Safford v. Redding Amicus

The Youth Law Center participated in this case as amicus curiae in a brief on behalf of Savana filed by the Philadelphia-based Juvenile Law Center, law professors and juvenile advocacy groups around the country. This was the first juvenile school search case considered by the High Court in 24 years.

The United State Supreme Court decision in Safford v. Redding, found the strip search of a 13 year-old middle school student unconstitutional. Savana Redding was strip searched based on information from another girl and was found with prescription strength Ibuprofen and over the counter drugs. The Court found that in the absence of information indicating that pills would be found in Savana’s underwear, the strip search violated the Fourth Amendment prohibition on unreasonable search and seizure.