LINN, Mo. — A two-year college in Missouri has launched a program to drug-test new students — raising the hackles of civil libertarians who see an illegal invasion of privacy.
The tests started Wednesday at Linn State Technical College.
Courts have upheld more limited drug testing of high schools students, as well as NCAA athletes and students at private colleges. But Linn State's move appears to be the first effort by a public college or university to enact widespread drug tests of the general student body.
School leaders say the move is necessary to ensure student safety at a campus where coursework includes aircraft maintenance, heavy engine repair and other dangerous tasks. They say it also prepares students for the workplace.
The Missouri Civil Liberties Association suggests a legal challenge may be imminent.
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