At Triton High School, questions have been asked about required drug testing for student-athletes. Although athletes must sign a pledge against hazing, nothing about what will happen if suspected of using illegal substances is agreed upon specifically when an athlete joins a sports or extracurricular team.

In triton high school’s journalism class, students took a close look at court case studies that affect high school student rights. In one case in 1995, James Acton, a 12-year-old at Washington grade school in Vernonia, Oregon tried out for the football team. Acton was told by his coach that the whole team needed a mandatory drug test in order to play football. His parents refused the test stating that their son would not take a test if there is no raised suspicion for drug use as it goes against the Fourth Amendment. Because of this, he was suspended for the football season. 

Tim Alberts, the athletic director here at Triton expresses how he does not believe high schools mandate student-athlete drug testing but in collegiate level sports, they might. He does not believe any high schools mandate drug testing 

¨I just don’t know of high schools that (mandate drug testing)do that, it’s kind of like a rights type of thing.¨ Mr. Alberts claims.

Alberts does not feel like schools, especially high school drug tests, often or even at all. It is not really common in districts to have to resort to drug testing. 

  Scott Brenan, one of the two assistant principals of Triton, shared the action he can take when it comes to dealing with students who have been. 

 ¨if there is a suspicion with kids drinking or anything like that I will give them a breathalyzer,¨ said Brennan

¨As an assistant principal I can go into a kid’s backpack. A cop can’t do that, but if I had suspicion yes.¨ Brennan said.
Mr. Brennan says the authority he has over a student, he can personally drug test or look into your bag without any proven evidence you have anything to hide. With that being said, he says he personally would not do that until the person being searched was caught in the act of doing something bad first. 

Natalie Indingaro, a Junior at Triton shares that she doesn’t think testing is a violation of student rights if there is a rightful suspicion that a student is not doing the right thing at school and disrespecting the school rules of on-campus activity.

¨I don’t think it interferes with student rights if it’s a requirement to play a sport but randomly doing it is weird unless there’s a reason to believe that there’s something going on.¨ Ms. Indingaro says.

Student-athletes being drug tested should only be used when necessary and not free as it is a violation of the 4th amendment which states the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause.