Opinion ID: 1201613
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Asserted Governmental Interests

Text: The majority's analysis of the asserted interests offered by CU to support its suspicionless drug-testing program for student athletes is limited to the observation that CU asserts no significant public safety interests, maj. op. at 945, and the questioning of whether some of the interests asserted by CU are even significant for Fourth Amendment purposes. Id. I disagree with this analysis and conclude that CU's implementation of its suspicionless drug-testing program for student athletes serves important and valid public interests, including protecting the health and safety of intercollegiate student athletes and preventing drug use by other students who look to student athletes as role models. Drug usage involves considerable risks to the health and safety of student athletes, whether or not the student athlete is impaired during practice or competition. These dangers are particularly evident with respect to anabolic steroids, which pose a serious risk to the health and safety of athletes. Protecting the health and safety of student athletes unquestionably constitutes an important interest. See Schaill v. Tippecanoe County Sch. Corp., 864 F.2d 1309, 1321 (7th Cir.1988); O'Halloran v. University of Washington, 679 F.Supp. 997, 1002, 1006-07 (W.D.Wash.), rev'd on other grounds, 856 F.2d 1375 (9th Cir. 1988); see also Dimeo v. Griffin, 943 F.2d 679, 682-83 (7th Cir.1991) (en banc). Preventing drug use by other students who look to student athletes as role models also constitutes an important interest. As noted in Schaill: Because of their high visibility and leadership roles, it is not unreasonable to single out athletes and cheerleaders for special attention with respect to drug usage. This court may take judicial notice of the fact that in the society at large drug usage by athletes is highly publicized and is a matter of great concern. Drug usage by this widely admired group is likely to affect the behavior of others and school authorities are within their discretion in conducting a program specifically directed at athletes. Schaill, 864 F.2d at 1320-21. As the majority concedes, the desire to prevent drug use by other students is a significant public safety interest. Maj. op. at 945 n. 30. The asserted governmental interests need not rise to the level of a compelling interest. See supra note 4. Nor must the asserted interests be related to issues of public safety or national security to be valid. As such, I conclude that the interests asserted by CU are not just commendable, but are valid, significant, and important. Against these valid interests, it is necessary to weigh the interference with student athletes privacy expectations that results from requiring student athletes to undergo a urine test. Von Raab, 489 U.S. at 671, 109 S.Ct. at 1393.