EDINA, Minn. — A parent is suing the Edina School District on behalf of her child after an alleged "strip" search of the 8-year-old student.
The lawsuit alleges that the incident took place during the 2016-17 school year at Countryside School when the child, who is now 9 years old, was in second grade.
The lawsuit states the "strip" search included a search of his "naked rectal area," which was done without the child's authorization or the parent's.
The search was conducted by school staff to determine if the child had defecated on the floor of the bathroom, the document reads.
The lawsuit claims the search was done without probable cause or justification and that in fact, the child had not committed the defecation.
The parents of the child were not informed of the search, contrary to the policies of the school district, the document states.
The Edina School District said in a statement to KARE 11 that it "vehemently denies the allegations."
The district's full statement is below:
The District is aware of the litigation that has been filed in this case. The District will not be able to comment extensively on this matter because of the pending litigation. In addition, this matter involves a former student, and the District will not be able to comment on specific allegations due to the student's privacy rights. However, the District vehemently denies the allegations in this lawsuit and will defend itself from these inaccurate and misleading claims.
District staff acted to support this student, and it is unfortunate that this matter has progressed to this point based on significant misunderstandings of the District's actions. District staff at all times has the best interests of its students as their primary focus and goal, and the District remains committed to providing the best possible education and environment for its students.
