Schaill Ex Rel. Kross v. Tippecanoe County School Corp.

679 F. Supp. 833, 1988 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 881, 1988 WL 7127
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Indiana
DecidedFebruary 1, 1988
DocketCiv. L 87-90
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 679 F. Supp. 833 (Schaill Ex Rel. Kross v. Tippecanoe County School Corp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Indiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Schaill Ex Rel. Kross v. Tippecanoe County School Corp., 679 F. Supp. 833, 1988 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 881, 1988 WL 7127 (N.D. Ind. 1988).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

ALLEN SHARP, Chief Judge.

On August 25, 1987, the plaintiffs filed a Complaint for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief, alleging a cause of action under Title 42 U.S.C. § 1983, with jurisdiction founded upon 28 U.S.C. §§ 1331 and 1343(a)(3) and (4).

On September 3, 1987, the court heard arguments of counsel and testimony of witnesses, received exhibits and directed that the parties file supplemental briefs. The defendants submitted a revised version of the drug testing program for high school athletes which is the subject of this suit. At the close of the hearing, the plaintiffs indicated a need to present additional evidence. Considering the ensuing statements of the parties by counsel and the nature of this case, the court set additional hearing dates and, pursuant to Rule 65(a)(2), ordered consolidation of the hearing on preliminary injunction with a full trial on the merits.

On December 7, and 8, 1987, the parties presented additional evidence. All issues have been fully briefed. Having held a complete trial on the merits, the findings of fact and conclusions of law in this opinion are intended to fulfill the requirements of Rule 52(a) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.

I.

FACTS

The plaintiffs, Darcy Schaill and Shelley Johnson are sophomores, as of the fall of 1987, at Harrison High School, one of two high school attendance centers of Tippecanoe County School Corporation (TSC). Each of the young women has stated a desire to participate in interscholastic sports, but both object to the school’s intention to implement a random urinalysis drug testing program for athletes. There is no suggestion in this case that either plaintiff has ever used illicit drugs. Miss Johnson does take prescription medications for asthma and allergies.

TSC, the defendant school corporation, operates under the laws of Indiana, both Harrison and McCutcheon High Schools. McCutcheon serves about eleven hundred students, out of which about three hundred fifty are said to participate in interscholastic sports. The student population at Harrison is about twelve hundred fifty, including about four hundred student athletes.

Defendant Kenneth J. Koger is the Superintendent of TSC, and the additional named defendants make up the Board of Trustees, with Defendant Gerald P. Risk acting as president at all times relevant to this case. The defendants do not deny having acted under color of law in relation *836 ship to this action, and are sued in their official capacities.

In the spring of 1986, sixteen members of the McCutcheon baseball team provided urine samples to be analyzed for the presence of drugs. One student’s analysis resulted in a definite positive reading. As a consequence, the student was suspended for one-half of the baseball season, but returned to finish the season, having tested negative on subsequent analyses. Four other athletes’ tests showed traces of marijuana. These student athletes admitted to having smoked the drug within the preceding month. The following fall, having been warned there would be random tests resulting in possible suspensions, sixty-six McCutcheon athletes from all interscholastic fall teams were tested. All showed negative results, with none refusing to provide samples.

At this point the idea of developing a testing program at Harrison began to take shape. Although initially there was discussion about implementing a program throughout the corporation, upon referral to a committee and months of consideration, the board approved a policy of testing exclusively for athletes on August 12,1987. A draft of the program was attached to the plaintiff's complaint, but, as previously mentioned, the defendants presented a current, more narrowly drawn version in open court on September 3, 1987. This version essentially reduced the discretion of coaches in the selection process, and spelled out more fully the procedures and ramifications of testing.

The program was scheduled to begin October 1, 1987, but early attempts toward implementation resulted in this suit. Consequently, implementation was halted pending a court decision. Assuming an outcome in its favor, TSC intends during the 1987-88 academic year, to require that students involved in interscholastic sports submit the following form:

I have received and have read and understand a copy of the “TSC DRUG EDUCATION AND TESTING PROGRAM.” I desire that_:_par-ticipate in this program and in the interscholastic athletic program of-School and hereby voluntarily agree to be subject to its terms. I accept the method of obtaining urine samples, testing and analyses of such specimens, and all other aspects of the program. I agree to cooperate in furnishing urine specimens that may be required from time to time.
I further agree and consent to the disclosure of the sampling, testing and results as provided for in this program. This consent is given pursuant to all State and Federal Privacy Statutes and is a waiver of rights to non-disclosure of such test records and results only to the extent of the disclosures authorized in the program.

The student and his or her custodial parent or guardian must sign and date the form, submitting it as a condition precedent to practice or participation in any given athletic season. The program requires that all student athletes attend one educational session or more and receive copies and an explanation of the program.

By way of overview, TSC’s program and policy statement begins with a reflection on the seriousness of drug and alcohol problems in the schools, stating as a general principle, and as a matter within the experience of the drafters, that “some student athletes have used alcohol and have experimented with ‘street drugs’ such as Marijuana and Cocaine, or may do so during their middle or high school years.” The policy statement expresses that the drafters “have information indicating drug usage by members of interscholastic teams of TSC.” It is further observed that “[t]he NCAA encourages its members to undertake their own programs to test for the possible use of ‘street drugs’ and ‘performance enhancing drugs.’ ”

The revised version of the TSC program clarifies that its purposes are educational, diagnostic and preventative, as opposed to punitive or disciplinary. The program is intended to involve all participants in interscholastic sports teams, both male and female, as well as members of cheerleading *837 teams, all of whom are collectively denominated “student athletes.”

As part of the rationale, the program adds that student athletes are especially respected by the student body, and accordingly are expected to be “good examples of conduct, sportsmanship and training, which includes avoiding drug and alcohol usage.” Moreover, the program proposes that a participant who uses drugs can be a danger to self or others. The purposes of the program are stated as follows:

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Bluebook (online)
679 F. Supp. 833, 1988 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 881, 1988 WL 7127, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/schaill-ex-rel-kross-v-tippecanoe-county-school-corp-innd-1988.