Final answer:
School officials can conduct searches based on reasonable suspicion rather than probable cause, as established by the Supreme Court case New Jersey v. T.L.O. Principal Wilson's initiation of a search based on the statements of two students met the reasonable suspicion standard, justifying the initial search without a warrant.
Step-by-step explanation:
When discussing who must approve a supervisor's foundation for reasonable suspicion in a school setting to search a student, it is important to reference the precedent set by the Supreme Court case New Jersey v. T.L.O., which clarified that public school officials do not need a warrant or probable cause to search students, but must only meet the standard of reasonable suspicion.
In the context of the Safford Unified School District's argument, Principal Wilson had reasonable suspicion based on the testimony of two students, which initially justified the search of Savanna for prescription drugs. The Fourth Amendment protects against unreasonable searches and seizures but allows more flexibility for school searches under the specific standard defined by this landmark case. A school official like Principal Wilson can initiate a search, but it is always subject to later review by courts to ensure that the suspicion was reasonable and that the search was not excessively intrusive.
The Fourth Amendment establishes the general protections against unreasonable searches and requires search warrants to be supported by probable cause and issued by a neutral judge or magistrate. However, in school environments where the safety of students is a critical concern, the standard is lowered to reasonable suspicion to accommodate the distinct needs of maintaining a secure educational environment.