Webinar – Student Searches in Schools: Legal Foundations, Cell Phones, and Vaping Issues

Student searches remain one of the most frequent—and legally sensitive—discipline issues school administrators face. This webinar provides a practical, legally grounded overview of the constitutional standards governing student searches, including how the “reasonable suspicion” standard applies in the school setting and the limits districts must observe.

Special focus will be placed on two areas generating the most current questions: student cell phones and vaping-related incidents. Participants will learn when and how electronic devices may be searched, how to respond when prohibited content is discovered, and how to properly address vaping paraphernalia and related discipline decisions under current Texas law.

Topics Covered:

• Constitutional foundations of student search and seizure in schools
• Reasonable suspicion: how to determine when a search is justified
• Searches of lockers, backpacks, vehicles, and student persons
• Legal considerations for searching student cell phones
• Handling discovery of prohibited digital content
• Identifying vaping devices and paraphernalia
• Legislative and policy developments affecting cell phones and vaping
• Discipline considerations following search results
• Documentation and risk-reduction best practices