Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Schoolteacher files lawsuit over ‘invasive’ drug test

A Las Vegas middle school teacher has filed a lawsuit in federal court against the Clark County School District for allegedly holding her against her will in a room and forcing her to take an “invasive” drug test.

Christa Casillas, a teacher at Cadwallader Middle School, is seeking injunctive relief ordering the School District to change its drug testing regulations, policies and procedures to conform with constitutional Fourth Amendment mandates.

She is also seeking compensatory damages of $100,000, punitive damages and attorneys’ fees. Her attorney is Richard Segerblom.

The suit also names several school administrators and support staff reportedly involved in the incident.

Melinda Malone, a spokeswoman for the School District, said she had not heard about the lawsuit and was checking on it with the district’s legal office.

The lawsuit claims that on Oct. 7, 2010, Casillas was summoned into the school’s main office by an assistant principal and ordered to take an “invasive drug test.”

Casillas alleges she was denied having a teachers’ union representative present and that when she asked to leave, the assistant principal blocked the door and told staff to call school police to keep the teacher there.

Casillas failed the test for marijuana and was fired, the lawsuit said.

Casillas appealed the termination through the union contract arbitration process and the arbitrator ordered that she be reinstated.

Casillas returned to work in May 2011 and during the next 11 months was subjected to eight random drug tests, all of which she passed, the lawsuit says.

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