Missing $10 leads to strip search

LA MARQUE - The Galveston County District Attorney's Office could take the case of 10 Mainland Preparatory Academy students ages 11 and 12 who were forced to strip to their undergarments while school officials searched for a missing $10 bill.

The incident happened on Thursday at the charter school, 319 Newman, when seven girls and three boys were searched during a study hall after one of the girls reported the money missing.

The boys were sent off with a male teacher and the girls with a female teacher, who told them to strip to their underwear. The money was never found.

Does this sound right to you? Evidently most of the parents of the students involved don't think so. Others, whose children weren't involved, think it's great.

Here is what the DA has to say:

Galveston County District Attorney Kurt Sistrunk said his office is waiting to receive a report from La Marque police about the strip search incident and will then determine whether there is evidence to proceed with any criminal complaints in the case.

"As far as the search goes, the schools have the same general right as law enforcement does," he said. "If they can articulate a reasonable suspicion that a law has been violated ... then they can proceed with whatever search that they feel is appropriate."

So the school has police powers?

Our children's teachers are cops!