SURING, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Parents in the Suring School District allege that their students were strip-searched by Suring Public Schools officials, including at least one administrator, in an effort to locate vaping devices.
The Oconto County Sheriff’s office is now investigating.
Sheriff Todd Skarban tells FOX 11 an investigator has been conducting interviews and gathering information and he expects the findings will be sent to the Oconto County District Attorney on Monday or Tuesday.
Skarban says it will be up to the DA to review the information and determine whether criminal charges should be filed.
Parents tell FOX 11 dozens of parents and students confronted the school board this week about the lack of a response to the searches, which took place within the last few weeks.
Stephanie Lupe, a municipal judge for the Village of Suring, says her daughter was one of seven female sophomores to be strip searched on January 18th after they were caught vaping in a school bathroom.
“I said did you find anything on her?” said Lupe, recounting her conversation on January 18th with a school administrator. “She said no, so I said you strip searched her? She said yup, her and all the rest of the girls. I said I don’t think you can do that by law and I’m taking my daughter and we’re going home.”
Lupe and other parents tell FOX 11 three male students were also searched for vaping devices. Lupe was not sure if the males were strip searched or just patted down. She also did not know what grades they were in, but believed they were upperclassmen.
The parents say women searched female students and men searched male students. They say this was done without parents knowing about it.
Lupe says her daughter and the other female students received in school suspensions for vaping in school, and were not allowed to use the bathrooms during those suspensions.
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