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Campbell Middle School hosts a day of civic education

Judge Alok Ahuja with Campbell Middle School students
Judge Alok Ahuja delivers a civic education program about the school's authority to search students to Campbell Middle School students in Lee's Summit, accompanied by his daughter, an alumna of Campbell.

On May 18, 2015, Bernard Campbell Middle School in Lee's Summit, Missouri, became a testing ground for programs developed by the Supreme Court of Missouri's Committee on Civic Education. Four judges delivered a series of presentations designed to examine the constitutional rights of students to the school's seventh graders.

Jackson County Circuit Judge Charles H. McKenzie and Deputy Probate Commissioner Mark A. Styles Jr. gave a presentation titled "Can the School Search Me and My Stuff?" describing the development and execution of a search warrant and exploring recent cases defining the degree of privacy afforded students in a school setting.

Jackson County Family Court Commissioner Susan E. Long shared a presentation about the United States Supreme Court's decision in Tinker v. Des Moines, a landmark First Amendment case in which students were disciplined for wearing black arm bands to protest the war in Vietnam. The presentation also dealt with a recent Missouri case concerning the creation of a controversial website by students in Lee's Summit.

Judge Alok Ahuja of the Missouri Court of Appeals gave a presentation about the United States Supreme Court's decision in Safford v. Redding, a case in which the Supreme Court ruled that a strip search of a middle school student violated the Fourth Amendment.

"I had a fantastic time, and the students responded really well to the presentation and appeared to enjoy it," Ahuja stated. "The presentation materials were very well done and allowed me to give a polished presentation with limited preparation time on my part."

Judge McKenzie echoed these sentiments: "I enjoyed the opportunity to make the presentations at Campbell Middle School. I found the programs very user-friendly and informative."

For Susanne Mitko, an award-winning teacher at Campbell and a member of the civic education committee, it was important for the students to hear the message delivered by the judges.

“So often in middle school, students are confused by what they see as ‘fair’ and their basic rights,” she said. "When the judges presented actual Supreme Court cases dealing with schools, the students realized just how important the Constitution and the courts are in safeguarding their rights, and they saw that their rights are even protected at school. The presence of the judges truly had an impact on the students."

If you are interested in having a judge make a presentation at your school, contact the civic education committee at Civic.Education@courts.mo.gov.


For more information about the activities of the Supreme Court of Missouri’s Committee on Civic Education, please visit News & Media.