Drug tests for chess club? Judge says no

[Newsjock]

Source: San Francisco Chronicle

A Northern California high school district's drug testing of students taking part in competitive, non-athletic activities - such as the chess club, math team or school band - is an unjustified invasion of privacy, a judge ruled Wednesday in the first case of its kind in the state.

The Shasta Union High School District presented no evidence that drug use was more likely or more dangerous for those students than for others, said Judge Monica Marlow of Shasta County Superior Court.

She drew a distinction between students in the band or the chess club and student athletes. The state Supreme Court upheld the NCAA's urine testing of college athletes in postseason championship events and bowl games in 1994, saying athletic competitors are accustomed to being monitored and have little expectation of privacy.

... John Kelley, a lawyer for the district, said officials would probably appeal the ruling. Marlow's decision applies only to the Shasta district, but an appellate decision could set a statewide precedent.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/05/06/BAQP17G3S6.DTL&tsp=1

[eShirl]

1. smoke up, nerds!

:party:

[LeftyMom]

2. I don't know about the chess club but we did some crazy shit on the speech and debate team.

:rofl:

[Bozita]

3. checkmate

[flvegan]

4. Some say that steroids are as prevalent in chess as they are in some sports.

[Javaman]

27. Some say. nt

[Duer 157099]

5. Like what? No-Doze?

That's pretty much the only drug I can associate with chess

[jb5150]

6. At my school

the band were the biggest stoners of all.............

[Fumesucker]

7. Well, what do you expect from a bunch of musicians, eh? n/t

[Patsy Stone]

9. I resemble that remark.

:)

[w4rma]

8. Physical athletes take steroids to improve performance and give them an edge.

Wtf drug would a chess player take to improve performance in that game?

[flvegan]

10. Steroids could assist a chess player if taken properly.

As would Ritalin, etc.

[w4rma]

13. How? (nt)

[flvegan]

14. Depending on the user certain steroids

don't simply increase muscle. They can also greatly increase focus and intensity. Some users have reported an almost "tunnelvision" type of focus when really tuned into something and an increased aggressiveness in performing any function, from lifting a weight to driving, and I'd suggest winning a chess game.

Ritalin's reason for assistance is a bit more obvious.

[Enrique]

15. i could see cocaine helping a chess player

in the snort term at least, help with concentrating. Long term no doubt would be bad.

[FreedomRain]

20. Awesome typo enrique

if you don't mind me injecting a comment here.

[Enrique]

21. snarf

that IS awesome. :rofl:

[Occulus]

23. "in the snort term"

:rofl:

DUzy.

[snooper2]

29. And if your not playing speed chess

A joint could help a little :rofl:

[paulsby]

18. nootropics mostly

but those are OTC

[paulsby]

19. nootropics mostly

but those are OTC

[Mrs. Ted Nancy]

11. There is a SCOTUS precedent

that favors the school district.

SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES
BOARD OF EDUCATION OF INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 92 OF POTTAWATOMIE
COUNTY et al. v. EARLS et al.
CERTIORARI TO THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE TENTH CIRCUIT
No. 01—332. Argued March 19, 2002–Decided June 27, 2002

The Student Activities Drug Testing Policy (Policy) adopted by the Tecumseh, Oklahoma, School District (School District) requires all middle and high school students to consent to urinalysis testing for drugs in order to participate in any extracurricular activity. In practice, the Policy has been applied only to competitive extracurricular activities sanctioned by the Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association (OSSAA).

-snip-

Held: Tecumseh’s Policy is a reasonable means of furthering the School District’s important interest in preventing and deterring drug use among its schoolchildren and does not violate the Fourth Amendment. Pp. 4—14.

http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/01-332.ZS.html

[defendandprotect]

12. I'm amazed that parents continue to permit this testing --- ???!!!

The state Supreme Court upheld the NCAA's urine testing of college athletes in postseason championship events and bowl games in 1994, saying athletic competitors are accustomed to being monitored and have little expectation of privacy.

[Towlie]

16. Ever see two potheads play chess? Both stare at the board for 30 minutes, then ask whose turn it is.

[MindPilot]

17. And that is different from unstoned chess, exactly how?

[rpannier]

22. The unstoned ones can hear the clock timer when it goes off

and realize their turn is up.

The stoned ones think it means it's time to take another hit.

[Towlie]

25. Rule of pothead chess: When offering the joint to your opponent, say "J'adouber"

[Nevernose]

26. They're not staring,

They're figuring out how to turn the rooks into bongs.

[jberryhill]

24. I see a bright future for the jazz band /nt

[BoneDaddy]

28. I think it needs to be across the board

not just with chess.

This idea that the smart and nerdy do not party has not been my experience, but I am against drug testing without probable cause.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

30. my school had selective drug testing down to a science

Being a "Drug Free School" was a really high priority for my high school, to reach this designation they had extremely aggressive drug testing of those they were already 100% certain were not using drugs. Imagine if you will the entire Senior AP Math class lined up outside the nurses office with the Vietnamese Students service club right behind it for their drug tests.

For being a "Drug Free School" we were supposed to get a visit from Nancy Reagan and the "we don't have to take our cloths off" guy but da bitch stood us up.