Drug Testing of Teachers

Drug testing of teachers involves the law regarding search and seizure, and it must consider both the general nature of a workplace with the expectation that privacy exists there and the specific nature of a school setting with the special considerations necessary there. As a general rule of thumb, drug testing of teachers is lawful under two circumstances: tests conducted when a school official reasonably believes that a teacher is under the influence of a controlled substance not permitted by law or school policy, and tests conducted pursuant to a policy permitting random, suspicionless drug tests. As with student drug testing, the drugs targeted are usually those with serious and dangerous consequences for use (e.g., marijuana and alcohol, but not nicotine). The most popular test ...