Final answer:
The search in question could be considered valid under the 'reasonable suspicion' standard for school officials, which is less stringent than probable cause required for law enforcement, as established by the case New Jersey v. T.L.O.
Step-by-step explanation:
The search in question could be considered valid under the reasonable suspicion standard that applies to school officials, as derived from the Supreme Court case New Jersey v. T.L.O.. This standard is lower than the probable cause standard required for searches by law enforcement. If a school official has a justification to believe that school policy or the law is being violated, and the scope of the search is reasonably related to the objectives of the search and not excessively intrusive in light of the age and sex of the student and the nature of the infraction, the search may indeed be valid. Specifically, in situations with facts similar to the case mentioned, a student can be searched if there is a reasonable suspicion they are in possession of contraband or dangerous items, even potentially justifying a more invasive search such as a strip search.