Last night, the Panther Valley School Board voted 5-3 to end a proposed random drug-testing policy for participation in athletic and extra-curricular activities.
The action came because the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed suit against the district arguing such testing was unconstitutional.
Rather than spend a lot of taxpayer dollars defending the suit, the school board opted to end the policy.
It's unfortunate because such a policy may save the lives of youngsters either experimenting in drugs or having become addicted to them.
The basis of the ACLU suit, filed on behalf of a single family in the Panther Valley district, was that it was "an unconstitutional invasion of privacy."
There is a serious drug problem throughout the region. Drugs have been tied to deaths of various school students in Carbon County. How many more young people have to die before it is deemed that a serious enough problem exists to warrant such testing?
It's understood that the Panther testing was directed at students taking part in athletic and extra-curricular activities. The testing might have saved lives of individuals who take drugs which can affect their heart or lungs or other organs while they take part in strenuous activities.
Also, it would introduce students to the real world where sometimes drug testing makes the difference in obtaining employment.
There is still drug testing available under voluntary and suspicious circumstances.
Under the ACLU's argument, it would invalidate screening at ai