Over View-
New Jersey vs. T.L.O. was a mjor court case of the 1980's. It was an extremely large case involving a teenage drug scandal, and question of her rights being violated by the fourteenth amendment. The major court debate was if the principal of the school had enough evidence to take it into his hand to search T.L.O.'s purse. The court ruled against T.L.O. with a vote 6-3. This court changed rights to search student's belongings much int he future. In the present USA principals and school authority figures are able to search through your stuff because they take on the role of your parents while you're in school. This court case was definitely an interesting one starting March 17, 1980.
What Happened-
March 17, 1980, T.L.O. and one of her friends were caught smoking cigarettes in school. Smoking in school wasn't a problem as long as it was in a designated area. When T.L.O. got caught she was taken to Principal Choplick's office. Choplick asked T.L.O. and her friend if they had been smoking in the bathroom. T.L.O denied, and her friend told the truth. Using this as reasonable evidence Choplick searched her purse. The stuff inside her purse was not worth the lie. Inside her purse was a set rolling papers, a load of 1 dollar bills, a pipe, and a list of people who owed her money. Shortly after this, T.L.O.'s parents were called to voluntarily drive her to the police station.
Court Time-
T.L.O. pleaded that the court violated her rights protected by the fourth amendment (guards against unreasonable searches and seizures). The court felt the principal had enough reasonable suspicion to search her belongings. "School officials, by contrast, need to have only "reasonable suspicion" of unlawful conduct to justify a search of students in school. School authorities, in this view, may restrict the students in behalff of the school's compelling educational purpose" (Patrick, John J Sirs Research Article). Due to this rule, T.L.O. was searched, she was caught, and she was found guilty.