School Board Defeats Counselor Claims in Purse-Search Gun Suit

A Kentucky school board isn’t liable for the illegal search that led to a guidance counselor’s arrest for having a gun in her purse on school property, a federal judge said.

Two of the counselor’s colleagues violated her rights when they searched her bag, but qualified immunity dooms the worker’s claims against them, the US District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky said. Their actions didn’t occur pursuant to the Franklin County Board of Education’s official policy, so the board also deserves summary judgment, the Thursday opinion said.

Plaintiff Holly Lawson worked for the school board as a ...