Roberts Stresses Immunity for School Officials in Latest Ruling

Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. doesn’t see a conflict in two recent Supreme Court rulings on the authority of high school administrators to regulate students’ conduct.

The decisions differed on the propriety of actions by school officials, but the most recent decision finding a constitutional violation in a student strip search still offers some solace for administrators, Roberts said Saturday at a Judicial Conference. The Associated Press had the report.

In the case decided Thursday, the court ruled Arizona school officials conducted an unconstitutional strip search of teen Savana Redding, but said school officials were immune from civil suit. In a 2007 case, the court sided with an Alaska high school principal, saying the official could punish a student who unfurled a banner that read "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" while attending a parade sanctioned by the school.

The more recent ruling provides reassurance because the court ruled officials weren’t liable for carrying out school policy, Roberts said. “We recognized that they didn't have very clear guidance," the chief justice said. "We laid down a rule about what they can and can't do, but we said they don't have to fork over damages from their own personal funds if they guess wrong."

Roberts spoke in response to a question about how school administrators should interpret the two differing Supreme Court decisions. Roberts said the court isn't setting the rules--only clarifying them, the AP story says.

"You can't expect to get a whole list of regulations from the Supreme Court. That would be bad," he said. "We wouldn't do a good job at it."