Court rules in favor of Binghamton City School District in alleged strip search case; appeal filed

A federal judge has ruled in favor of the Binghamton City School District in a lengthy case involving the alleged strip search of several students at East Middle School, which caused outrage among the population.

The case, originally filed in April 2019 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York, alleges that on January 15 of that year, four 12-year-old girls, all students of color, were stopped by school principal Tim Simonds while walking down the hallway. Both Simonds and assistant principal Michelle Raleigh accompanied the girls to the health department, where school nurse Mary Eggleston allegedly searched each girl without explanation or notifying their parents or guardians. Eggleston administered a breathalyzer test to each of the four girls and searched their belongings. Some of the girls were asked to remove items of clothing.

The girls were then transferred to Columbus School, an alternative school, and then to West Middle School in February 2019.

The original lawsuit alleged that the city's school district, the Binghamton Board of Education, and each of the three school officials violated the girls' civil rights under federal law. The plaintiffs argued that the searches conducted by the school officials violated the Fourth Amendment, which protects against unreasonable searches and seizures. They also claimed that the searches were conducted—at least in part—because the girls were black and Latino, violating the Fourteenth Amendment and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The lawsuit claimed that the girls' civil rights under federal laws for the handicapped were also violated because they were transferred to an alternative school without being provided with assistance for their individual educational programs.

In September 2020, the district court dismissed several parts of the plaintiff's complaint. In an opinion written by Judge Glenn Suddaby, the court dismissed the two girls' claims under federal disability law. The court allowed the plaintiffs' Fourth Amendment arguments to proceed, but rejected the claim that two of the plaintiffs – identified in the filing as AS and JB – were strip searched.

Suddaby also dismissed the plaintiff's claims citing the Equal Protection Clause and Title VI of the 14th Amendment. He ruled that the plaintiff's allegations against the individual school officials, such as the nurse's comments about the girls' “bodies and their posture,” were not enough to prove that the search was racially motivated and violated the Equal Protection Clause. However, the court left open the plaintiffs' option to refile their claims citing the 14th Amendment and Title VI. Attorneys from the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and a multinational law firm filed their amended complaint in January 2021.

“All students have the right to learn in a safe and supportive environment,” said NAACP attorney Cara McClellan. “Yet racial bias has compromised the education and well-being of four Black and Latino middle school girls whose normal, childlike behavior was used by school officials as justification for illegal strip searches based solely on the color of their skin. We cannot undo the trauma these four young girls suffered at the hands of school officials, but we will fight for their rights and ensure that all Binghamton students can learn in schools that respect and protect them, regardless of their race or gender.”

In February 2024, the district court reviewed the amended complaint and dismissed much of it. Suddaby dismissed the girls' 14th Amendment claim, concluding that the evidence presented by the plaintiffs was insufficient to show a violation of the equal protection principle. The court also dismissed the plaintiffs' Title VI claim in its entirety, finding that the Fourth Amendment was not violated when school officials searched three of the four girls. Eggleston's search of the fourth girl, IM, was described as “far beyond the[ed] “within the scope” of the other because she was allegedly touched under her bra – so her Fourth Amendment case stood.

IM's lawsuit against Eggleston was dismissed in district court last month. The plaintiffs' attorneys filed an appeal in federal court on Aug. 9. The city's school district expressed its commitment to maintaining a tolerant school environment in an Aug. 23 press release and recognized the plaintiffs' right to appeal the decision.

“During the course of this case, the district and staff have suffered significant harm, including threats and harassment due to the false allegations,” the press release states. “These actions have affected not only the individuals directly involved in the case, but also the entire school community. This situation has been taken seriously from the beginning, and the district will continue to work toward its goal of providing a safe, supportive, and equitable learning environment for each and every student. BCSD calls on our community to come together in a spirit of support and respect and focus on the well-being and education of our students. The Binghamton City School District has remained silent on this case to respect the legal process and protect the integrity of the investigative process. Plaintiffs have exercised their right to appeal, and therefore the district will have no further comment on this matter.”