Carbon judge will decide on injunction request for Panther Valley drug policy Judge Serfass considers action filed by ACLU on students' behalf against the district

A Carbon County judge will decide on a request for a preliminary injunction to stop the Panther Valley School District from enforcing its drug policy concerning students who participate in sports and extracurricular activities.

Judge Steven R. Serfass conducted a hearing on the action filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) against the district which was filed on behalf of Morgan and Donna Thomas. The Thomas' sought the action on behalf of two of their children, a son, Jeremy, 18, and a daughter, identified in the suit as M.T.

Attorneys for the ACLU argued that the policy is unconstitutional and invades the privacy of the Thomas' children. The injunction was sought to end the "irreparable harm" the policy is doing to the two children.

During the hearing Thomas and the two children named in the suit were called as witnesses.

Thomas told Serfass he refused to sign a form sent home with his children a