FAIRBURY, Neb. (AP) — The American Civil Liberties Union has objected to a southeast Nebraska school district's decision to add nicotine to random drug tests given to students involved in extracurricular activities.
A letter from ACLU legal director Amy Miller says such urine tests are unwarranted because tobacco possession is a misdemeanor that doesn't carry the possibility of jail time. The ACLU also cautioned the Fairbury Public Schools district that its policies didn't include adequate privacy safeguards, an appeals process or a way to make sure tests weren't found positive for prescribed medications.
District Superintendent Stephen Grizzle told the Lincoln Journal Star the district wants to "deter kids from potentially being addicted to nicotine."
He says the policy was vetted by lawyers representing the district, so he's comfortable with it.