In our historic agreement with LAUSD in January 2019, our bargaining team was able to negotiate a Memorandum of Understanding with LAUSD on their BUL 5424.2 policy and enforcement of “random searches” at school sites.
As part of the new pilot program based on our historic 2019 agreement, 14 schools will be selected and granted exemptive status from “administrative searches” for the 2019-20 & 2020-21 school years.
Interested schools can apply for both years and must go through the application process with the Local School Leadership Council or their Local District review by March 15 of each year before final approval is given by the District.
UTLA has been deeply involved in pushing back on the inequitable enforcement of this policy, BUL 5424.2 by administrators since its inception in 2014.
For the 2019-20 school year, schools may apply to be exempt from Administrative searches, i.e. “wanding,” for the length of the MOU and fourteen (14) schools will be selected. This application may be sent from the Local School Leadership Council or similar governance council to their Local District review by March 15, 2019. The Local District shall submit the applications to District Operations for final approval.
For the 2020-21 school year, schools may apply to be exempt from Administrative searches, i.e. “wanding,” and fourteen (14) additional schools will be selected. This application may be sent from the Local School Leadership or School Site Council to District Operations for review by March 15, 2020. The Local District shall submit the applications to District Operations for final approval.
School staff must interrupt classroom instruction and select students based on a “pre-established random plan.” The selected students are ordered to leave the classroom with their belongings, losing valuable instruction time. In a separate location staff members search students and their belongings with a metal detector. If any item violating school rules is found (even if it is not a weapon) the student is disciplined.
The District school safety measures include random metal detector searches, locker searches and other measures under the settled principles of constitutional construction, which permits reasonable application of metal detectors in schools.
BUL 5424.2 focuses on random searches, metal detector searches and locker searches.
The City of Los Angeles and the District shall work together to add services such as the LA City Gang Reduction and Youth Development (GRYD) programming to schools participating in the proposed “wanding” pilot program as well as select schools with traditional random searches. It is not the intention of both parties to add additional police presence as part of the programming on campuses.
The District may terminate a school’s participation in this MOU, if it determines it is necessary to do so to preserve the safety of the students and staff at that school(s). Prior to making a final decision, the District will provide notice to the school that it is considering terminating the school’s participation in the MOU, including its concerns, and provide the school with the opportunity to respond to the District’s concerns. The school will have five calendar days from receipt of the District’s notice to respond. Once the school has responded or the five calendar day period has elapsed, the District will provide written notice of its final decision to the school. This MOU will terminate on June 30, 2021
