FILE: IDFAA
Cf: IDFA
STUDENT/ATHLETE DRUG AND ALCOHOL TESTING
The Ascension Parish School Board has the responsibility to act as guardian and tutor of children entrusted to its care. Since athletics is an extracurricular activity and is, therefore, completely voluntary, the Ascension Parish School Board shall take added precautions to assure that an athlete is accorded reasonable safety measures. The Ascension Parish School Board finds that drug or alcohol use has a profound, negative impact on athletics and places the athlete and the athlete's fellow participants at risk of personal injury and damage. It also adversely affects a student/athlete's ability to play and concentrate on sports and academics. Therefore, to prevent student/athletes from using drugs or alcohol, to protect their health and safety, and to deter drug or alcohol use in the student population, the Ascension Parish School Board shall require all high school student/athletes be subject to testing for drug or alcohol use. Any person, male or female, who is a member of any organized high school team, is an athlete.
SCOPE
Prior to participating in any Louisiana High School Athletic Association (LHSAA) sanctioned sport, the student athlete and parent/guardian shall be required to sign the LHSAA Substance Abuse/Misuse Contract and the Ascension Parish School Board Authorization and Consent Form for Drug and Alcohol Testing. These arrangements state that all student athletes shall be subject to random drug testing. For purposes of this policy only, cheerleaders shall be subject to all the same provisions as athletes outlined in this policy. These tests shall be strictly enforced and participation shall be mandatory, since the parents/guardians have freely chosen to allow their son(s)/daughter(s) to participate in athletic programs. No athlete shall be tested unless the parent(s)/guardian(s) and the athlete sign both the LHSAA and Ascension Parish School Board forms giving permission to have the tests performed. A student/athlete's or parent's refusal to sign these forms or allow these tests to be administered shall immediately disqualify such student from participation in all extracurricular athletics for the entire school year.
These consent forms shall be in full force and effect for the entire time period that a student is a member of any organized team (for example, the consent forms for a freshman football player shall continue in force every year thereafter until the player quits or is terminated from all athletic teams). Further, the consent forms signed for one sport shall apply to all sports.
The drug or alcohol testing shall be performed on breath, blood, urine, or saliva specimens, hereinafter collectively identified as "the specimen," at the sole discretion of the Board and its representatives, including testing laboratories or medical review officers (MRO). As used in this policy, "testing" refers to alcohol and/or drug testing.
TESTING PROCEDURES
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Testing shall be as follows:
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Each specimen shall be tested for any schedule I, II, or III "controlled dangerous substance" as defined in Title 40 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes. Each specimen may be tested for the presence of the following, at the sole direction of the athletic director or testing laboratory:
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The collection, testing, analysis, or reporting of test results may be performed by the Board, through individuals qualified to perform such tests, or by an independent testing laboratory contracted by the Board. The test results shall be confidential, except as provided herein. Any positive test results shall be confirmed as soon as possible by a second test on the same specimen or by testing on the split sample, if available. Test results shall be provided to the designated Medical Review Officer, the athletic director, and the school principal of any positive results. The Medical Review Officer shall notify the student/athlete and the athlete's parents of the results and schedule a meeting with them to discuss the testing results. The office of Student Services shall be notified of all confirmed positive test results. |
POSITIVE TEST RESULTS
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First Positive (Confirmed): The student athlete shall attend a counseling program at the Parish of Ascension Substance Abuse Center (PASAC) or the student/athlete may attend a counseling center of parent's choice at their expense, upon prior approval of the private counseling center by the MRO.
The student/athlete shall attend a minimum of seven (7) counseling sessions and shall obtain a drug or alcohol test at his/her expense. The MRO shall monitor the students counseling progress and direct the frequency of testing. The student shall hand deliver the results of each of these tests to the MRO. The student may be suspended from the team for a period determined jointly by the athletic director and principal.
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Second Positive: A student/athlete who tests positive for a second time in a school year shall automatically be terminated from all athletic teams and shall be ineligible to participate in any school sports for a period of one (1) calendar year.
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There shall be no right to a hearing before the Board for any disciplinary action arising out of violation of this policy or as a result of positive test results. The decision of the athletic director and principal shall be final. Participation in interscholastic athletics is strictly a privilege and not a right. Athletics is not an integral part of school curriculum and participation is voluntary. |
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
Should any of the following occur, the student athlete shall be terminated from all athletic teams and shall be ineligible to participate in high school athletics at any Ascension Parish School Board school for a period of one (1) calendar year and regular education may be subjected to regular education discipline.
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Testing positive two (2) times in any school year.
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Refusing to honor any request for drug or alcohol testing.
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Refusing to cooperate with School Board officials/administration or laboratory personnel during specimen collection or testing.
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Submitting forged, false, or misleading information, statements or specimens.
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Failing to participate in counseling, as specified in this policy.
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Assisting any other student/athlete in violating any of the provisions of this policy.
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Violating any provision of this policy. |
POLICY NOT APPLICABLE
The policy shall not apply to any alcohol or drug use discovered by means, observations, events, or actions not administered pursuant to this policy (specifically, drug or alcohol testing). In such event, should a student/athlete be found in possession of, or under the influence of, any drug or alcohol, regular discipline policies shall control and the student/athlete shall be punished in accordance with those policies.
CONFIDENTIALITY
Confidentiality of the drug and alcohol test results shall be maintained at all times. Such results shall never be used as a basis for disciplinary action other than that as set forth in this policy.
PARENTAL RELEASE
Parents/guardians and the student athletes, in signing the required consent forms, shall release the Ascension Parish School Board, its members, as well as any employees, teachers, coaches, principals, administrators, agents and contractors from all liability in connection with this policy and its administration. It shall be understood that the Ascension Parish School Board assumes no responsibility for the diagnosis, or treatment of any disease or condition that may become known as a result of the tests described in this policy.
Revised: October 2002
Revised: August, 2005
Ref: La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§17:81, 40:961, 49:1111
Veronia School District 47J vs. Action, 115 S.Ct. 2386 (1995)
Louisiana High School Athletic Association, Rule 1.17
Board minutes, 1-9-96, 6-20-00, 9-3-02, 8-16-05
Ascension Parish School Board