A case before the U.S. Supreme Court this week presents the high court with its first opportunity in more than 20 years to weigh in on the balance between student privacy rights and the rights of schools to protect students against drugs and weapons.

The case of Safford Unified School District v. Redding involves an eighth grade student forced to submit to a humiliating strip search by school officials based on the ultimately-erroneous claim that she was hiding prescription medication on her person.  Did school officials over-react, or were they within their rights to search students who might be harboring dangerous items?

This episode of Law in 10 features host Pam Hardy in conversation with California Western Professor Rob DeKoven, whose research and writing covers issues of education and student rights.