Waubonsee Community College

Larry v. Lockney, by Mark Birnbaum and Jim Schermbeck , co-production of Mark Birnbaum Productions and KERA-TV, Dallas/Ft. Worth

eng

videorecording

For College; Adult audiences

Larry v. Lockney

electronic resource

747797887

by Mark Birnbaum and Jim Schermbeck , co-production of Mark Birnbaum Productions and KERA-TV, Dallas/Ft. Worth

57

Of the 2,200 residents in the West Texas town of Lockney, Larry Tennahill is the only parent against the local school board's new mandatory drug testing policy. A third-generation cotton farmer, Tannahill believes the testing is a violation of his 12-year-old son's Fourth Amendment right against unreasonable search and seizure. The documentary dramatically reveals the price of democracy, when one man stands against the majority. The issue of public safety versus individual rights is particularly relevant in the post 9/11 world. Flouting mob mentality in a town gripped by "War on Drugs" hysteria, Tannahill refuses to bend. The community soon grows just as rigid in its stance against him, especially after Tannahill's case moves from the principal s office to a federal courtroom. When he sues the school board to overturn the policy,the soft spoken farmer forms an unlikely alliance with the American Civil Liberties Union. In the battle over rights, Tannahill makes headlines around the country, loses his job and his home, and his family becomes the target of threats. The film takes a penetrating look at all sides in this landmark case that pitted one man against his friends and neighbors

general