C.N. v. Ridgewood Board of Education
United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
430 F.3d 159 (2005)
A school district (defendant) administered an anonymous survey to seventh through twelfth graders covering sensitive topics including suicide, drug use, alcohol use, and sexual activity, without giving parents clear information on how to opt their children out, though the survey contained no names or identifying information and instructed students not to write their names. Three students and their parents (plaintiffs) sued, alleging the survey violated their constitutional right to privacy; the trial court granted summary judgment for the district, and the plaintiffs appealed.
Whether the constitutional right to privacy protects the individual interest in avoiding disclosure of personal matters and the interest in independence in making certain important decisions.