Concord, New Hampshire — CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — A New Hampshire teenager sued his former high school principal and others Thursday alleging they illegally searched his truck based solely on his status as a gun owner.
Jack Harrington, 18, graduated from Hillsboro-Deering High School in June, about two months after he was harassed and questioned by school officials who then found nothing when they searched his truck in the school parking lot. His lawsuit against the superintendent, principal, vice principal and school resource officer was filed in U.S. District Court by the Second Amendment Foundation.
According to the lawsuit, Harrington told another student that he had been stopped by police while driving off campus and told the officer that his gun was legally stored in the glove box. Weeks later, on April 24, school officials asked him about that conversation, confirmed he had a gun and began “hassling” him about searching his truck. State law prohibits students from bringing firearms onto school property.
Although Harrington said he never brought the gun to school and had no intention of doing so, the school resource officer told him, “You can say whatever you want, and we’ll search him anyway,” the lawsuit alleges.
Courts have found that school officials can conduct such searches if they have reasonable suspicion that a crime has been committed, but Harrington’s attorneys argue that knowledge of gun ownership alone does not rise to that standard.
“Being public about exercising your private rights cannot be grounds for harassment and searches on campus,” said Bill Sack, director of legal operations at the Second Amendment Foundation. “The school district’s clear position here is ‘Choose to exercise one right, and waive another.’ That’s not how things work.”
Messages seeking comment were left Thursday for Superintendent Jennifer Crawford. Harrington declined a request for an interview. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages.