Hickman County Board of Education
Descriptor Code:
Issued Date:
Descriptor Term:
6.303
05/05/25
Interrogations and Searches
Rescinds:
Issued:
6.303
04/03/23
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.¹
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
9
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)
15
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
18
student of the intended interrogation unless circumstances require otherwise. The interrogation may
19
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.
22
POLICE-INITIATED INTERROGATIONS
23
If the police deem circumstances of sufficient urgency to interrogate students at school for unrelated
24
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 17, 2025
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
Any principal, or his/her designee, having reasonable suspicion may search any student, place or thing
7
on school property or in the actual or constructive possession of any student during any organized
8
school activity off campus, including buses, vehicles of students or visitors (Notice shall be posted in
9
the school parking lot that vehicles parked on school property by students or visitors are subject to
10
search for drugs, drug paraphernalia or dangerous weapons), and containers or packages if he/she
11
receives information which would cause a reasonable belief that the search will lead to the discovery
12
of:
13
1. Evidence of any violation of the law;
14
15
2. Evidence of any violation of school rules or regulations or proper standards of student or
16
faculty conduct;
17
18
3. Any object or substance which, because of its presence, presents an immediate danger of harm
19
or illness to any person.
20
A student using a locker that is the property of the school system does not have the right of privacy in
21
that locker or its contents. All lockers or other storage areas provided for student use on school
22
premises remain the property of the school system and are provided for the use of students subject to
23
inspection, access for maintenance and search. Notice shall be posted in each school that lockers and
24
other storage areas are school property and are subject to search.
25
A student may be subject to physical search or a student's pocket, purse or other container may be
26
required to be emptied because of the results of a locker search, or because of information received
27
from a teacher, staff member or other student if such action is reasonable to the principal. All of the
28
following standards of reasonableness shall be met:
29
The school principal shall authorize all searches at the outset per state law. 2 All principal initiated
30
searches shall be conducted by a school security officer or a school administrator who has completed the
31
state required training. 3 The following conditions shall apply to principal initiated searches:
32
1.
All the following standards of reasonableness must be met:
33
a. A particular student has violated policy;
34
b. The search could be expected to yield evidence of the violation of school policy or
35
disclosure of a dangerous weapon or drug;
36
c. The search is in pursuit of legitimate interests of the school in maintaining order,
37
discipline, safety, supervision and education of students;
38
d. The primary purpose of the search is not to collect evidence for a criminal prosecution;
39
and
Page 2 of 4
6.303
Interrogations and Searches
1
e. The search shall be reasonably related to the objectives of the search and not
2
excessively intrusive in light of the age of the student considering the age and sex of the
3
student, as well as the nature of the infraction alleged to have been committed.⁴
4
5
2. A school administrator shall be on-site at any principal-initiated search;
6
7
3. A school administrator shall oversee the search and may end the search at any time; and
8
9
4. If a student is under the age of eighteen (18), the principal must notify the student's parent or
10
guardian within a reasonable time of the search³
11
School officials may conduct hand-held or walk-through metal detector checks of a student's person or
12
personal effects.
13
If a school resource officer searches a student, based on having probable cause, the principal shall
14
notify the Director of Schools/designee.5
15
USE OF ANIMALS
16
When necessary, dogs or other animals trained to detect drugs or dangerous weapons may be used in
17
conducting searches, but the animals shall be used only to pinpoint areas which need to be searched
18
and shall not be used to search the persons of students or visitors.
19
SEARCHES BY POLICE
20
If public health or safety is involved, upon request of the principal who shall be present, police officers
21
may make a general search of students' lockers and desks, or students' or nonstudents' automobiles for
22
drugs, weapons or items of an illegal or prohibited nature.
23
If the principal has received reliable information which he/she believes to be true that evidence of a
24
crime or of stolen goods, not involving school property of members of the school staff or student body,
25
is located on school property and that any search for such evidence or goods would be unrelated to
26
school discipline or to the health and safety of a student or the student body, he/she shall request police
27
assistance; and procedures to obtain and execute a search warrant shall thereafter be followed.
28
Anything found in the course of the search conducted in accordance with this policy which is evidence
29
of a violation of the law or a violation of student conduct standards may be:
30
1. Seized and admitted as evidence in any hearing, trial, suspension or dismissal proceeding. It
31
should be tagged for identification at the time it is seized and kept in a secure place by the
32
principal or the principal's designee until it is presented at the hearing. At the discretion of the
33
principal, the items seized may be returned to the parent or guardian of a student or, if it has no
34
significant value, the item may be destroyed, but only with the express written permission of
35
the director of schools.
36
37
2. Any seized item may be turned over to any law enforcement officer. Any dangerous weapon or
38
drug as defined in TCA 49-6-4202 shall be turned over to an appropriate law enforcement
Page 3 of 4
Interrogations and Searches
6.303
1
official after completion of an administrative proceeding at which its presence is reasonably
2
required.
3
Whenever the possibility of uncovering evidence of a criminal nature exists, the principal or his/her
4
designee may request the assistance of a law enforcement officer to:
5
1. Search any area of the school premises, any student or any motor vehicle on the school
6
premises; or
7
8
2. Identify or dispose of anything found in the course of a search conducted in accordance with
9
this policy.
10
The involvement of law enforcement officials is encouraged when there is reasonable cause to suspect
11
that criminal evidence is about to be uncovered.
Legal References
Cross References
1. TCA 49-6-4203(b)
Traffic and Parking Controls 3.403
2. TCA 49-6-4204(a); TCA 49-6-4205(a)
Procedural Due Process 6.302
3.
Public Acts of 2025, Chapter No. 244
Reporting Child Abuse 6.409
4.
TCA 49-6-4205(b)
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
Hickman County School System
Interrogations and Searches
6.303AP
Use of Metal Detectors
Hickman County Schools authorizes the use of hand-held or walk-through metal detectors to check a
student's person or personal effects as follows:
1. School officials or law enforcement officers may conduct metal detector checks of groups of
individuals if the checks are done in a minimally-intrusive, nondiscriminatory manner. Metal
detector checks of groups of individuals may not be used to single out a particular individual
or category of individuals.
2. If a school official or a law enforcement officer has reasonable suspicion to believe that a
particular student is in possession of an illegal or unauthorized metal-containing object or
weapon, s/he may conduct a metal detector check of the student's person and personal
effects.
A student's failure to permit a metal detector check as provided in this police will be considered
grounds for disciplinary action.
The Hickman County Alternative Schools use hand-held detectors for each student that enters the
classrooms. This is a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of students and staff.
109

## Table 1

|  | Hickman County Board of | Education |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
|  | Descriptor Term: Interrogations and Searches | Descriptor Code: 6.303 | Issued Date: 05/05/25 |
|  |  | Rescinds: 6.303 | Issued: 04/03/23 |

## Table 2

| 1 | e. The search shall be reasonably related to the objectives of the search and not |
| --- | --- |
| 2 | excessively intrusive in light of the age of the student considering the age and sex of the |
| 3 | student, as well as the nature of the infraction alleged to have been committed.⁴ |
| 4 |  |
| 5 | 2. A school administrator shall be on-site at any principal-initiated search; |
| 6 |  |
| 7 | 3. A school administrator shall oversee the search and may end the search at any time; and |
| 8 |  |
| 9 | 4. If a student is under the age of eighteen (18), the principal must notify the student's parent or |
| 10 | guardian within a reasonable time of the search³ |
| 11 | School officials may conduct hand-held or walk-through metal detector checks of a student's person or |
| 12 | personal effects. |
| 13 | If a school resource officer searches a student, based on having probable cause, the principal shall |
| 14 | notify the Director of Schools/designee.5 |
| 15 | USE OF ANIMALS |
| 16 | When necessary, dogs or other animals trained to detect drugs or dangerous weapons may be used in |
| 17 | conducting searches, but the animals shall be used only to pinpoint areas which need to be searched |
| 18 | and shall not be used to search the persons of students or visitors. |
| 19 | SEARCHES BY POLICE |
| 20 | If public health or safety is involved, upon request of the principal who shall be present, police officers |
| 21 | may make a general search of students' lockers and desks, or students' or nonstudents' automobiles for |
| 22 | drugs, weapons or items of an illegal or prohibited nature. |
| 23 | If the principal has received reliable information which he/she believes to be true that evidence of a |
| 24 | crime or of stolen goods, not involving school property of members of the school staff or student body, |
| 25 | is located on school property and that any search for such evidence or goods would be unrelated to |
| 26 | school discipline or to the health and safety of a student or the student body, he/she shall request police |
| 27 | assistance; and procedures to obtain and execute a search warrant shall thereafter be followed. |
| 28 | Anything found in the course of the search conducted in accordance with this policy which is evidence |
| 29 | of a violation of the law or a violation of student conduct standards may be: |
| 30 | 1. Seized and admitted as evidence in any hearing, trial, suspension or dismissal proceeding. It |
| 31 | should be tagged for identification at the time it is seized and kept in a secure place by the |
| 32 | principal or the principal's designee until it is presented at the hearing. At the discretion of the |
| 33 | principal, the items seized may be returned to the parent or guardian of a student or, if it has no |
| 34 | significant value, the item may be destroyed, but only with the express written permission of |
| 35 | the director of schools. |
| 36 |  |
| 37 38 | 2. Any seized item may be turned over to any law enforcement officer. Any dangerous weapon or drug as defined in TCA 49-6-4202 shall be turned over to an appropriate law enforcement |

## Table 3

| Hickman County | School System |
| --- | --- |
| Interrogations and Searches | 6.303AP |