Letters to the Editor |Proposed drug testing policy an unnecesary invasion of privacy

The Vassar Student Association (VSA) Council approved a letter Sunday night that outlined specific complaints with the Athletics Department’s proposed drug testing policy. Rather than rejecting the drug testing itself, the letter tacitly conceded to drug testing as an appropriate and acceptable tool to protect the health and safety of students. We voted against the VSA Council letter because we strongly believe that a drug testing program will not serve the best interests of the College.

The proposed policy will set a dangerous precedent for the College, representing a fundamental distrust of students, it gives the Athletics Department the right to force student-athletes to submit physical evidence from their bodies. Drug testing presumes guilt and requires the student-athlete in question to prove his or her innocence. This is a striking and serious departure from every other judicial process at the College, and we believe that the burden of proof should rest with the accuser not the accused.

While we do not condone students using NCAA banned substances, we disagree with the method chosen by the Athletics Department to deter the use and abuse of illegal drugs. One important issue that has been largely ignored in recent discussions on the drug testing policy is the lack of conclusive evidence showing that drug testing reduces drug use in students. Many studies — including one by the American Civil Liberties Union and two by the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor — have concluded that drug testing offers no impact on drug use. Given the uncertainty surrounding the effectiveness of drug testing, we are disturbed the College would consider enacting a policy that invades student-athletes’ privacy with no guarantee it would work.

Though the proposed policy’s stated objective is to promote the health and well being of student-athletes, it tilts far more toward punishment than rehabilitation. The policy makes no mention of regular educational meetings for student-athletes; instead, it requires Athletics to produce a “drug and alcohol handout” to be distributed to student-athletes. This is an ineffective way of educating student-athletes about the dangers of drug use; it fails to fulfill the policy’s stated objective to “further the knowledge of the Vassar College community on the detrimental effect of banned substances.” Additionally, little consideration is given to how student-athletes who test positive will be rehabilitated back onto the team. The policy merely states that any student-athlete who tests positive “will be referred to counseling.” Rather than applying punitive measures, we believe education—especially at a college—is a more effective and fair means of discouraging drug use among student-athletes.

Privacy is a fundamental civil right. The Vassar College Governance, too, supports this view, noting that “students are entitled…to privacy of their personal lives.” We agree wholeheartedly and believe the proposed drug testing policy unnecessarily and improperly infringes on student-athletes’ privacy. We strongly urge the Athletics Department and the College to reject the proposed drug testing policy and to consider other options to educate students on the dangers of illegal substances.

—President of Town Students Matthew Hackett ’07, President of Town Houses Anoop Pillarisetti ’07, President of Jewett House Christopher
Smith ’07, VSA Academic Executive Rachel Zoghlin ’07