Edmond parents clash over drug tests
Education: Most tell school board members they oppose proposed policy

BY JESSE OLIVAREZ

Published: February 10, 2009

EDMOND — Edmond School Board members got an earful from parents Monday night during an open forum to discuss a proposed random drug-testing policy.

Of the 22 parents and patrons that spoke at the event, 15 said they opposed the policy and seven spoke in favor of it. Regardless of where they stood on the issue, speakers were passionate about their views.

Kathleen Hanlan, a pediatrician and mother, said she opposed the policy because of privacy concerns for students and questioned the effectiveness of random drug testing.

"The schools’ job is to educate, my job is to parent,” Hanlan said.

Chuck Clemenson, a physician and the father of an Edmond North High School student, said he opposed the policy over concerns about the costs of testing, starting the program in a time when school budgets are tight.

"I understand this is a serious problem but I am completely unconvinced this is the appropriate solution,” Clemenson said.

The forum was held at Edmond North High School, 215 W Danforth. School board members will not vote on the policy until next month at the earliest.

The proposed policy requires all high school students participating in extracurricular activities or who park their cars on campus to submit to random drug tests.

Other parents expressed concerns about the testing itself and wondered whether the results really would be kept private as stated in the policy. Still others argued that the district’s current drug policy is sufficient; it allows school officials to check all school property like lockers and cars if a suspicion is aroused.

David Coffman called the policy "sloppy science” and worried about privacy concerns for students. He was concerned the policy would open the district to lawsuits because he feared it violated the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, which provides safeguards for people to keep their personal health information private.

Others spoke in favor of the policy.

Missy Reid, a mother of four, cried while she told the assembly about the heartache she experienced when one of her children started using drugs. Reid said her oldest son first used drugs while attending school in Edmond and knows that more needs to be done to curb drug use in Edmond Schools.

She rebuffed assertions made by those opposed to the policy that kids were being penalized for being active.

"I don’t think this policy is trying to punish them, I think it’s trying to help them and keep them from becoming drug users,” Reid said.

Andy Ogden said he also supported the policy. Ogden said he at one time would have opposed he policy but he changed his mind after attending Al-Anon and Alateen meetings, in which young adults discussed their problems with alcohol abuse. He urged parents opposed to the policy to attend meetings like those to get a better understanding of the peer pressure facing kids today.

"My children are really good and yours are evil,” he half-heartedly joked. "I’m telling you, your child is going to kill mine because your child is going to school drunk or stoned. I’m looking for anything to protect my child from yours. I’m hoping I don’t have that backwards.”