Projo 7 to 7 News Blog

By Linda Borg
Journal staff writer

BARRINGTON -- The Rhode Island affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union is strongly opposed to a proposal by Police Chief John LaCross requiring all students attending high school dances to take a breathalyzer test.

In a letter sent to school officials this morning, ACLU Executive Director Steven Brown acknowledged the pressures on school officials to address the serious problem of underage drinking in town but called the proposal "ineffectual and inappropriately dismissive of students' legitimate rights.

Brown supports the school's current policy, which allows breathalyzer testing upon reasonable suspicion that a particular student is impaired.

"Rather than treating every student as a suspect," Brown wrote, "the current policy recognizes the privacy rights of students should not be so cavalierly ignored and that intrusions on those rights should be limited to circumstances when officials have reason to believe a student may have engaged in improper conduct."

High School Principal John Gray said he's been meeting with parents and town officials and will meet with students to discuss the proposal, but said the issue is long from settled.

"This is a topic that's been brought up that we should discuss, and it's a possible change in policy," Gray said.

The current district policy does not include mandatory testing.

"We are concerned about (the) continuing culture of underage drinking," Gray said. "Our goal is to provide a safe environment for our kids."

Gray said any action would likely follow a report from a Town Council-hired consultant that is expected to be presented to the town next month.

LaCross had said publicly that students in nearby Seekonk, Mass., no longer show up to school dances with alcohol on their breath after a similar policy was adopted there. The ACLU, however, said that social problems like underage drinking are not so easily solved and suggested that some students may simply decide to wait until after the school dance to drink.

Brown also pointed out the technical challenges inherent in implementing a breathalyzer policy on all students: the tests must be administered properly and the machines must be maintained.

"Since we assume that a zero reading ... will be required," Brown wrote, "the possibilities for error are not insignificant when every student -- not just those suspected of drinking -- is subject to a test."

The letter concluded by stressing that there are no shortcuts in dealing with a social problem like underage drinking.

"Tragic teenage deaths, not to mention increased and severe penalties, have not solved the problem," Brown wrote, "but little is gained by implementing policies that undermine the rights of students."

--With reports from projo.com staff writer Maria Armental

 Tags  Barrington high school dances John LaCross Steven Brown teen drinking

Comments

Dave said:

I don't see much of a problem with requiring everyone to take the breathalyzer test before attending a school dance. Its 'Equal Protection Under the Law', right? We treat everyone the same, no exceptions. I assume that the RI Chapter of the ACLU will GUARENTEE any liability that the school department may incur because they miss catching a teenage drinker with the current 'hit or miss' policy will be covered by the full weight of the RI CHapter of ACLU, right?

Link | January 9, 2009 12:19 PM
Report Abuse

---

JD said:

Attending a school dance is not a right it is a privledge. Therefore, this policy is not "inappropriately dismissive of students' legitimate rights" This is no different then requiring all students to pass through a metal detector to enter the school. But I guess Stevie Brown would call that an infringement of the student's "rights" too.

Link | January 9, 2009 12:27 PM
Report Abuse

---

m said:

I went to Dighton-Rehoboth and they started making brethalyzers a requirement in 1997. I don't know if thinks has changed since then but I don't remember the ACLU trying to block anything.

Link | January 9, 2009 12:38 PM
Report Abuse

---

m said:

OK, so let's let a couple more kids die on their way home from the dance so that we don't 'violate' anyone's rights, especially those who end up getting away with it. This Brown character is so a$$ backwards...but I'll bet if some unfortunate student does die from drinking before or at the dance (that could have been prevented with a mandatory test), Mr. Brown will most assuredly wash his hands of the whole mess. Not only no common sense, it's doubtful he even has a conscience.

Link | January 9, 2009 2:28 PM
Report Abuse

---

EMT said:

Once again, the ACLU comes down on the exact opposite side of common sense and reason.

Link | January 9, 2009 6:03 PM
Report Abuse

---

Pat said:

Mr. Brown should ride along with the Chief the next time he has to tell parents their child is dead as the result of drunk driving or alcohol over use. Even Mr. Brown can't be tough enough to witness parents devastation when told their child is on a slab or maimed for life.....or maybe even worse....to watch parents as their child is arrested and charged with drunk driving that resulted in the deaths of inocent people even if he/she escaped without physical injury

Link | January 9, 2009 6:09 PM
Report Abuse

---

Ana said:

there's nothing wrong with having students take a breathalyzer test before entering a dance. If anything its protecting the other students and the enviornment that they'll be in. In my opinion what the student decides to do after the dance off school premises should not be put down on the school's staff. They accomplished their job by keeping everyone in the school safe, it is not their responsibility to watch the kids afterwards, that's what the parents are their for. Also they should have everyone take the test not just whom they assume it should be fair all across the board.

Link | January 11, 2009 11:10 PM
Report Abuse

---

Leave a comment

Please be civil. Vicious comments, personal attacks and profanity won't be published. Name and email are required; email address will not publish.

Name:

Email:

URL:  

Remember personal info?

Captcha:

Type the characters you see in the picture above.