DISCLAIMER: The following unofficial case summaries are prepared by the clerk's office
as a courtesy to the reader. They are not part of the opinion of the court.
121382P.pdf 03/04/2013 Mellony Burlison v. Springfield Public Schools
U.S. Court of Appeals Case No: 12-1382
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri - Springfield
[PUBLISHED] [Murphy, Author, with Loken and Colloton, Circuit Judges]
Civil case - Civil rights. Assuming that a student's belongings were
seized when the school police officer directed that they be left in the
classroom for approximately 5 minutes while a drug dog surveyed the
room, the seizure was part of a reasonable procedure to maintain safety
and security of the students at the school; requiring students to be
separated from their property during such a reasonable procedure avoids
potential embarrassment to the students, assures the students are not
targeted by the dogs and decreases the possibility of any dangerous
interactions between the students and dogs; process did not unreasonably
curtail the student's freedom; sheriff was not liable under Section 1983 in
his individual or official capacity. Judge Loken, concurring.