School Staff should not have the right to search students school lockers without proper reasoning.
It is the students property and searching ones property is an invasion of privacy. The arguments in favor of allowing such a search are that it ensues school safety and it is to protect the staff , and other stidents. They also claim that it is not the students property because it a rental, so it is the schools property. The arguments against allowing such a search are that it is an invasion of privacy and that it will not help with safety because students barely have time at their lockers, at most two minutes. They also say that if there is no suspicion or reason to be searching a students locker it should not be allowed. I agree with this argument because I am a teenager with a locker and would not be happy if my locker got searched without my consent.
Although I disagree with the search and seizure policy, their side does have a reasonable argument. They use the fact that drugs possibly could be smuggled into school and sold, since metal detectors cant detect drugs. Although this is very true, this could be opposed because if there is no reason to be suspicious of a kid selling illegal substances there shouldn’t be a reason to search his/her locker for drugs. They also state that the kids lockers aren’t their home or diary, it’s just a loan from school property so the locker shouldnt be a teenagers “provate space” but the same time if it’s a loan the students should be able to put what they want in the locker during their time of owning. It is a very controversial topic and bith sides have very good arguments.On the other hand, the arguments against search and seizure are also very persuasive.
They should not be able to search students lockers without warrants because the students loan the lockers for the year, making it theirs. They have full ownership of the lockers , so unless there is a reason to be suspicious of that locker, or of the student there shouldn’t be a reason for the students locker to be searched. I don’t believe parents will be happy with this also because there may be private information in the locker that is not meant for anyone to see. There could be charges pressed if a students locker is searched without consent or valid reasoning to believe there is prohibited activity or unallowed items in the locker.To me the most persuasive side is the group in favor of the search and seizure policy, although I still believe it shouldn’t be allowed unless there is proper reasoning or suspicion.
They are constantly overstating the fact that it is the schools property and that they should be searched often to ensure safety in the school building. Although this is true , if there’s no suspicious activity or signs , there shouldn’t be a safety issue. They also constantly use the several school shootings as examples to show how it is unsafe to not do locker searches, but these shootings didn’t occur because of a locker, Im pretty sure the student came into the school with the gun and wouldnt put it in the locker during the 2 minutes which students have in between classes to use the lockers.My opinion is still strongly on the side of going against search and seizure.
Without valid consent or proof, the staff should not be able to search through the students locker, even if it is just a rental it is the students property at the time. It is similar to going through a students bookbag it is the child’s property and for the eyes of whoever he/she wants to see it, and if a student doesn’t give consent for a locker search it should not be allowed.
