The Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education voted on June 18 to end the practice of random searches of students using handheld metal detectors as a safety measure on its campuses.

Sponsored by Board President Mónica García, student board member Tyler Okeke and board members Kelly Gonez and Jacki Goldberg, the Successful School Climate: Safe, Respectful, and Learning for All resolution calls for the LAUSD to identify alternative means of ensuring school safety without the use of individual searches, which the board members who approved the measure claim “disrupt learning time and dehumanize students.”

Dissenting board member Dr. George J. McKenna III argued against suspending the searches without an alternative, and board member Scott M. Schmerelson insisted that “random wanding” deters students from bringing weapons to school.

With passage of the resolution, LAUSD Superintendent Austin Beutner is expected to develop an alternative plan for school safety that eliminates the use of random searches by July 2020.

“The importance of providing a safe learning environment in our schools cannot be overstated,” Beutner said. “We must keep our students and employees safe, while promoting a positive school-going climate at every campus.”