A Dozen Pre-teen students strip-searched for missing $10 Bill

[SirFozzie]

You know, the story I posted a while back about the teacher having himself whipped as punishment for two boys caught kissing girls was the weird-school-story of 2004 for me. This may be the one for 2005.

LA MARQUE, Texas --Ten students between the ages of 11 and 12 were strip-searched as officials at their charter school tried to find a missing $10 bill.

Seven girls and three boys at the Mainland Preparatory Academy were searched down to their underwear Thursday after one of the girls reported the money missing, said Principal Wilma Green. The money was not found.

"It's not illegal," La Marque Police Chief Richard Price said. "We don't see it as a criminal offense." But he said an investigation was underway.

The search angered at least one parent, who filed a complaint with police and pulled her four children out of the school.

"I have never signed a consent to let my kids be strip-searched -- never," said Shelli Owens, the mother of a 12-year-old boy who was searched.

Green said the school has conducted such searches in the past without calling parents.

"Never had a complaint," she said. "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," she 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.

[Barkeep49]

So the moral of the story is to hide stolen money in your underwear?

[Alf]

Originally Posted by Barkeep49

So the moral of the story is to hide stolen money in your underwear?

Exactly

[SlapBone]

So if they would have found a 10-dollar bill, how could they prove it was the one they were looking for. I can't see a 10-dollar bill being that rare an item amongst 12-year olds in a prep school.

[bbor]

Interesting.Maybe that's what Anna was looking for in those pictures of her on the beach?

[Bubba Wheels]

This happened in a local high school around here (Whitemore Lake) about a year ago. Probably happens more often than realized.

[korme]

thas terrible, it's 10 dollars geez

[BigJohn&TheLions]

OK, who wants to play find the $10 bill? Everybody drink your Jesus-Juice and let's have some fun!

[Suicane75]

Teacher, my lunch money smells like fifi.

[duckman]

The principal of any school would need to be prepared for a major league ass whooping if he/she conducted a search like that on my kid. I would be bringing a aluminum bat for such an occasion.

[Eaglesfan27]

I don't think I'd resort to physical violence, but this would really upset me if this was my kid. It seems like it should be criminal to make my kid do that without my consent.

[Easy Mac]

so this was the opposite of a strip club then?

I heard the teachers were going to have to take the $10 out of the kids pants with their teeth.

[Tigercat]

Kids have to change into PE uniforms in MANY MANY schools accross the country. In many of these schools the PE teachers of the same gender go in to the locker rooms/changing rooms/ect to tell the kids to hurry up, the activities they will participate in, ect.

This case is all that different than these occurances because? Being in ones underwear in front of people behaving as professionals ain't that big of a deal folks, these kids will have to do it eventually. Sounds like we have a hangup of people(or is it just kids?) in underwear.

[Easy Mac]

Yeah, but the kids generally aren't being inspected in a gym locker room, nor are they without clothes to inspect petty offenses... if they are, they may have a bigger problem if they are held after class.

[Tigercat]

Originally Posted by Easy Mac

Yeah, but the kids generally aren't being inspected in a gym locker room, nor are they without clothes to inspect petty offenses... if they are, they may have a bigger problem if they are held after class.

I don't know, if we decide that its ok if kids are in their underwear in school in certain instances, which most schools have apparently decided via the oncampus changing of clothing, then to me its simply a matter of the reason to call for it.

So most of us are agreeing that 10 bucks is a bad reason, what about 20? 30? 40? 100? What if the kids felt bad about the money and possible accusations and indeed thought the "strip search" was a good idea? If this was a school where they changed for PE, they would simply be putting theselves voluntarily into a situation they are already in every day. If the teachers did indeed act like professionals, and there is no evidence to the contrary, I just don't see that this is a big deal.

Now if this was truly a full strip search, that would be a whole different matter, IMO. Simply because their is no social or system acceptence or precident for kids having to be naked anywhere on school grounds for any reason.

[flere-imsaho]

When I was in high school (and it was only about 15 years ago), when something like this happened, everyone involved/suspected would start serving detention until someone fessed up. Worked every time.

[Easy Mac]

Originally Posted by Tigercat

I don't know, if we decide that its ok if kids are in their underwear in school in certain instances, which most schools have apparently decided via the oncampus changing of clothing, then to me its simply a matter of the reason to call for it.

So most of us are agreeing that 10 bucks is a bad reason, what about 20? 30? 40? 100? What if the kids felt bad about the money and possible accusations and indeed thought the "strip search" was a good idea? If this was a school where they changed for PE, they would simply be putting theselves voluntarily into a situation they are already in every day. If the teachers did indeed act like professionals, and there is no evidence to the contrary, I just don't see that this is a big deal.

Now if this was truly a full strip search, that would be a whole different matter, IMO. Simply because their is no social or system acceptence or precident for kids having to be naked anywhere on school grounds for any reason.

well lets see:
kids without clothes because they're being investigated for a crime.
kids without clothes because they're changing for gym.

Does anyone else see a difference here?

[Suicane75]

I don't see any difference at all. Kids need to deal with uncomfortable shit, deal with it and get over it.

[Easy Mac]

well, I'm sending someone over to yourself so they can watch your kid undress... for no reason, but hey, they've got to learn to deal with it.

[Suicane75]

Originally Posted by Easy Mac

well, I'm sending someone over to yourself so they can watch your kid undress... for no reason, but hey, they've got to learn to deal with it.

Your analogy is bad. I don't think there was "no reason". They were looking for stolen money. It's not a bit different than having the PE teachers (we had 3) walking around the locker room contsantly while we undressed or showered. If you've dealt with that than you can deal with this.

[Easy Mac]

actually, I'd say there's no reason a PE teaching should be going around the locker room while you showered, so I think comparing that to a strip search is a bad analogy.

[Suicane75]

Originally Posted by Easy Mac

actually, I'd say there's no reason a PE teaching should be going around the locker room while you showered, so I think comparing that to a strip search is a bad analogy.

Are you serious? Color me jaded but In our locker room, from 7th grade on, that was just the way it was, and you got used to it. We were still a bunch of kids prone to cussing, fighting and other stuff and teachers needed to monitor us wether we were dressed or not.

I just don't see the huge deal. I honestly wouldn't be upset if my kid was involved.

[Easy Mac]

Well, if you can't see a difference between a strip search and a guy standing in the locker room, then there's really no reason to have this conversation.

[Tigercat]

Originally Posted by Easy Mac

actually, I'd say there's no reason a PE teaching should be going around the locker room while you showered, so I think comparing that to a strip search is a bad analogy.

I agree with that, i think in general most schools and school systems would frown upon coaches/teachers being around for any reason during full nudity situations(like showers), unless its ABSOLUTELY nessassary.

I still contend that our schools/school systems/society have decided that students being in their underwear around same sex students and adults(working in a professional capacity) is acceptable. And that just because an outsider might think the nature of this theft is a little thing, it does not seem like an extreme measure to discover theft, or for a student to prove one's own innocence.

The whole shower thing isn't universal anyway. Many schools that even have showers don't have their students use them for PE, but rather for voluntary sport activities.

[Easy Mac]

I can honestly say no male in my school took showers after PE... can't speak for most of the females.

[Suicane75]

Originally Posted by Easy Mac

I can honestly say no male in my school took showers after PE... can't speak for most of the females.

If thats true than the teachers weren't doing anywhere near a decent job of teaching you what they should of. I'd be more upset if my kid were allowed to walk around all day stinking than if they were stripsearched.

[Easy Mac]

different strokes it seems... seeing as how little activity actually occurs in gym class nowadays, kids are lucky if they sweat.

[Karlifornia]

I'm trying this approach with girls. "Hey, honey, you want your name cleared? Take off your clothes!!!"

[stkelly52]

Originally Posted by Tigercat

I agree with that, i think in general most schools and school systems would frown upon coaches/teachers being around for any reason during full nudity situations(like showers), unless its ABSOLUTELY nessassary.

I still contend that our schools/school systems/society have decided that students being in their underwear around same sex students and adults(working in a professional capacity) is acceptable. And that just because an outsider might think the nature of this theft is a little thing, it does not seem like an extreme measure to discover theft, or for a student to prove one's own innocence.

The whole shower thing isn't universal anyway. Many schools that even have showers don't have their students use them for PE, but rather for voluntary sport activities.

I know that this is straying off of the topic a bit, but I would say that having adult supervision in the lockerrooms is ABSOLUTLY nessasary. As a former PE Teacher (and frankly as a former PE student) I have seen how students act when the teacher is away. I have seen the results of bullying, and perhaps the most vulnerable time that students go through is in the locker room. Far too many cases of physical and emotional abuse amoung students occur in the while students are undressed, and teachers NEED to be there to prevent it from happening.

[clintl]

It's pretty astonishing to me that anyone would even draw an equivalence between an invasive and humiliating procedure like stripsearching over a relatively trivial amount of money, and dressing/showering for PE (especially since these kids weren't even of the age where they would have to do that yet).

[Tekneek]

Originally Posted by stkelly52

I have seen the results of bullying, and perhaps the most vulnerable time that students go through is in the locker room.

I would not deny that this happens, but I was fortunate enough to never experience anything like that before high school.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Suicane75

Are you serious? Color me jaded but In our locker room, from 7th grade on, that was just the way it was, and you got used to it. We were still a bunch of kids prone to cussing, fighting and other stuff and teachers needed to monitor us wether we were dressed or not.

I just don't see the huge deal. I honestly wouldn't be upset if my kid was involved.

You seem to have my take pretty well covered, both on the search issue & on the dressing/showering for P.E. subject as well.

Carry on

[Tekneek]

If my kid had been strip-searched, I would not allow them to participate in that course ever again. Additionally, I would file complaints with the administration, school board, and the police. I'm not of the opinion that anyone has the authority to do that without me being there or explicitly agreeing to it.