Edu-Safe

Interviewing and Searching Students: Legal and Practical Applications

Author

Dennis Lewis

Date of Post

Jun 1, 2009

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Workshop Description

School officials are guided by the legal system and school board policies and procedures in the area of student searches and interviews.  Additionally, parents are increasingly scrutinizing and asking school officials why and how a particular student was interviewed and/or searched.  While the courts have given school officials latitude, it is imperative school personnel not only understand the legal parameters, but also always follow appropriate guidelines for conducting searches and interviews. 

This workshop will provide attendees with current practical and legal information to enable them to recognize some of the pitfalls associated with legal issues, as well as how to make decisions related to searching students, that are fair, consistent, and, ultimately, upheld in the judicial system.

Instructional Objectives will include:

• Understand the environmental aspects related to interviewing and searching students
• Understand how to differentiate between probable cause and reasonable suspicion
• Understand legal standards for searching students, vehicles, and property
• Understand when, shy, and how to document a search
• Understand the nexus connection between an infraction, object, and place
• Recognize the value and distinction between a pre-interview and a formal interview