Answer :
School officials require ‘reasonable suspicion’ to search students' property for contraband, a standard established by the Supreme Court that allows for searches when school rules or laws are thought to be violated.
The level of proof required for school officials to search the property of students for contraband is reasonable suspicion. This standard, which is less stringent than probable cause, was established by the Supreme Court in the case New Jersey v. T.L.O. (1985).
Under this ruling, a school official may search if there is reasonable suspicion that the student has violated a school rule or law. Reasonable suspicion must be based on specific and articulable facts, and the scope of the search must be reasonably related to the objectives of the search and not excessively intrusive.
For example, if a teacher observes a student placing a suspicious bag in their backpack, the teacher would report this to the principal, who then needs to decide whether there is reasonable suspicion to search the backpack.
