Freehold Regional High School District Busts Paraprofessional for Drugs – Should They Conduct Random Drug Searches of Students? [POLL]

Here’s the scoop.

A paraprofessional at Manalapan High School gets busted in a drug sting in Ocean County, which spurs officials at the Freehold Regional High School District to mull conducting random searches of students.

Make sense to you?

Not to me.

While it’s remotely possible that the para may have had contact with some students over drug transactions, there’s no reasonable suspicion that’s the case.

So then why even mull the random searches in the first place?

According to this,it’s all about allaying the concerns of one outspoken parent.

The report states that :the students at the six schools in the Freehold Regional High School District may have to submit to random searches.

The proposed change to the existing policy follows the arrest of Assistant Baseball Coach Shawn E. Hannon of Tinton Falls earlier this month in an Ocean County-run drug dragnet. Hannon is also a paraprofessional at Manalapan High School.

So while Hannon’s full-time job with the district — which pays $37,000 — is up in the air, his $2,962 coaching position ended far short of the end of the Braves playing season. The April 22 agenda lists his coaching appointment as beginning March 1 and ending April 3.
Resident Gloria O. Close said at Monday’s Board of Education meeting. “If our school is infested with drugs, that is a problem,” “How is that being addressed?”

Nicole Hazel, the district’s chief academic officer, said the district is working with an addiction specialist to examine policies and procedures. A substance abuse counselor is in place in each of the district’s six high schools, she said.

Officials are reviewing district policy to see if random searches should be authorized, she said. Existing policy provides for locker searches under specific conditions and only after the building principal has determined “reasonable grounds” exist. Policies involving staff and district equipment permit searches without a warrant, however.

Shortly after Hannon’s arrest, a statement was posted on the Manalapan High School website, that attempted to reassure parents and the public that the charges against Hannon have little to do with the school or district. (emphasis mine)

Again, if the charges have little to do with the school or district, then why even mull the searches in the first place.

Are the students to pay for the sin of the paraprofessional?

In the Freehold Regional High School District, sure seems that way!