School Strip-Search Case Argued at Supreme Court

The U.S. Supreme Court today heard oral arguments in a high-profile case involving the strip-search of a 13-year-old girl at an Arizona public school that could have far-reaching implications for how schools may proceed when they wish to search students.

Matthew W. Wright, the lawyer representing the Safford Unified School District and the local school personnel involved, told the justices that administrators “need the flexibility to act immediately” if they believe a search is needed to protect student health and safety.

But Adam B. Wolf, a lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union representing the family of a student who was strip-searched after she was suspected of possessing prescription-strength ibuprofen, argued that the school officials went too far in this case. He argued that they should not be allowed to search the undergarments of a student unless there is reasonable suspicion that the contraband is hidden there, which he said...