Dorm searches

The University of Kansas is proposing a warrantless dorm search where a student's room can be searched without permission from the student and without a warrant.

http://www.newsobserver.com/1573/story/1610831.html


So, what does everyone think of this? Do you think it will happen or not?

This is wrong. Period. Dorms are where students live, and just like everyone else, in order for students' living quarters to be searched, there should be a warrant obtained on probable cause, just as the fourth amendment says. If this passes it's a violation of the students' fourth amendment rights. I hope the Student Senate vetoes this.

I'll be surprised if the Student Senate can actually stop it. I'm not sure what the rules and procedures are at that school, but any school I've ever known much about would have just put the rule in place regardless of what the students thought of it. That wouldn't make it right of course, but I've never known a school to really care about student rights or opinions.

That's terrible. I do understand that searches need to be made due to some shady creatures owning things like bombs and guns; at the same time, it's a major invasion of privacy. If students decide to opt of of dorms due to this, that'll probably change the minds of the University about implementing it. Money is everything to them.

I was about to say, if the students are having to pay a fee to rent these rooms then they're technically qualified as rental property, which makes the university a land lord. And that being the case, would make this rule/policy/whatever an illegal invasion of privacy punishable under law as breaking and entering. So anyone actually entering a room without the student/rentors permission will be subject to felony break-in and trespassing charges. And who doesn't own a gun these days? What with home invasions becoming a common occurance its good sense to have one handy.

And bombs? That's a grey area sadly. Three teenagers here locally were just arrested yesterday (or Thursday?) on "bomb charges" because they threw commercially available fireworks, that they had leftover from the 4th of July, into a neighbors yard and caused burn damage to said neighbors lawn and vinyl siding on the house. Don't get me wrong, they should receive some manner of punishment for being irresponsible and pay repartitions to the neighbour for the damges, but to throw them in jail with bomb charges?!

Someone refresh my memory: at exactly what point did students cease to be human beings and citizens? That the college authorities should even propose such a scheme suggests a callous disregard for the fundamental right to privacy.

Srijita wrote:

Someone refresh my memory: at exactly what point did students cease to be human beings and citizens?

I don't know. I guess I'm not a human being or a citizen anymore in the eyes of many schools. Man, a lot of universities seem to be trying things that should not be done to students, like this. I guess it's good I'll have an apartment once I get to UPitt, once we manage to get a lease.

I think this is just wrong too, all the way around. I also think there will be plenty of law suits spring up if this ever takes effect.

Granted, some places may need searching, but get a warrant atleast. Anything else seems to be a very serious breech of invasion of privacy, if nothing else.