G100-R – METAL DETECTOR WANDS

Purpose

Franklin Township Community School Corporation is committed to maintaining safe, orderly schools, to promote health and safety within the school setting, and to provide a school environment conducive to education. To combat escalating school violence and the potential presence of weapons in our schools, the Corporation may utilize metal detectors to detect firearms, knives, and other weapons. In addition, the Corporation may utilize metal detectors to detect illicit metal objects such as vaping pens or electronic cigarettes. This policy is applicable in all situations in which students are subject to school disciplinary rules pursuant to I.C. 20-33-8-14 including:

1) on school grounds immediately before or during school hours, or immediately after school hours, or at any other time when the school is being used by a school group;

2) off school grounds at a school activity, function, or event; or

3) traveling to or from school or a school activity, function, or event.

Authority

Pursuant to I.C. 35-47-9-2, it is a criminal offense to possess any firearm in or on school property or on a school bus. Pursuant to I.C. 35-47-5-2.5 it is a criminal offense to possess a knife in or on school property or on a school bus. Pursuant to I.C. 35-46-1-10.5 it is a criminal offense for an individual under the age of twenty-one to purchase, possess, or accept an e-cigarette or vaping pen.

Purchase and Training

The Superintendent may recommend the Board purchase metal detectors wands approved for the Corporation’s intended use, shall schedule training and re-training for all personnel using metal detectors, and shall coordinate all Corporation metal detector tests in accordance with the requirements as outlined in the manufacturer’s specifications and these procedures. The Superintendent or his or her designee shall maintain records for the purchase, training, and testing of metal detectors.

Metal Detector Screening Procedures

All students may be subject to screening. Metal detector screenings of students and their belongings shall be conducted in an orderly and safe manner, consistent with industry standards for use of the detectors, and consistent with minimizing intrusion into students’ privacy rights. Students and their personal belongings shall be screened by Corporation employees using a hand-held metal detector (wand) owned by the Corporation. Consistent scanning techniques shall be used for each student. Metal detector searches and any subsequent searches resulting from metal detector activation should be conducted by a school administrator of the same sex as the student being searched. The Corporation employee conducting the metal detector search should not make contact with the student’s body with the wand.

Prior to being scanned with a wand, a student will be asked to remove any metal objects (e.g. keys, belt buckles, etc.) and set those objects aside. If during the screening of a student the detector is activated, the student shall be asked whether he or she has anything made of metal in the area scanned. If the article is removable (e.g. a set of keys), the student shall be asked to remove the article and the screening repeated. If the detector is again activated and the article cannot be removed (e.g., a belt buckle), the staff member shall visually confirm the student’s explanation. If the activation cannot be explained or eliminated, then the student and his or her belongings shall be directed to a private area. An expanded search (i.e. a pat down of the student or inspection of a bookbag or purse) shall be conducted by an employee of the same sex as the student. At least one other school employee shall be present during any search. The scope of the search should be focused on detecting a weapon.

All staff members are reminded that the purpose of metal detector screenings is to deter the possession of weapons such as guns, knives or other dangerous objects capable of inflicting bodily harm or injury and possession of metal objects in violation of school rules, such as e-cigarettes or vaping pens. If, for example, during the metal detector screening of a student’s bookbag the detector is activated, the search of the bookbag shall be confined to explaining the reason for activation of the detector and limited to those areas inside the bookbag which could reasonably contain a weapon or e-cigarette/vaping pen; envelopes or small containers within the bookbag which could not reasonably contain a weapon or e-cigarette/vaping pen shall not be searched without separate individualized suspicion.

Screenings are not to be used for the purpose of searching students suspected of violation of other school policies and regulations. If during a screening contraband is incidentally discovered (such as tobacco or drugs), the possession of which is a violation of school policy or statute, the items shall be confiscated and students will be subject to discipline.

Corporation employees shall not conduct a strip search of a student manually or with any instrument nor remove or arrange any clothing of a student to permit a visual inspection of the student’s underclothing, breast, buttocks, or genitalia.

Possession of a firearm, knife or other dangerous object, or illicit metal objects such as e-cigarettes/vaping pens shall subject students to arrest and disciplinary proceedings. These procedures for metal detector screenings for weapons shall be incorporated into each site’s school safety plan developed in conjunction with local law enforcement agencies, community leaders, and other interested parties.

All students may be searched on any day as part of a school-wide safety measure which is Option #1.   However, if your School decides to utilize Option #2 to conduct random metal detector screenings, we present three methods for Random Metal Detector Screenings – select the one that best fits your approach.     Finally, you can also proceed under Option #3 by having “individualized reasonable suspicion.”

1. Option #1:  All Students

2. Option #2 Random “Suspicionless” Metal Detector Screening

METHOD (a) : Random Metal Detector Screening

Each school building may conduct its own random metal detector screenings of students and their personal belongings (e.g. bookbags, purses), consistent with these procedures. Each principal or administrative designee will be responsible for deciding if screenings will be conducted and for the implementation of screenings based on the security needs of the school building.

The school principal or administrative designee shall determine the frequency that metal detector searches will be conducted (i.e. every third person who enters the building). The administrators conducting the metal detector searches shall conduct metal detector wand searches on entrants to the building based on the frequency determined by the school principal or administrative designee until the beginning of first period classes. Deviation from the frequency determined by the school principal or administrative designee shall be allowed only in cases of individualized reasonable suspicion.

METHOD (b) : Random Metal Detector Screening

Each school building may conduct its own random metal detector screenings of students and their personal belongings (e.g. bookbags, purses), consistent with these procedures. Each principal or administrative designee will be responsible for deciding if screenings will be conducted and for the implementation of screenings based on the security needs of the school building.

1. A minimum of ten students per class will be subject to screenings.

2. The principal or administrative designee shall maintain two boxes for random selections. The first box shall contain cards for each numbered period of the school day, i.e. cards for each of Class Periods 1-6. The second box shall contain cards with the names of each teacher conducting classes at the school. All cards shall be periodically replaced one per semester, or sooner if any cards become worn or otherwise identifiable during random drawings.

3. At or before the start of first period classes on the day a random screening will be conducted, the principal or administrative designee shall first randomly draw one card from the “Class Period” box, e.g. first period. One card shall then be randomly drawn from the “Teacher’s Names” box, e.g. Ms. Jones. [For example, if Ms. Jones conducts a first period class, the students in that class shall be subject to screenings.] If the named teacher is not conducting a class during the class period drawn (e.g. that teacher has a prep period), then that teacher’s card shall be set aside, and subsequent teachers’ name card(s) drawn until a teacher with a first period class is drawn. [For example, if Ms. Jones does not teach a first period class, her card shall be set aside. If Mr. Smith’s card is next chosen, and Mr. Smith teaches a first period class, the students in Mr. Smith’s first period class shall be subject to screenings.]

4. This random selection process shall be repeated each day a random screening is conducted. Because the selection method is random, it is possible that the same classes taught by the same teacher (e.g. Ms. Jones’ first period government class) will be subject to screenings on consecutive days or within only a few days after the last screening. Nonetheless, the screenings shall be conducted in accordance with this selection process.

5. When selecting cards from the boxes, the principal or administrative designee shall have an employee witness present to ensure that the cards in the boxes are concealed from view and are chosen at random. The principal or his or her designee shall keep a log memorializing each day’s selection process, which shall contain a list of all period numbers and teacher name cards drawn, in their order of selection (including those teacher name cards drawn and set aside because they did not teach a class during the numbered period chosen); the name of the principal or designee; the name of the witness; and the time of the selection process. The principal or administrative designee, and the witness, shall initial that day’s entry to verify the accuracy of the information.

6. The results of each day’s selection process shall be kept confidential and shall not be revealed in advance to students, or to staff (except those staff as necessary to prepare for the screenings). The screenings may occur at any time during the class period.

7. When staff enter a classroom for screenings, they shall bring with them a box containing twenty-six cards, each card denoting one letter of the alphabet (A-Z). The letters shall represent the first letter of a student’s surname. [For example, if the letter “A” is randomly drawn, all students with surnames beginning with “A” will be screened.] Staff shall have the classroom teacher randomly draw cards until a minimum of ten students have been randomly scheduled for screenings. [For example, the first card chosen is “A” and there are five students present with surnames beginning with “A;” the second card chosen is “B” and there are three students present with surnames beginning with “B;” and the third card chosen is “C” and there are two students present with surnames beginning with “C;” the names have now been randomly selected for screenings and the selection process is completed. If more than ten students are randomly selected, e.g. in the above example, the third card chosen is “C” and there are four students present with surnames beginning with “C,” all twelve students shall be screened.] Staff shall note on log previously completed by the principal or designee those letters chosen in that class and shall initial the entry to verify the accuracy of the information. Staff shall return the log to the principal’s office; the original of the log shall be retained at the site and a copy sent to the Corporation office.

METHOD (c) : Random Metal Detector Screening

Each school building may conduct its own random metal detector screenings of students and their personal belongings (e.g. bookbags, purses), consistent with these procedures. Each principal or administrative designee will be responsible for deciding if screenings will be conducted and for the implementation of screenings based on the security needs of the school building.

1. The principal or administrative designee shall maintain a box for random school bus selections. The box shall contain cards for each school bus that transports students to the school. All cards shall be periodically replaced one per semester, or sooner if any cards become worn or otherwise identifiable during random drawings.

2. Before school buses begin to arrive on the day a random screening will be conducted, the principal or administrative designee shall randomly draw one card from the box.

3. The results of each day’s selection process shall be kept confidential and shall not be revealed in advance to students, or to staff (except those staff as necessary to prepare for the screenings).

4. When the selected school bus arrives, the students on the bus will be notified that the random metal detector search will be conducted and will be escorted into the school building where the administrators will conduct the search.

3. Option #3:   Individualized Suspicion Screening

The principal or his or her designee may conduct individualized metal detector screenings on students or their personal belongings when the principal or his or her designee has a reasonable suspension that a search will turn up evidence that the student has violated a school rule or Indiana law. “Individualized reasonable suspicion” means a belief based upon the totality of circumstances which, when taken together in the context of the school building or activity in which they occur, make the student or property searched more likely than a student or property selected at random to contain or possess evidence of a violation of state or federal law, a violation of a school rule, or a condition that endangers the safety or health of the student or others. Information provided by other persons may be considered by an administrator as a part of the administrator’s individualized reasonable suspicion where the administrator has reason to believe the information is credible.

The principal or his or her designee will present their reason for individualized suspicion prior to the search. Individualized screenings shall be conducted consistent with the Corporation’s Non-Discrimination Policy. Reasonable suspicion shall not be substantiated in any way by a student’s protected class.

Revised 7/2020

Revised 12/2022