four black female middle school student stripped searched b/c "hyper and giddy" during lunch

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Strip Search Of Four Black Girls By Middle School Officials Draws Outrage From Parents, Community Members In Upstate New York


According to The Associated Press, approximately 200 concerned parents and community members packed the Binghamton school board meeting on Tuesday. Students at the center of the controversy were reportedly forced to undress on Monday during the MLK holiday because school officials suspected the girls were in possession of drugs.

A school nurse and assistant principal claimed the girls were acting abnormally. The girls were questioned and described as being "hyper and giddy during their lunch hour," according to the school.

Despite the backlash, the Binghamton School District (BSD) stands by the impromptu strip search. In a statement released to the media on Wednesday, BSD restated the district-wide policy on strip searches. The district did not mention if suspicions were proven true.

It has yet to be confirmed if the girls were in possession of any substance.

“A student may, under current law and policy, be searched in a school building by an administrator when the administrator reasonably suspects that a student’s health is in danger or is in possession of a substance that may harm themselves or others," a statement from the district read. "These searches involve an administrator requesting a student to empty their pockets, remove their shoes and/or remove their jackets.”