Black Arkansas teen's mother sues school district charging her daughter was strip searched

Jet, July 8, 1996

After learning that her daughter was allegedly strip-searched by school officials, the mother of a 15-year-old North Little Rock, AR, middle school student filed a lawsuit against the public school district.

The lawsuit, which was filed by Mabline Quince in U.S. District Court in Little Rock, seeks unspecified damages for "physical and emotional injuries." Additionally, the lawsuit is seeking to have the school district "train its administrators and teachers on the requirements of the law of student searches and seizures."

According to the lawsuit, last April Quince's daughter, Keisha, a student at Lakewood Middle School, was summoned to the principal's office because a White student accused her of stealing $11. School official allegedly attempted to call Quince after her daughter denied that she had stolen the money, but they were unsuccessful. School officials then called the child's aunt, who gave them permission to search her bra, said the lawsuit.

School officials then took the teenager into a school bathroom where she was asked to remove her shirt and bra as well as her dress and underwear, according to the lawsuit, which also said that the teenager was instructed to "lift her arms and assume a spread eagle frisk position" while a search was made for the money. No money was found, according to Quince's attorney Ted Williams.

As a result of the incident, the lawsuit contended, the teenager "was caused to suffer physical and emotional injuries . . . plaintiff's emotional injury includes but is not limited to physical and mental anguish, embarrassment, humiliation and damage to their reputation."

It's a sad commentary on the North Little Rock school system when, in this day and time, they have to go around strip searching Black pupils," said Williams.