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A students parent talked to me about where drugs were hidden in the locker room.

The parent said that if the


drugs were found or if the principal found out, the student would know that the parent had told. The student has
a hard time trusting adults.
Facts
1) Parent talked with teacher about where drugs were hidden in the locker room
2) Parent is concerned that if the drugs were found or if the principal became involved, their child would
know who told
3) The student has a hard time trusting adults
Question
1) Should the teacher report that there are drugs hidden in the locker room?
Arguments
No
1) Staff Handbook clearly states:
Professional staff members are not liable for referring a student to law enforcement or for removing a student from school
premises or from participation in a school-related activity for suspicion of possession, distribution, or consumption of any
alcoholic beverage or a controlled substance.

2) According to the National Association of State Boards of Education, Wisconsin has no policy regarding
Drugs and Alcohol: No state policy specific to school premises.

3) This student already has issues trusting adults, so if the teacher reports the drugs in the locker room it
will create distrust between child and parent
4) This student would also no longer trust the teacher because he/she could face serious disciplinary action.
The Student Handbook states:
disciplinary sanctions, up to and including expulsion and referral for prosecution, will be imposed on students who
violate the school standards of conduct and a description of those sanctions;
The sanctions may include, together with punitive action, voluntary referral to appropriate persons or agencies for
screening and assessment. Such referral may only be made to qualified and properly licensed individuals or programs.

Yes
1) Drugs are illegal and are not allowed on school premises. The Student Handbook states:
The Board prohibits the use, possession, concealment, or distribution of any drug and any drug-paraphernalia at any
time on District property or at any District-related event.

2) This student has been given the handbook clearly stating the policies. She/he has violated these policies
by hiding drugs in the locker room.
3) Purchasing and/or using the drugs this student has hidden in the locker room could harm other students.
By turning the student in, the teacher is protecting other students.
4) Turning the student in will help teach him/her a life long lesson. Hopefully the student will realize drugs
are bad and that he/she has to follow the rules.
5) Teacher could get fired if administration finds out they knew and didnt report it.
6) Teachers reputation could be harmed.
Decision
This would be an extremely hard decision to make. I feel like it would depend on whom the student was.
I know this sounds unfair, but if this was a good student who has fallen into the wrong crowd I believe I would
make a different choice compared to a student who is know for drug use, has been in trouble before, and who
really needs a wake up call. Regardless, the right thing to do would be to report the drugs hidden in the locker
room. This decision is based on both Consequentialist and Non- Consequentialist beliefs. Reporting the drugs
utilizes the principle of benefit maximization, creating a safer environment for all students and staff. Only one
person will be disciplined, but potentially the relationship between parent and child could be damaged. School
policy clearly states that drugs are not allowed on school premises, regardless of the policy that says teachers
are not liable for referring a student, the rules are the rules and drugs are not allowed. It is more important to get

the drugs out of the school than the students issues with trusting adults. Maybe he cant trust adults because of
his/her lack of good choices and is constantly in trouble! The parent shared this information for a reason, most
likely because deep down they wanted the teacher to report it. This would have to be reported in a manor that
does not expose the student to embarrassment. A parent telling a teacher that their child has drugs hidden in the
locker room qualifies as reasonable suspicion, and school policy states that lockers are the property of the
school, so school administrators would be able to search and seize the locker. This decision would be based also
on sending a message to the rest of the students, to deter them from bringing drugs to school as well.

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