Linn State Technical College is going to require all students to be tested for drugs. The ACLU has opened a case to fight this requirement. Linn State is not currently moving forward with the testing, but says it will happen soon. About 1,200 students attend the school and will be required to pay a $50 testing fee in addition to other school fees.
Kent Brown, the school’s attorney was asked why the school implemented the drug testing. “The college has been moving toward its mission, which is preparing students for profitable employment and a lifetime of learning. And there was a feeling that the college wasn’t properly stepping up to prepare the students for getting jobs in industries where drug testing was becoming the norm and an unavoidable barrier to getting and keeping the good jobs in the industry.” He also stated that there would be no adverse action until a second or third positive on the drug testing.
This screams invasion of privacy, but it is real life for many workers, in many fields. I don’t know many people who aren’t required to have some sort of drug test by their employers. If this is implemented at this school, it will be interesting to see if other schools start requiring drug tests.
What do you think about drug testing for students? Is it an invasion of their privacy, a powerful motivator to not take drugs or something else?
