In the case of New Jersey v. T.L.O., a 14-year-old high school student was accused of violating school rules by smoking in the bathroom, leading an assistant principal to search her purse for cigarettes. The search not only revealed cigarettes but also evidence that she had been selling marijuana at school. The Supreme Court ruled in a 6-3 decision that while students have Fourth Amendment rights against unreasonable searches and seizures, these rights are limited when on school property because schools have an interest in maintaining discipline and order. Therefore, officials can conduct searches without obtaining a warrant or having probable cause if they reasonably suspect that a student has violated the law or school rules.

In the dissenting opinion for New Jersey v. T.L.O., Justice John Paul Stevens argued that the majority's decision to allow school officials to search students without a warrant or probable cause undermined Fourth Amendment protections. He contended that such searches should be subject to the same standards as those conducted by law enforcement officers, requiring either a warrant or strong evidence of wrongdoing before they can take place. Stevens also expressed concern about potential abuses of power and noted that schools have other means at their disposal, like parental involvement and disciplinary action, to address suspected rule-breaking behavior among students. In his view, allowing school administrators broad authority to conduct searches could lead them down a slippery slope towards becoming agents of law enforcement rather than educators focused on fostering an environment conducive for learning.