To the Editor:

I am writing to you and my fellow residents in Newtown, especially those on the Police Commission and the Board of Education, so that you may know that students are citizens with Constitutional Rights.

The Fourth Amendment of the Constitution reads:  The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

On Friday February 27th police and canine officers conducted a drug sweep of Newtown High School.  Many students were falsely targeted as is always the case when using canine detection. My son was one of those children subjected to an illegal and unconstitutional search. The search yielded nothing. My son was questioned by a police officer without a parent or his attorney present. I hope this does not leave him marked with suspicion by his peers or the faculty.

In Newtown we are sacrificing a little bit of our freedom for security in our schools. I understand and respect this.  But know this, a little more of our freedom is now gone. There are 1,600 children who were treated as suspects that day.  An entire amendment for which Americans have fought and died for is rendered meaningless.

I don’t like the idea of drugs in Newtown schools.  But I dislike the idea of losing freedom more.  

Richard Reilly

35 High Rock Road, Sandy Hook                                     March 1, 2015