Beverly Hills High School to Adopt Drug Testing Policy
Athletes at Beverly Hills High School will start undergoing mandatory random drug tests, after the Beverly Hills Unified School District Board of Education passed a new drug testing policy on Tuesday.
The Board of Education voted 4 to 1 in favor of adopting a policy that mandates random drug testing for high school athletes. The policy calls for mandatory drug testing starting next fall.
The parents of athletes who test positive for alcohol and illegal drugs will be notified via certified mail, but the result will not be shared with the school district. It also triggers a mandatory second test within 60 days.
If a student tests positive for a second time, or refuses to take a second test, the school district will receive a notification. The student-athlete will then be suspended from his or her sport for one game, and may be retested.
Earlier this week, school board President Brian Goldberg shared: “While I would support random testing for all students, the U.S. Supreme Court and the California Courts of Appeal allow for testing only for students participating on sports teams.”
Board Vice President Jake Manaster, who proposed that only parents will be notified after the first positive result, said: “We are empowering the parent to act, and if they act I am hopeful the student will get the help that we are all desiring.”
The tests, which will be paid for by the district, will cost about $55 per athlete, and will test for illegal drugs and alcohol – but not performance-enhancing substances.
Tags: Beverly Hills High School drug policy, Beverly Hills High School drug testing, drug testing high school students
