Canton Should Scrap Flawed Drug Sweep Policy

HARTFORD, CT -- In a letter to Canton Schools Superintendent Kevin Case, The American Civil Liberties Union of Connecticut (ACLU-CT) called on the Canton Board of Education to rescind its drug sweep policy in favor of something more effective. The current policy allows armed police officers and drug-sniffing dogs to sweep lockers and parking lots for drugs. The Board meets tomorrow night and will discuss this policy.

"Schools should be a place of learning and trust, but that's compromised by a drug sweep policy that turns the concept of innocent until proven guilty on it's head," said Jon Matthews, Legal Director of the ACLU-CT. "I know Board members have students' best interests in mind and hope they will agree there are better ways to keep our schools drug-free than through random searches that violate students' rights."

Last June, Canton police conducted a sweep of the school. During the search students were locked into their classrooms while police with drug sniffing dogs inspected lockers and cars. Although many students were called to have their cars and lockers searched only one was found to have a small amount of marijuana.

The Canton Board of Education meets at 7 pm, Thursday December 4, in the Canton Community Center (40 Dyer Avenue, Canton)