Parents Say No To Drug-Sniffing Dogs -KGO By Lyanne Melendez Febuary 17, 2006

Parents Say No To Drug-Sniffing Dogs
Board Will Revisit Issue
KGO By Lyanne Melendez


Feb. 17 - KGO - Today parents finally got the meeting they wanted over the use of drug sniffing dogs at one Marin City school. A school of only 38 students with almost no prior history of a drug problem.

On January 23, school officials allowed drug-sniffing dogs to enter Martin Luther King Academy in Marin City. Parents were notified only two days before.

Since then the issue has been brewing among some parents upset with the Sausalito Marin City School District.

Terry Green, parent: "And what kind of message does that give our kids? What kind of psychological damage could that have on our children?"

Over the past year, test scores at the middle school have dropped. One board member today hinted drugs may be the reason.

Shirley Thorton, school board member: "Something is causing them not to succeed."

Tiawana Bullock, parent: "I know the parents, I know the students and I know our kids don't have a drug problem."

The board said the dog program is a preventative measure.

Mary Buttler, interim superintendent: "We wouldn't be going this far if we didn't suspect there were issues."

The Canine Company will get $2,500 through June. The company operates in 300 school districts in California.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), has long argued such searches violate the fourth amendment which protects against unreasonable searches and seizures.

The U.S. Supreme Court has not ruled specifically on locker searches, but in 1985 the high court took on a case involving the search for cigarettes in a student's purse. In that case, the court said schools act in "loco parentis" (in place of parents), and that for public school students the warrant requirement nor the probable cause standard apply.

Some here are looking for a middle ground.

Jude Thilman, community activist: "Let's just take a deep breath and say okay, let's back up a step. What would it cost us to cancel the contract with the dog company and try something different."

The meeting ended with the board deciding to revisit the issue.

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