JIH
Brockton Public Schools
School Committee Policy
INTERROGATIONS AND SEARCHES
The right of inspection of student’s school lockers, desks, or articles carried upon their
persons is inherent in the authority granted School Committees and administrators as long as
they have reasonable grounds.
The exercise of that authority places unusual demands upon the judgement of school officials.
Therefore, that authority is to be exercised sparingly and only when there is a reasonable basis
for believing that the student is concealing material, the possession of which is prohibited by
Federal, State, or local law or the provisions of the Student Regulations of the Brockton
Public Schools.
Maximum effort will be made to protect each student’s constitutional rights and his/her right
to personal privacy.
Interrogations by Police
The schools have legal custody of students during the school day and during hours of
approved extracurricular activities. It is the responsibility of the school administration to
make an effort to protect each student's rights with respect to interrogations by law
enforcement officials. Therefore:
1. When law enforcement officials find it necessary to question students during the school
day or periods of extracurricular activities, the school principal or his/her designee will be
present when possible. An effort will be made to contact the student's parent or guardian
so that the responsible individual may be notified of the situation. A Brockton School
Police Officer will be present when a student is questioned by a law enforcement official.
2.
If custody and/or arrest are involved, the principal will request that the law enforcement
officials observe all procedural safeguards, as prescribed by law.
J. Students
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Approved: June 15, 1999; August 20, 2002