The school district argued that the random drug searches were reasonable as students' right to privacy is limited at school.
Some students athletes at Vernonia, Oregon, were protesting against random drug searches being done against their permission. The school administrators stressed the purpose of the searches, which was protection of other students and prevention of drug usage at school. They argued that students at schools are subjects to greater control than free adults, and that the Fourth Amendment does not apply to them in that case.
The Supreme Court ruled that the searches were reasonable in light of the schools' interest in preventing teenage drug use. The governmental concern over the safety of minors under their supervision overrides the minimal intrusion in students' privacy.
