In loco parentis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Parental locus, or
in loco parentis, is Latin for
in the place of a parent.
It is a concept where the legal responsibility for a minor child transfers some powers to a individual or an organization (school).
The logic is tha this transfer of responsibility is necessary for the proper care of the child.
In other words, since a parent does not need a search warrant based upon probable cause to search their own minor child's room, the child's school is accorded the same powers.
I sure as Hell don't like the concept, but it is firmly established in common law, and our hands are tied.
The same defense would also cover the RFID tag issue discussed here.
Since the RFID concept is radically different, though, I hope that it can be shut down easily and quickly.
Parents do not use RFID at home, so hopefully
in loco parentis cannot be used by schools as a defense.