The Right to Seach Students Lockers and Bags

Hi, my name is Austin Couch and my speech is about whether or not authorities should have the right to search student's lockers and bags. I think that they shouldn't because it takes away the small amount of privacy that students at a public high school have. Speaking for me personally, even though I don't have a locker, I only have a book bag, I don't like when school authorities (principal, vice principal, teachers, etc.) look through my things because it feels as if though they are invading my privacy. When school authorities search student's bags it is a waste of time, an invasion of privacy and a breach of trust between students and teachers. When I come to school I come to learn, not do drugs or shoot people. As long as I have been at this school I haven't heard of anyone doing drugs in the restroom, hallway, classroom etc. nor have I heard of anyone bring a gun to school, so therefore there should be no reason to search bags. It is embarrassing when people go through my bag. I don't let my friends look through my stuff, so why should school authorities be able to? They don't let us look through their desk and bags, so why should they look through ours? It is not fair for them to have the right to search our personal belongings on the slightest whim, the handbook says, "School officials (school administrators or approved designee only) may make searches of a student, his/her personal belongings and vehicles, if there is reasonable cause to believe that the student is carrying articles that may endanger other individuals in the school or that such articles possessed are contrary to law or the regulation of the Board.". The rules do make sense, they have a good reason they can search your stuff, but do they define what a good reason is, no they don't! The schools define what a good reason is, which could be anything from you just went to restroom for 30 minutes and when you came back you reeked of pot, your eyes were red and you talked like Shaggy form Scooby Doo to something they made up just because they don't like you. In conclusion school authorities should not have the right to search the lockers and bags of students. It is embarrassing, waste time, and breaks trust between students and school authorities. I speak to you as a student and a friend, guys let do something to make the searching of our personal belonging on the whim of school authorities stop.

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