Justice Says High School Raid Did Not Violate Civil Rights Laws
Monday, August 23, 2004 at 03:13PM
TheSpook
A guns-drawn raid at a high school last year did not
violate civil rights laws and the case is closed, the U.S. Justice
Department said. The decision means there will be no criminal charges,
said Andy Savage, a lawyer for officers in the sweep at the Goose Creek
high school. Fifteen officers entered Stratford High School's main
hallway and ordered 130 students to the floor Nov. 5 of last year. They
used plastic ties to handcuff 18 students and school officials opened
and searched 17 book bags using a drug dog. Police found no drugs or
weapons, but the raid frightened children, provoked marches and
lawsuits and brought national media attention and the resignation of
the school's longtime principal. Civil lawsuits alleging students'
constitutional rights were violated still remain, and settlement
negotiations recently broke down. [more ]
Raid at High School Leads to Racial Divide, Not Drugs [more ]
Although only 22
percent of the school's 2,700 students are Black, 70 out of the 105
students searched and detained were Black. [more ]
Article originally appeared on (http://brownwatch.com/).
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