Forty years ago, the Supreme Court held in New Jersey v. T.L.O., 469 U.S. 325 (1985), that the Fourth Amendment's prohibition on unreasonable searches and seizures applies to the conduct of public school officials. Based on the facts of the case, the Court upheld as reasonable a warrantless search of a student's purse by school officials. Almost 30 years later, the Supreme Court held in Riley v. California, 573 U.S. 373 (2014), that cell phones generally cannot be searched without a warrant.
How do T.L.O. and Riley impact the search of a student's cell phone by school officials on public school grounds, and how would you protect a student's rights while balancing the school's responsibility to maintain a safe and effective learning environment?
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit is pleased to announce the winners of its 2025 Essay Contest. The contest, which ran from March 6, 2025, to June 2, 2025, was open to current students in grades 6-12 in Maryland, Virginia, West
Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina.
High School
First Place--$1,000 Award: Anjana Ramanujam, a rising junior, North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics- Morganton, Morganton, North Carolina.
Second Place--$750 Award: Hadia Rizwan, a rising junior, Glen Allen High School, Glen Allen, Virginia.
Third Place--$500 Award: Anthony Torrez, a rising senior, Ascend Leadership Academy, Sanford, North Carolina.
Middle School
First Place--$250 Award: Henry Scheuer, a rising 8th grader, homeschooled, Roanoke, Virginia.
Second Place--$175 Award: Devduth Menon, rising 8th grader, Tomahawk Creek Middle School, Midlothian, Virginia.
Third Place--$100 Award: Derek Cutter, rising 7th grader, Monarch Academy Glen Burnie, Glen Burnie, Maryland.
Students were invited to consider and share their thoughts on the question: "How do T.L.O. and Riley impact the search of a
student's cell phone by school officials on public school grounds, and
how would you protect a student's rights while balancing the school's
responsibility to maintain a safe and effective learning environment?"
Awards will be presented at the Constitution Day program scheduled for September 10, 2025, at 3:00 p.m. at the Lewis F. Powell, Jr. U.S. Courthouse in Richmond, Virginia.
The court extends its appreciation to its distinguished panels of judges for their work in reviewing the essays and selecting the top three submissions:
High School
- Amy Cyphert, Lecturer in Law, Director, ASPIRE, West Virginia University College of Law, Morgantown, West Virginia.
- Janice Baker, Legal Writing Instructor; Director, Konduros Leadership Development Program, University of South Carolina School of Law, Columbia, South Carolina.
- Richard B. Katskee, Assistant Clinical Professor of Law, Director, Appellate Litigation Clinic, Duke University School of Law, Durham, North Carolina.
- Steven J. Alagna, Lecturer in Law, Interim Director of the Appellate Clinic, Washington University School of Law, St. Louis, Missouri.
- Mary Claire Davis, Teaching Associate Professor, West Virginia University College of Law, Morgantown, West Virginia.
Middle School
- Wesley Hedgepeth, Teacher, Richmond, Virginia.
- Ganelle Sutton, Teacher, Author, Elizabeth City, North Carolina.
For more information about the contest, visit Courts4Civics.