See also:United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri (Barrett, et al v. Claycomb, et al, 2:11-CV-04242-NKL)

On September 13, 2013, Judge Laughrey ruled that mandatory and suspicionless drug testing of college students was unconstitutional as an unreasonable search. In the underlying case, Linn State Technical College instituted a drug-testing program in 2011 which required that incoming freshmen and students who had been away from campus for six months or more submit to urine testing for drug screens. The college claimed that the drug tests would prepare students for employment in fields where such tests may be required, among other reasons, none of which were related to student safety. The ACLU filed suit on behalf of six students, alleging that the drug tests violated theirFourth Amendment rights against unreasonable searches and seizures. Laughrey granted the students an injunction, and Linn State filed an interlocutory appeal to theEighth Circuit, claiming that the school needed to perform these drug tests to prevent safety risks to its students. The appeals court lifted the injunction and sent the case back to the trial court, where Laughrey ruled that the school had used "illusory safety concerns to mask unconstitutional purposes." Noting that it was well-settled law that urine tests are searches under the Fourth Amendment, Laughrey found that Linn State's drug-testing policy was unconstitutional. A lawyer for the school said further appeal in the case was likely.^[3]

Federal courts:

Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court:Eastern District of Missouri,Western District of Missouri • U.S. Bankruptcy Court:Eastern District of Missouri,Western District of Missouri

State courts:

Missouri Supreme Court•Missouri Court of Appeals•Missouri Circuit Courts•Missouri Municipal Courts

State resources:

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