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Ben Capua, et al., Plaintiffs,
vs.
The City of Plainfield, et al., Defendants; Monica Tompkins, Plaintiff, v. The City of Plainfield, et al., Defendants
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Issues:
Public employees, reasonable suspicion, privacy, random testing, Fourth Amendment, Fourteenth Amendment, drugs, due process, policy and procedure.
Case Summary:
Firefighters and police officers with the City of Plainfield filed a pair of complaints, challenging the city's recent use of drug tests. City officials ordered urine test for all firefighters and police officers. The employees were given no prior notice of the testing plans and the tests were not part of an established program or policy. Several employees posted positive results for controlled substances and were either suspended or terminated. Two separate suits were filed, seeking injunctive relief from the tests and a ban on all similar testing efforts in the future. The suits were consolidated into a single case.
Decision of lower jurisdiction:
This is the first judicial review of this case.
Outcome:
The employees win. The U. S. District Court for the District of New Jersey issued an injunction against the city, prohibiting officials from continuing the drug tests. The court ruled the city lacked any set procedures for conducting the tests. The court also ruled the tests violated the employees' Fourth Amendment rights.