Summary Judgment Requested in Student Search Case

The Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) filed a request for summary judgment on Thursday regarding a case involving a principal and a police officer who searched a student’s truck after discovering he owned firearms.

SAF initiated the lawsuit in October 2025, representing Hillsboro-Deering High School student Jack Harrington, following an incident from April 2025. In their complaint, SAF maintained that the search infringed upon Harrington’s Fourth Amendment rights.

According to the initial complaint, “On April 24, 2025, Defendants—based solely on Jack’s status as a lawful firearms owner—removed him from class at HDHS in front of his classmates during regular instruction.” It further detailed that, at the direction of the principal, they subjected Harrington to a coercive interrogation without the presence of his parents or an attorney. During this interrogation, they sought permission to search his truck, which was parked on school grounds.

“Neither Jack, nor his parents, as the truck’s owners, consented to a search,” the complaint added. “Even after Jack consistently refused to allow a search and his parents were contacted and also denied consent, the Defendants searched the vehicle anyway, finding no firearm.” At the time, Harrington’s legally owned firearm was securely stored at home, far from the school campus.

SAF tweeted about the situation, expressing outrage over what they considered an abuse of power, emphasizing that Harrington was singled out due to his lawful status as a gun owner.

Bill Sack, SAF’s Senior Director of Legal Operations, explained that the search seemed to have originated from a rumor that reached the principal, noting that there was no reasonable suspicion to justify the search. Sack elaborated on what constitutes reasonable suspicion, highlighting that law enforcement typically needs specific facts to detain someone.

He used an example of a robbery report that could provide reasonable grounds for stopping a suspect based on matching descriptions. “Particularized facts,” he noted, are crucial for such encounters.

SAF’s motion for summary judgment was submitted to United States District Judge Joseph N. Laplante in the District of New Hampshire. They argued, “The undisputed facts confirm that Jack repeatedly refused to consent to the search.” They further asserted that any attempt to interpret his statements made during the interrogation as consent should be considered invalid based on established legal precedents.

The Hillsboro-Deering School District has yet to respond to requests for comment regarding the case.