10/02/2007
from the Kennebec Journal
Sport of Kings
New Medicaid billing system inspires doubts among some
Christmas spirit
Guidance counselor: Dismiss complaint based on criticism of same-sex marriage
CHELSEA: 'Practice burn' provides thrill for 9-year-old
Trust eyes orchard purchase
GOLFER OF THE YEAR: Bonenfant rises up Cony ranks
YOUTH SOCCER: Local team gives 'care package' to children in Afghanistan
All of today's:
News | Sports
from the Kennebec Journal
from the Morning Sentinel
YES ON 1 BACKER REBUTS CLAIM
New system for Medicaid payments worries providers
After petition drive, Clinton police force budget will go a third time before voters
A rock musician makes trip home via Black Taxi
MADISON: After revaluation, abatement requests reviewed
Parks to have facelift
GOLFER OF THE YEAR: Sweet does job for Madison
YOUTH SOCCER: Local team gives 'care package' to children in Afghanistan
All of today's:
News | Sports
from the Morning Sentinel
The payments were detailed in a settlement approved by a Superior Court justice Sept. 22, and were made public Monday in response to a Freedom of Access request from the Morning Sentinel newspaper. Under the agreement, the school system paid $8,500 in damages to be put into a trust for the girl. They also agreed to pay $6,500 in attorney fees to the Maine Civil Liberties Union, which represented the girl and her mother.
The girl on Dec. 15, 2006, was forced to remove her clothes above the waist in the presence of two female staff members to see whether she was hiding drugs in her bra, according to the documents filed in Kennebec County Superior Court. No drugs were found, according to Winslow Police Chief Richard A. Grindall.
Assistant Principal Terry Atwood ordered the search, but he was not in the room while it was performed, the documents state. Atwood will not pay the $15,000 because he was acting in his official capacity at the time of the search. It was not clear from the documents whether the Winslow School District or School Union 52 is paying.
The Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel are not naming the girl or her mother, because of the student's age at the time of the search and the fact that no drugs were found.
The incident came to light last week, when the Civil Liberties Union announced that it had convinced the school system to clarify its policy to prohibit the strip-searching of students. News that a strip search had occurred shocked students and parents of students at the school.
As part of the agreement to settle the case, Atwood agreed to give the girl and her mother a written apology.
"I can understand why you and your mother sought legal assistance from the Maine Civil Liberties Union after this incident occurred," the apology reads. "This incident has made me think about our approach to student searches, and I have decided to change our policy to make it clear that students will not be asked by school administrators to remove their clothing ..."
The apology also includes a promise that the girl would never again be strip-searched at the school.
Atwood was not available for comment Monday afternoon. According to court filings, he denies liability, "claiming the search was reasonable under the circumstances, and, thus, constitutionally valid. Nevertheless, he has agreed to settle all claims made by or on behalf of (the student)."
Elaine B. Miller, superintendent of School Union 52, which includes Winslow School District, said Monday that "it's very difficult to maintain a balance of protecting the safety of all students while maintaining the respect of the individual."
The settlement document said that the girl suffered "mental anguish, emotional distress, anxiety, embarrassment, humiliation, worry, fear of school officials, violation of her body and violation of her civil rights."
The student's mother, as part of the settlement, agreed to waive any rights she had to take further legal action against the school with regard to the strip-search incident.
Joel Elliott -- 861-9252
jelliott@centralmaine.com
Reader comments
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A quick quiet deal works real well in Louisiana . Its common place . Maybe i'd feel at home in the Louisiana of the north . uhhhhhhhhhhh.............NO!!!!!!!!!!!!report abuse
Lazarus wrote: “do you work at the school???Do you have knowlegde of the incident that others do not???because if you don't perhaps you shouldn't speak or write because you don't have clue one”
You suggest here that only people who meet these restrictions have a right to any voice. Which qualification do you meet?
I considered trying to address some of what you wrote, but quickly got frustrated trying to parse it. I’ve read essays by first graders that were more coherent than your diatribe. If you would like me to address specific questions, please break them into a clear list, rather than one long run-on sentence.
Generally speaking, I try to avoid engaging in battles of wit with unarmed opponents. It’s poor form.
report abuse
To all you parents of Winslow High; please remind your children that they have a right to say no to behavior that makes them feel violated and uncomfortable, and not to let those in positions of authority to take advantage of them. I am so glad my daughter has enough self-respect and dignity to stand up to her predator!!!!
I feel badly for the family who has been through this strip search ordeal, how humiliating. I wonder how she faces school each day and how she manages through all the gossip. It is not something most girls would want to be known for. I also wonder how this affects future patterns, relationships and behavior for her? Winslow got out of this cheap.
Best of luck to them.report abuse
I have known a lot of kids that used drugs. And from experience, I can say that, it is usually the ones that you would never expect who bring drugs onto school grounds. What student, knowing that they are probably suspected and under the eye of suspicious teachers, would be stupid enough to have evidence on them???report abuse
I really think that this was forced upon them and thats a shame .Apparently, humiliation and mental anguish doesnt have much value .
I have been putting my 2 cents in . some welcomed some not . The whole thing for me is : Where does the Faculty get off in a strip search . Last I was aware , authorites ( police ) were the governing body here .It doesnt matter what they were looking for .The fact that the girl was " forced " to take her clothes off id disturbing enough . The fact that no one thinks there was a crime is even worse . Please someone explainreport abuse
Those you of justifying the actions taken by Mr. Atwood (and co.) contend that because intentions were good, their job is tough and schools will be overrun with drugs/guns if that job DOESN’T get done, they should therefore be allowed to accomplish their ends by ANY means.
Just for a moment, suppose this girl was a KNOWN dealer fresh out of juvey, and suppose Mr. Atwood SAW her stuff drugs into her bra.
Even if you ASSUME all of that, Mr. Atwood’s actions are STILL grossly inappropriate.
Mr. Atwood could have:
1st) escorted the girl to a staffed area and have her kept under surveillance
2nd) request police and parental attendance
3rd) continue surveillance until parents and police arrived
Lost? Since no-one’s taken their eyes off her, the drugs are sitting tight and cozy where she put them with nowhere to go. So there’s ZERO reason to be performing emergency strip searches: i.e. wait for the police and/or a drug dog to search her.
Thus, to those JUSTIFYING the strip-search (something Winslow police don’t even subject THEIR arrestees to) of a 14 year old CHILD, please explain: in what way does STRIP-SEARCHING make the school safer than would the proposed course of action? And how is it more appropriate?
Why not just make every kid go through security each morning - full strip search for everyone? Hey, if it makes our schools “safer,” why not?
Having “a tough job” IS NOT a license to do that job with ZERO regard for law, order and civil rights (at least, not yet). People need to wake up before their idiocy condemns us all to a totalitarian regime.
I’ll home school my kids before I ever let them attend a public school, especially with voters like some of you on the loose - gung ho to violate their rights any chance you get. Easier to keep them "safe" from drugs that way too. Go figure.report abuse
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