Hickman County Board of Education
Descriptor Code:
Issued Date:
Descriptor Term:
6.303
07/07/25
Interrogations and Searches
Rescinds:
Issued:
6.303
05/05/25
1
INTERROGATIONS BY SCHOOL PERSONNEL
2
School personnel have a duty to report any reasonable suspicion that a student is carrying, or has
3
carried, a weapon or is violating, or has violated, a provision of the Tennessee Drug Control Act to the
4
principal, the principal's designee or, if the principal and the principal's designee are unavailable and
5
the offense was committed on school property, to the appropriate authorities.
6
Students may be questioned by teachers or principals about any matter pertaining to the operation of a
7
school and/or the enforcement of its rules. Questioning must be conducted discreetly and under
8
circumstances which will avoid unnecessary embarrassment to the student being questioned. Any
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student answering falsely, evasively or refusing to answer a proper question may be subject to
10
disciplinary action, including suspension.
11
If a student is suspected or accused of misconduct or infraction of the student code of conduct, the
12
principal may interrogate the student, without the presence of parent(s)/guardian(s) or legal custodians
13
and without giving the student constitutional warnings.
14
INTERROGATIONS BY POLICE (AT ADMINISTRATOR'S REQUEST)
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If the principal has requested assistance by the police department to investigate a crime involving
16
his/her school, the police shall have permission to interrogate a student suspect in school during school
17
hours. The principal shall first attempt to notify the parent(s)/guardian(s) or legal custodians of the
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student of the intended interrogation unless circumstances require otherwise. The interrogation may
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proceed without attendance of the parent(s)/guardian(s) or legal custodians. The principal or his/her
20
designee shall be present during the interrogation.
21
The use of police women or female staff members is desirable in the interrogation of female students.
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POLICE-INITIATED INTERROGATIONS
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If the police deem circumstances of sufficient urgency to interrogate students at school for unrelated
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crimes committed outside of school hours, the police department shall first contact the principal
25
regarding the planned interrogation, inform him/her of the probable cause to investigate within the
26
school. The principal shall make reasonable effort to notify the parent(s)/guardian(s) or legal
27
custodians of the interrogation unless circumstances require otherwise. The interrogation may proceed
28
without attendance of the parent(s)/guardian(s) or legal custodians. The principal or his/her designee
29
shall be present during the interrogation.
Version Date: June 23, 2026
Interrogations and Searches
6.303
1
SEARCHES BY SCHOOL PERSONNEL
2
In order to ensure a safe and secure learning environment, the Director of Schools shall develop
3
procedures regarding the searching of students' lockers, vehicles, and containers which are consistent
4
with state law. The Director of Schools shall develop additional procedures to ensure compliance with
5
all of the provisions of the School Security Act of 1981. 1,6
6
The school principal shall authorize all searches at the outset per state law.² All principal initiated
7
searches shall be conducted by a school security officer or a school administrator or school employee
8
designated by the Director of Schools who has completed the state required orientation and training.³
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The following conditions shall apply to principal initiated searches:
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1. All the following standards of reasonableness must be met:
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a. A particular student has violated policy;
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b. The search could be expected to yield evidence of the violation of school policy or
13
disclosure of a dangerous weapon or drug;
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C. The search is in pursuit of legitimate interests of the school in maintaining order,
15
discipline, safety, supervision and education of students;
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d. The primary purpose of the search is not to collect evidence for a criminal prosecution;
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and
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e. The search shall be reasonably related to the objectives of the search and not
19
excessively intrusive considering the age and sex of the student, (Sex shall be defined as
20
the "immutable characteristics of the person's reproductive system that identify the
21
person as male or female, as determined by anatomy and genetics existing at the time of
22
birth.") as well as the nature of the infraction alleged to have been committed.⁴
23
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2. A school administrator shall be on-site at any principal-initiated search;
25
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3. A school administrator shall oversee the search and may end the search at any time; and
27
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4. If a student is under the age of eighteen (18), the principal must notify the student's parent or
29
guardian within a reasonable time of the search³
30
School officials may conduct hand-held or walk-through metal detector checks of a student's person or
31
personal effects.
32
If a school resource officer searches a student, based on having probable cause, the principal shall
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notify the Director of Schools/designee.5
34
USE OF ANIMALS
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When necessary, dogs or other animals trained to detect drugs or dangerous weapons may be used in
36
conducting searches, but the animals shall be used only to pinpoint areas which need to be searched
37
and shall not be used to search the persons of students or visitors.
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SEARCHES BY POLICE
Page 2 of 4
Interrogations and Searches
6.303
1
If public health or safety is involved, upon request of the principal who shall be present, police officers
2
may make a general search of students' lockers and desks, or students' or nonstudents' automobiles for
3
drugs, weapons or items of an illegal or prohibited nature.
4
If the principal has received reliable information which he/she believes to be true that evidence of a
5
crime or of stolen goods, not involving school property of members of the school staff or student body,
6
is located on school property and that any search for such evidence or goods would be unrelated to
7
school discipline or to the health and safety of a student or the student body, he/she shall request police
8
assistance; and procedures to obtain and execute a search warrant shall thereafter be followed.
9
Anything found in the course of the search conducted in accordance with this policy which is evidence
10
of a violation of the law or a violation of student conduct standards may be:
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1. Seized and admitted as evidence in any hearing, trial, suspension or dismissal proceeding. It
12
should be tagged for identification at the time it is seized and kept in a secure place by the
13
principal or the principal's designee until it is presented at the hearing. At the discretion of the
14
principal, the items seized may be returned to the parent or guardian of a student or, if it has no
15
significant value, the item may be destroyed, but only with the express written permission of
16
the director of schools.
17
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2. Any seized item may be turned over to any law enforcement officer. Any dangerous weapon or
19
drug as defined in TCA 49-6-4202 shall be turned over to an appropriate law enforcement
20
official after completion of an administrative proceeding at which its presence is reasonably
21
required.
22
Whenever the possibility of uncovering evidence of a criminal nature exists, the principal or his/her
23
designee may request the assistance of a law enforcement officer to:
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1. Search any area of the school premises, any student or any motor vehicle on the school
25
premises; or
26
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2. Identify or dispose of anything found in the course of a search conducted in accordance with
28
this policy.
29
The involvement of law enforcement officials is encouraged when there is reasonable cause to suspect
30
that criminal evidence is about to be uncovered.
Legal References
Cross References
1. TCA 49-6-4203(b)
Traffic and Parking Controls 3403
2. TCA 49-6-4204(a); TCA 49-6-4205(a)
Procedural Due Process 6.302
3. Public Acts of 2025, Chapter No. 244; Public Acts of 2026,
Reporting Child Abuse 6.409
Chapter No. 1040
4. TCA 49-6-4205(b); Public Acts of 2026, Chapter No. 938
Page 3 of 4
Interrogations and Searches
6.303
5. State V. R.D.S., No. M200801724COAR3JV, 2009 WL
2136324, at *1 (Tenn. Ct. App. July 16, 2009)
6. TCA 49-6-4201: Tenn. Op. Att'y Gen. No. 14-21 (February
24, 2014)
Page 4 of 4

## Table 1

|  | Hickman County Board of | Education |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
|  | Descriptor Term: Interrogations and Searches | Descriptor Code: 6.303 | Issued Date: 07/07/25 |
|  |  | Rescinds: 6.303 | Issued: 05/05/25 |

## Table 2

|  | Legal References | Cross References |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1. | TCA 49-6-4203(b) | Traffic and Parking Controls 3403 |
| 2. | TCA 49-6-4204(a); TCA 49-6-4205(a) | Procedural Due Process 6.302 |
| 3. | Public Acts of 2025, Chapter No. 244; Public Acts of 2026, Chapter No. 1040 | Reporting Child Abuse 6.409 |
| 4. | TCA 49-6-4205(b); Public Acts of 2026, Chapter No. 938 |  |