A plan to institute mandatory student drug testing at the University of Central Florida has been shot down.
David Seigel – the founder of Westgate Resorts – proposed the plan just weeks after his daughter died of a drug overdose.
“UCF is not embarking on a mandatory random drug testing program as I presented to them,” Seigel said.
UCF officials cited the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which provides citizens protection from illegal search and seizures.
Seigel, whose daughter passed away in July from a drug overdose said, he will continue to push for and pay for a drug testing program, which he believes will save lives.
“So we are going to have our constitutional lawyers meet with their attorneys and my intention would be to take it all the way to the Supreme Court,” Seigel said.
Student reaction to the proposal is mixed.
“It’s for a good cause from what I’ve heard why they are going to do it and it’s a good reason,” said student Blake Garcia. “It’s just I don’t think it would really work out that well.”
“You don’t have the right to just go in and be like ‘we are going to drug test you and that’s that.’ It doesn’t matter, you don’t have a choice,” said student Caitlyn Gray.
UCF Senior Associate Vice President and Dean of Students Anthony Jenkins said while the university will continue to battle drug abuse through prevention education, treatment and recovery; they are willing to continue to dialogue with Siegel. Just not on this current plan.
“Any talk of random mandatory drug testing is unconstitutional and we’re not going to implement such a process here on campus knowing that that is the law,” said Jenkins.
Seigel said he will continue to fight for drug-free schools here in Florida and across the nation.