Check out the other articles and opinions in our K-9 Drug Search series.

Opinion

On Friday, December 11th, Wayland High School students had a “shelter in place” during homeroom and for an additional twenty minutes afterward. The “shelter in place” was used to run two protocols, one for safety in the event that there is an outside threat, and one K-9 assisted drug search.

Said Principal Patrick Tutwiler, “[The search] happened this year, first and foremost, because we continued to experience drug-related issues on campus. And that’s a problem, it’s one that stares us right in the face, and I refuse to blink. I refuse to get used to it, I refuse to tolerate it. You – meaning all the students – deserve better than that. You deserve to know that someone [cares] about your school experience.”

Almost the second each student walked into his or her homeroom discussions were roaring. Students were instantly protesting the drug search and questioning their rights. But why? What rights were being infringed?

The administration had a response for this question. “You actually go through the District Attorney’s office [to set up the search], because you have make sure that protocol is done the right way,” said Tutwiler. “I’m glad for that so that your rights are protected. I don’t want to infringe upon that.”

In Supreme Court rulings of 1995 and 2002, drug testing of urine, which is considered a type of search, for students involved in athletics and other extracurricular activities was confirmed to be legal. In those cases, the justices emphasized the importance of deterring student drug use, and encouraging a drug-free education.

Wayland isn’t perfect. Wayland isn’t drug-free. But Wayland is known for their school system and drugs don’t belong in school.

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Last I checked, drugs were not only illegal, but not allowed on school property. The school has the right to conduct a drug search at any given moment on campus. When you bring something on school property, it is liable to be taken away. Therefore no student rights were infringed.

“There was an attorney from the District Attorney’s office on site; they do this quite regularly,” explained Tutwiler. “It’s not always a team; it was a team today that knew one another. It’s  free. It’s a collective and collaborative effort between communities to keep schools drug free and send that message.”

Although this was the first K-9 assisted drug search at WHS, they are not uncommon occurrences at other schools.  “Other schools in the dual county league, [such as] Westford Academy – they do it three or four times a year. It’s pretty regular,” said Tutwiler.

Many schools check student lockers on a monthly basis. But according to USA Today, if drug tests are positive, public schools are prohibited from reporting the drug results to any type of legal office. This means that students cannot be legally prosecuted if school officials discover their drug use. However, the school is responsible for meeting with a child’s parents if they are found to have drugs.

For every student who was complaining about the drug search, there was one that was laughing. Students were not surprised by the drug search last Friday. Rumor has it that the majority of the student body knew about the upcoming drug search because of a parent who told his or her child.

News spreads like wildfire on the WHS campus. Of course students knew beforehand, and therefore were able to prepare. So although Principal Tutwiler was happy to report that nothing was found, I am forlorn to report this.

It was unfortunate that no one was caught in this drug search. Not only would it have made for a comical story, but it would have saved Principal Tutwiler from some of the excess harassment about the effectiveness of the search.  Maybe if someone had been caught, then all of the so-called “concerned parents” would be more worried about the existence of drugs in our school than whether their own son or daughter gets caught.

Just because nothing was found does not mean that Wayland is clean. It’s high school, so let’s face it: drugs exist. It was especially clear when I heard the words, “Did you bring anything to school?” from another senior during homeroom that Friday. According to the 2008 Student Risk Survey conducted at the High School, just 25% of students use marijuana. I have no doubt that this number should be much larger.

Students will admit to seeing their peers show up to class high, or under the influence. How is this not a problem? It is not foreign to us that drugs exist. Some will argue that coming to class under the influence does not affect the learning environment, but it is a clear distraction. Not only to the student under the influence, but also to the other students of the class and the teacher.

Wayland is a strong school driven by education, and it does not need the distractions and issues that follow drug use during school hours. Not to mention, if  a student needs to come to school under the influence, they have a problem with drugs. Out of school is their own business, but in school is problematic and inappropriate.

Want to hear other sides of the argument?

Check out the other articles and opinions in our K-9 Drug Search series.

The views of the author don’t necessarily reflect the views of WSPN, Wayland High School, or the Town of Wayland. The opinions in this commentary are strictly the author’s own personal views.