High school cracks down on drugs by checking students’ text messages

An Illinois high school is cracking down on campus drug sales by confiscating the cell phones of student suspects and using their text messages to identify others—an investigative technique that has raised questions among some legal experts and unnerved students who said they assumed texting to be private. Stevenson High School spokesman Jim Conrey said the ongoing investigation, in which Lincolnshire (IL) police are also participating, has resulted in multiple suspensions, though he would not provide the number. He said examining student text messages was a legal and appropriate way to gather information about the alleged sales.