Worth County, GA Children feel violated, parents are furious, and a lawsuit is getting filed after the Worth County Sheriffs office conducted an illegal search of 900 students in the name of the war on drugs. The rights-violating intrusive and aggressive patdowns and drug dog searches yielded absolutely nothing.
On April 14, when the students of Worth County High School returned from spring break, they arrived at school to find a police state had taken over. The sheriff and his deputies with no probable cause detained and illegally searched every single child in the school, all 900 of them.
When kids went home that day to tell their parents what happened, naturally, they were furious as it is a gross violation of the childrens 4th Amendment rights.
Its essentially a fourth amendment violation, said attorney Mark Begnaud. Its 900 illegal searches, suspicion-less pat downs, suspicion-less searches.
Naturally, Sheriff Jeff Hobby is standing by this rights violation on a massive scale, noting that as long as a school administrator was present, the search of the children was legal.
Apparently, in the sheriffs mind, school administrators can usurp the constitutional rights of children in favor of unlawful police searches.
But school officials and the student rule book disagree.
In the student handbook, it says school officials may search a student only if there is reasonable suspicion the student has an illegal item.
As WALB reports, Worth County Schools attorney Tommy Coleman said in order for the Sheriffs office to search any students, theyd had to have reason to believe there was some kind of criminal activity or the student had possession of contraband or drugs.
If you dont have that then this search would violate an individuals rights, said Coleman. [It] violates the constitutional right and enforcing them the right against unreasonable search and seizures.
Interim Worth County Superintendent Lawrence Walters said he understands parents concerns about the drug search at Worth County High school on Friday, according to WALB.
Ive never been involved with anything like that ever in the past 21 years and I dont condone it, said Walters.
Walters said he was notified that there was be a search but pointed out that he did not give permission nor did he approve the mass groping of children.
We did not give permission but they didnt ask for permission, he just said, the sheriff, that he was going to do it after spring break, said Walters.
Under no circumstances did we approve touching any students, explained Walters.
Adding insult to injury, many students complained that they got far more than just a pat down.
At least one deputys searches were found to be too intrusive.
According to Hobby, it was later discovered that one of the deputies had exceeded instructions given by Hobby and conducted a pat down of some students that was considered to be too intrusive.
When multiple students complained about being groped by the intrusive deputy, Sheriff Hobby ensured parents and school officials that corrective action was taken to make sure the behavior will not be repeated.
Exactly who that cop was and what corrective action was taken, remains a mystery.
Im okay with them doing the search, if it was done appropriately like the school has done in the past, said father of two Jonathan Luke. But when they put their hands on my son, thats crossing the line.
Aside from not finding a single bit of contraband, the sheriffs search was also entirely uncalled for as the Sylvester Police Department did a search on March 17 just a few weeks before and found no drugs.
But Hobby told reporters he didnt think that search was thorough enough, so he decided to do his own. And, this time, hed grope every student.
Now, many of the parents are planning a lawsuit against the Sheriffs office which will likely be the only means of holding this man and his department accountable.
As for the 900 counts of deprivation of rights under the color of law that the sheriff should be facing, not a single charge has been levied against the department.
This is what school has become in a police state.
Poster Comment:
We did not give permission but they didnt ask for permission, he just said, the sheriff, that he was going to do it after spring break, said Walters.
Nah - we don't have a police state in Amerika.
But Hobby told reporters he didnt think that search was thorough enough, so he decided to do his own. And, this time, hed grope every student.
The Sheriff sounds like a pervert.
#1: Stoner To: Deckard (#0)
If the sheriff there is a elected official, the sheriff may have just pissed in his Cheerios for the next election.
Stoner posted on 2017-04-25 10:50:01 Reply Private Reply
#2: misterwhite To: Deckard (#0)
"New Jersey v. T.L.O. is the landmark case on search and seizure at school. Basically, school officials may search a student's property if they have a "reasonable suspicion" that a school rule has been broken, or a student has committed or is in the process of committing a crime. These are called "suspicion-based" searches."
"There are also "suspicionless searches" in which everyone in a certain group is subject to a search at school. (Vernonia School District v. Acton)".
misterwhite posted on 2017-04-25 11:55:03 Reply Private Reply
#3: Deckard To: misterwhite (#2)
So - everyone in the entire school was "under suspicion"?
"There are also "suspicionless searches" in which everyone in a certain group is subject to a search at school.
Meaning what, the entire football team? The entire chess club? The entire cheerleading squad? Oh - the entire school you say?
Good grief man, how can you defend this shit?
Never mind - in paulsen Bizarro World - cops use the Constitution to wipe their asses and paulsen cheers.
Deckard posted on 2017-04-25 12:49:06 Reply Private Reply
#4: Deckard To: Stoner (#1)
I guarantee there will be at least a few hundred parents who won't be voting for him.
Deckard posted on 2017-04-25 12:52:14 Reply Private Reply
#5: Gatlin To: Deckard, misterwhite (#0)
Ahem .there was. At the end of March 11 people and several juveniles were taken into custody for a series of burglaries on Woodcrest Road. During those investigations, Worth County investigators found evidence there were drug activities going on at school.
Gatlin posted on 2017-04-25 13:05:55 Reply Private Reply
#6: Deckard To: Gatlin (#5)
Can't say I'm surprised that you and whitey are cheering this invasion of privacy.
The 4th Amendment doesn't mean anything to you statists, does it?
Frigging fascists.
Deckard posted on 2017-04-25 13:17:20 Reply Private Reply
#7: Gatlin To: Deckard, misterwhite (#4)
Gatlin posted on 2017-04-25 13:32:00 Reply Private Reply
#8: Deckard To: Gatlin (#7)
Good for them - I hope the renegade sheriff has to pay out of his own pocket.
Nice job deflecting and trying to make this about the race of the students and parents.
I'll bet the white parents will want a piece of that lawsuit action as well.
Deckard posted on 2017-04-25 13:35:58 Reply Private Reply
#9: Deckard To: Gatlin (#5)
Why didn't you post the rest of it?
At the end of March 11 people and several juveniles were taken into custody for a series of burglaries on Woodcrest Road. He road during those investigations, Worth County investigators found evidence there were drug activities going on at school.
Drugs dogs led officers to one car, which yielded nothing.
No drugs were found in a search of Worth County High School Friday.
The Sylvester Police Department did a search on March 17, and found no drugs.
Deckard posted on 2017-04-25 13:39:05 Reply Private Reply
#10: Deckard To: Stoner (#1)
Deckard posted on 2017-04-25 13:40:13 Reply Private Reply
#11: A Pole To: misterwhite, Gatlin (#2)
A Pole posted on 2017-04-25 13:47:32 Reply Private Reply
#12: Gatlin To: Deckard (#6)
I dont think [but I may be wrong] the sheriff got a hair up his ass that particular day and suddenly decided for no particular to search the entire school.
I believe [and again, I may be wrong] the sheriff felt strongly the Worth County investigators found evidence there were drug activities going on at school.
Just because there were no drugs found in the school that particular day doesnt mean the evidence was wrong, or that there no drug dealings had been going on in the school.
What this probably does mean, after the big stink made by the Worth County NAACP .is that the sheriff hands are now tied and whatever drug dealings there may have been at the school can now reappear with guaranteed immunity from any future interference.
Gatlin posted on 2017-04-25 13:50:43 Reply Private Reply
#13: misterwhite To: Deckard (#3)
Yep. They can drug test the entire football team if they wanted. With no reasonable suspicion.
misterwhite posted on 2017-04-25 13:54:14 Reply Private Reply
#14: misterwhite To: A Pole (#11)
Is that a trick question?
misterwhite posted on 2017-04-25 13:55:09 Reply Private Reply
#15: Gatlin To: A Pole, misterwhite (#11)
That was a particularly dumb remark you posted, that contributed absolutely nothing to the ongoing discussion .showing once again your low intelligence level and proving how stupidly you often times respond.
Gatlin posted on 2017-04-25 13:57:00 Reply Private Reply
#16: Deckard To: Gatlin (#12)
They searched (illegally in the most recent case) 3 times.
Maybe you would like it if they searched every day?
Would that give you a big cop woody?
At the end of March 11 people and several juveniles were taken into custody for a series of burglaries on Woodcrest Road. He road during those investigations, Worth County investigators found evidence there were drug activities going on at school.
Drugs dogs led officers to one car, which yielded nothing.
No drugs were found in a search of Worth County High School Friday.
The Sylvester Police Department did a search on March 17, and found no drugs.
Sure - let's just search EVERYBODY then why don't we?
Uh, HELLO. I think they did, or have I misread the article you posted.
It was sarcasm you simpleton!
2 hours ago
Deckard posted on 2017-04-25 13:58:05 Reply Private Reply
#17: misterwhite To: Gatlin (#15)
That's all he's got. Pathetic.
misterwhite posted on 2017-04-25 13:58:18 Reply Private Reply
#18: Deckard To: misterwhite (#13)
Oh - the entire school you say?"
Deckard posted on 2017-04-25 14:00:30 Reply Private Reply
#19: Deckard To: misterwhite, Gatlin (#17)
That aptly describes both you and your 4th Amendment-shredding bootlicker pal.
Worth County Schools attorney Tommy Coleman said in order for the Sheriff's office to search any students, they'd had to have reason to believe there was some kind of criminal activity or the student had possession of contraband or drugs.
"If you don't have that then this search would violate an individuals rights," said Coleman. "[It] violates the constitutional right and enforcing them the right against unreasonable search and seizures."
Deckard posted on 2017-04-25 14:02:28 Reply Private Reply
#20: Gatlin To: Deckard (#10)
Its a tough job to present the truth to smack down the fake news and yellow journalism that is posted but someone has to do it.
Gatlin posted on 2017-04-25 14:04:21 Reply Private Reply
#21: Gatlin To: Deckard, misterwhite (#19)
Ahem, I repeat .there was. At the end of March 11 people and several juveniles were taken into custody for a series of burglaries on Woodcrest Road. During those investigations, Worth County investigators found evidence there were drug activities going on at school.
Gatlin posted on 2017-04-25 14:07:38 Reply Private Reply
#22: Deckard To: Gatlin (#20)
Defender of justice?
Don't make me puke!
And rational? Come on man - you are defending the sheriff department completely ignoring the constitution.
No drugs were found in the first incident.
No drugs were found in the second search.
No drugs were found in the latest search.
Yet you fascists say "well done LEO!"
Un-frigging real!
Deckard posted on 2017-04-25 14:10:37 Reply Private Reply
#23: Deckard To: Gatlin (#21)
THEY FOUND NO DRUGS!
In ANY of the searches!
You frigging simpleton!
That you condone this egregious violation of the students' 4th Amendment rights is hardly surprising.
Deckard posted on 2017-04-25 14:11:46 Reply Private Reply
#24: Gatlin To: Deckard, misterwhite (#19)
Well, Sport, you are challenged here, in that
There were no unreasonable searches conducted at the school and certainly no seizures were made.There were reasonable searches conducted because .
So ZIP IT assholeGatlin posted on 2017-04-25 14:23:27 Reply Private Reply
#25: Deckard To: Gatlin (#24)
Yeah - you said the same thing about the Martial Law in Boston. It' s pretty obvious you don't give a rat's ass about the 4th Amendment.
We're done here queerbait.
Your authority fetish is stinking up the thread and is becoming quite nauseating.
Deckard posted on 2017-04-25 14:27:46 Reply Private Reply
#26: Gatlin To: Deckard (#23)
You are also saying the sheriff had no reason for the searches and it violated their 4th Amendment rights .and that is not correct.
The sheriff had ample reason to conduct the searches and those searches in no way violate their 4th Amendment rights because
Why are you so dense?Gatlin posted on 2017-04-25 14:30:51 Reply Private Reply
#27: Gatlin To: Deckard (#25)
because
Gatlin posted on 2017-04-25 14:38:04 Reply Private Reply
#28: Gatlin To: misterwhite (#17)
He never has anything .he always reminds me of Fred Mertz with his idiotic one-liners.
Gatlin posted on 2017-04-25 14:43:27 Reply Private Reply
#29: Deckard To: Gatlin (#27)
Deckard posted on 2017-04-25 14:43:51 Reply Private Reply
#30: Gatlin To: misterwhite (#27)
Hey, misterwhite, if you will please ...
Gatlin posted on 2017-04-25 14:49:42 Reply Private Reply
#31: Deckard To: Gatlin, misterwhite. (#30)
After all - you've been "going down" on one another this entire thread.
Deckard posted on 2017-04-25 14:52:32 Reply Private Reply
#32: misterwhite To: Gatlin (#30)
misterwhite posted on 2017-04-25 14:54:50 Reply Private Reply
#33: Gatlin To: Deckard (#29)
What does it mean when you post were done here?
It means nothing .like everything else you post.
Oh, wait .it means you are coming back with more posts.
Got it
Gatlin posted on 2017-04-25 15:07:17 Reply Private Reply
#34: Gatlin To: misterwhite (#32)
Gatlin posted on 2017-04-25 15:08:47 Reply Private Reply
#35: Deckard To: Gatlin (#34)
Pervert.
Deckard posted on 2017-04-25 15:10:53 Reply Private Reply
#36: Vicomte13 To: Gatlin (#7)
Yes, I can explain it.
What we have going on here is a test of power. The police have asserted that they have the power to do something that a plain read of the Constitution says they do not have, and that about two centuries of legal precedent say they do not have, but that some recent muddled precedent say they do have.
This is Texas, where human rights are a sometime thing on the best of days, and where everything is decided by POWER. In Worth County, the Sherriff's department and police structure - that's POWER - and it's power that's in cahoots with the local prosecutors, of course, and quite possibly the local judiciary.
What can one do against the power? Keep it local, and thereby go up against the local Boss Hoggs and lose? Sure, that's one way.
The better way is to weaponize the case by taking it federal, and bringing in the NAACP, which is better funded than Worth County, and that has connections with the Federal Judiciary, Congress, and the national media.
Against that sort of firepower, Worth County's Boss Hogg and Sherriff Roscoe don't have a hope in hell of winning.
The NAACP brings a massive amount of firepower to bear against a local miscreant (I speak here of the sherriff), and he will lose.
Since the parents want to win the case and thump the sherriff down into remembering that he is service personnel, not the local overlord, bringing in the NAACP is a good start.
Once blood is in the water, other organizations will jump in to pile on against the sherriff, and he'll be drummed out.
The parents will win this one, and the cops will lose and be diminished in their power. A PRECEDENT will be set.
Vicomte13 posted on 2017-04-25 15:11:07 Reply Private Reply
#37: A Pole To: misterwhite, Gatlin (#17)
A Pole posted on 2017-04-25 15:32:01 Reply Private Reply
#38: Gatlin To: Deckard (#35)
Gatlin posted on 2017-04-25 15:35:23 Reply Private Reply
#39: misterwhite To: Deckard (#35)
misterwhite posted on 2017-04-25 15:58:35 Reply Private Reply
#40: misterwhite To: Vicomte13 (#36)
Can you search your child's bedroom? Don't they have a constitutional right to privacy?
The United State Supreme Court has ruled in two different landmark cases (which I cited previously in this very thread but which you obviously did not read) that children are subject to a lower threshold for a search.
"The high court said school administrators don't need to have a search warrant or probable cause before conducting a search because students have a reduced expectation of privacy when in school."
Your "plain read of the Constitution" is wrong.
misterwhite posted on 2017-04-25 16:08:50 Reply Private Reply
#41: misterwhite To: A Pole (#37)
Correct.
misterwhite posted on 2017-04-25 16:10:04 Reply Private Reply
#42: misterwhite To: Deckard (#18)
Sure. All they need is "reasonable suspicion". No probable cause. No warrant.
misterwhite posted on 2017-04-25 16:12:33 Reply Private Reply
#43: Gatlin To: Vicomte13 (#36)
This is not Texas, this is Georgia .not that it really changes the dynamics for our discussion of the story, but we can agree that its best to work from a point of clarity.
We dont really know what we have going on here, we never do when reading from an article authored by Matt Agorist and published in The Free Thought Project. I will however grant you that a grapple for power is going to be the end resultant of whatever is going on here.
I dont understand, because
Worth County investigators found evidence drug activities were going on at the school. I therefore fail to understand how the searches were unreasonable.
Also, from the school handbook
School officials were present and the Sheriff had reasonable evidence the student(s) had an illegal item(s). Again, I cannot understand why the searches were unauthorized.
In summary....you are correct when you say the sheriff lost. He has admitted that, called for an outside investigation by the GBI and stated he will conduct no more searches.
So, when the drug dealing is uncovered and brought to light [and it probably will be when dealing this day and tine with the law of averages and 900 students involved], I hope the sheriff just sits back, puts feet up on his desk and tell the parents to go fuck themselves when they come crying to him for help when [and if] their little babies are in trouble with drugs at the school. I say that, realizing of course that the sheriff will never do that .he will answer the call of duty, as any LEO will.
Gatlin posted on 2017-04-25 17:27:51 Reply Private Reply
#44: Gatlin To: misterwhite (#41)
Gatlin posted on 2017-04-25 17:29:00 Reply Private Reply
#45: Gatlin To: Deckard (#25)
See there, I am always truthful.
You can rely on me for correct information at all times.
Gatlin posted on 2017-04-25 19:30:46 Reply Private Reply
#46: Vicomte13 To: Gatlin (#43)
Completely and utterly unconstitutional. The Contitution makes it HARD to fight the drug war. Which is a good argument to not fight it, not a good argument to weaken the protections of the Constitution.
Vicomte13 posted on 2017-04-25 19:41:15 Reply Private Reply
#47: A Pole To: misterwhite, Gatlin (#41)
I think you prefer boys.
A Pole posted on 2017-04-26 20:57:49 Reply Private Reply
#48: misterwhite To: A Pole (#47)
The next time you visit your psychiatrist, ask him about psychological projection and tell him you do that a lot.
misterwhite posted on 2017-04-27 10:09:42 Reply Private Reply
#49: A Pole To: misterwhite (#48)
Thank you for the advise. I might see a psychiatrist - I have an inordinate phobia of brazen gropers at the airports and jack booted thugs.
A Pole posted on 2017-04-28 07:19:29 Reply Private Reply