I have been following the case of Savana Redding, a middle school student who was strip searched while at school in a misguided attempt to find prescription strength ibuprofen in her panties (seriously, Advil?). When I first read about this, I was outraged. Not by the fact that an honors student was accused by another student who had a known vendetta against her and the principal believed the accuser. Not by the fact that after searching her backpack nothing was found and the school administrator felt it was necessary to remove her clothing. Not by the fact that the administrator is male and the student female (although he was not present during the strip search). Not even by the fact that Savana was compelled to remove her clothing and pull open her panties in front of two women who have no right to see her in less than jeans and a tee shirt. I was outraged that Savana’s parents were not called or allowed to be present during this humiliating violation of her person or to protect her from this in any way.

While at the doctor’s office for certain “female” types of exams, my male doctor has a female staff member present. I am a grown up and he is cautious not to imply inappropriate behavior in any way.

When a child is questioned by the police about a crime they may have witnessed, their parents or guardian are present to protect their best interests.

Why in the world is it okay for a school to force an early teen girl to remove her clothing in front of strangers without her mother present????? Heck, her mother didn’t even know!

You bet they got their asses sued. Good thing it wasn’t my kid, I might have forced the principal to be strip searched by a flaming homosexual to see how he likes his personal parts to be on display. Okay not really but it sure sounded good in my mind. I am seriously outraged by this.

Thankfully the Unites States Supreme Court agrees with Savana that it was not cool for the school to force her to pull open her panties in front of a nurse and a secretary. Ahem, I’m an assistant and there is no way I’m qualified to look inside a girl’s panties, have some sense people! Unfortunately, the Supreme Court did not find that the male administrator who orchestrated this fiasco is liable for punitive damages. Lucky him.

Savana is in college now and hoping her ordeal will pave the way for students in the future to never undergo an experience that so violates their person. Schools for some reason think they are immune to preserving a student’s civil liberties and rights. I hope (yet don’t expect) that this will be the moment when students while on campus begin to be dealt the simple rights accorded to them while they are just walking down the street.