MalloryKeaton

http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/news/010...ripsearch.html

Ten middle school students strip searched for missing $10 bill

By The Associated Press
(01/07/05 - LA MARQUE, TX) — Police are investigating after 10 students between the ages of 11 and 12 were strip-searched while officials at their award-winning charter school tried to find a missing $10 bill.

Seven girls and three boys at the Mainland Preparatory Academy were searched during a study hall Thursday after one of the girls reported the money missing, said principal Wilma Green. The money was not found, she said.

The search has angered at least one parent, who filed a complaint with La Marque police and pulled her four children out of the school. "I have never signed an consent to let my kids be strip-searched -- never," said Shelli Owens, the mother of a 12-year-old boy who was searched. "I went along with some of their methods in the past, but they would always call me. But no way would I have ever allowed this."

Police hope to interview all the children next week, then forward their findings to the Galveston County District Attorney's Office for review.

"It's not illegal," La Marque Police Chief Richard Price said. "We don't see it as a criminal offense. We want to see if anything occurred during the search that was illegal. We want to make sure everything that was done legally." Green, who authorized the searches, said the school has conducted such searches in the past without calling parents

"I have done it before," she said. "Never had a complaint. I can't say if it happened again I wouldn't do the same thing."In Thursday's search, the boys were sent off with a male teacher and the girls with a female teacher, who told them to strip to their underwear, Green said.

"Nobody objected to it. Most of the kids didn't mind because they wanted to get their name cleared," Green said. "It was no different than what the students would be doing when they would be in P.E. We searched everything down to the socks." La Marque is about 40 miles southeast of Houston.
(Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Butterflyz

I'm sure it's perfectly legal but strip-searched for a $10 bill? And it wasn't found? I would be highly embarrassed if I was strip-searched. Yeech.

- Jen -

geez, stripped searched for $10...

i would give them the $10 NOT to strip me

JW77

It sucks that someone lost the money, but searching young kids for ten dollars (like that) seems a bit much.

AuburnGrad

I agree that a strip search for $10 was overboard, and I can't believe that more parents have not complained. Not to mention that if the $10 was found how would they even know it was the stolen money (unless the student confessed to stealing it)? Granted, most students do not carry around $10 bills so the likelihood of it being the stolen bill is great; however, some students do carry cash on them at school. I had a student once ask me at lunch if I had change for a $20 bill so she could buy a bottle of water from the vending machine. It's a good day if I just have $1.00 on me, but that's another story. lol

In Fair Verona

We don't even do that at my school when Ipods and digital cameras go missing and they are strip-searching kids for a $10 bill? I agree, I'd just give them ten dollars to not have to strip.

I understand why the kids weren't that bothered. If they did that would draw attention and make them appear guilty, and they just wanted their name to be cleared. They're at a young, impressionable age. I wonder what they would think looking back on being stripped searched for ten dollars.

mh67511

12 year old kids don't need to be bringing money to school to begin with.

That being said, strip-searching is totally uncalled for. I would have just said "tough" to whoever lost it because it teaches a good lesson to them. I've lost money before too (didn't put a lock on my locker, sigh) and I was just more careful afterwards.

On another note, when someone loses something why is the first thought ALWAYS someone MUST have stolen it? Odds are the girl dropped it somewhere.

In Fair Verona

That is a really good point. Why don't these administrators just think? I remember bringing twenty dollars to school in the fourth grade and it falling out of my pocket on the swings (at least that is what I believe happened, since I lost it). I've never brought money to school that way again, unless it was in my wallet in my purse which is kept on me at all times.

Sofa

Why a strip seatch for a 10$ bill. Like someone else said, i'd give 10 dollars to not have to strip down.

She is responsible for her money, and if she claimed to have "lost" the money, than it was lost. That's the end of that. No need for a story.

Sofa

86amanda86

Strip searchings are not fun. I had one performed on me when I was 16. It was completely humiliating, especially since I didn't deserve it in the least. But to do it to a little kid like that is messed up....

sum1

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MohinniGold

Strip-searched for $10!! Sounds rather disturbing. Was $10 really worth traumatizing a child like that? Do the adults think they accomplished something? Then again if something serious had happened, such as; school shootings, we'd ask why wasn't there more vigilante action? When is it too much and when is it enough?

. : iLLusioNz : .

Thats not right! I would be mortified if I had to strip in front of a teacher (even if they were female). ITA...who says it was stolen anyway? I wonder how hard they looked before they decided to go to such extreme measures.

I'm Not Your Boy Toy

since when is it legal to strip search a minor without parental consent? and for $10 what the hell?

Ambular

Yeah, really, you need legal consent to do ANYTHING as a minor. And even if it wasn't technically illegal (which I should think it is), they should have at LEAST consulted the parents just to make them aware of the situation. Its totally wrong to just force them to do something. That can be terribly traumatic for a kid.