New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has asked the State Department of Education to investigate the claims of four middle school black girls who claim they were strip-searched during school in Binghamton, New York.
The school district has also announced its hiring of an independent firm to review the allegations.
Suggested Reading
The four Eastern Middle School students, who have not been identified, say they were questioned and subsequently strip-searched by a school nurse and an assistant principal after appearing too hyperactive and βgiddyβ during lunch, leading staff members to suspect drug use.
Binghamtonβs districtβs policy handbook reserves strip searches for exigent circumstances, calling the procedure βintrusive in nature and almost never justified.β Parents are also to be contacted immediately in the event a strip search takes place.
Parents of the students were not made aware by the school, learning of the incident when their children returned from school.
Wednesday, Cuomo issued a statement calling for an investigation while acknowledging the question as to whether or not race factored into the decision to strip-search the students.
βThe allegations that 12-year-old girls were strip-searched for drugs after being perceived as βhyper and giddyβ at a Binghamton middle school are deeply disturbing,β said Cuomo in a written statement, βand raise serious concerns of racial and gender bias.β
Despite retaining an independent firm to helm its own investigation, the school district maintains there is no evidence of a strip-search.
βIt must be reiterated, we have no evidence that a strip search was conducted by administration,β the statement said. βWe only turn to medical assessment if we find clear reason to be concerned for our studentsβ safety and health, which is what occurred in this instance.β
At a meeting last week, the school board said that student evaluations may require pupils to remove βbulky outside clothing to expose an arm so that vitals like blood pressure and pulse can be accessed,β according to NBC News.
Progressive Leaders of Tomorrow, a local grassroots organization, disagreed with the boardβs assessment.
βThe Binghamton City School District should never have stated βno students were strip-searched,β solely due to an assumed lack of evidence β especially before the criminal, state or independent investigation has been concluded,β said the organization. βThe first-hand accounts of the four victims are evidence, both legally and morally, and we stand behind these girls 100 percent.β
Straight From
Sign up for our free daily newsletter.