A Northern California school district must temporarily stop a sweeping drug-testing program that included students involved in band and other after-school activities, a judge ruled last week.
Shasta County Superior Court Judge Monica Marlow issued a preliminary injunction against the Shasta Union High School District, finding that the district’s drug-testing policy is likely to violate the state constitution.
The district last year began conducting random drug tests for students involved in athletics, choir, band, drama, and other extracurricular activities. The move was an expansion of a policy that had applied to student-athletes at the district’s two high schools since 1999.
Superintendent Jim Cloney said the district intends to defend its policy at trial. He said officials weighed students’ rights against the district’s obligation to provide a drug-free environment.
