star.