FILE: GAMEC
PRE-EMPLOYMENT DRUG TESTING
Statement of Purpose
The children of St. Landry Parish are its greatest natural resource and the continued safety and health of the children is of the utmost importance to the St. Landry Parish School System. Therefore, the St. Landry Parish School Board has a compelling interest and commitment to eliminate illegal and unauthorized drug use including alcohol, drug users, drug activities, and drug effects from all its workplaces.
The School Board shall vigorously comply with the requirements of the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988, the Omnibus Employee Testing Act of 1991, and all implementing regulations. Of equal interest and commitment is the intent of the St. Landry Parish School Board to afford all employees the respect and dignity they deserve and the full protection of the United States Constitution and all enacted laws of the parish and state.
Applicability
This policy applies to all applicants for employment who have been offered positions with the St. Landry Parish School System. Any applicant selected for employment may be hired contingent on providing a negative drug screen. Applicants shall not be allowed to report to the job site until they have completed the drug screen process and a negative test is reported to the Director of Personnel by a medical review officer. Urine or saliva samples shall be used for screening of drug or alcohol use. The cost of any drug tests performed shall be borne by the School Board.
Drugs Included in the Screening Policy:
Forensic urine drug testing shall be performed for all of the following classes of drugs: marijuana, opioids, cocaine, amphetamines, and phencyclidine, or any of the controlled Dangerous Substances as listed in Schedule I, II, III, IV, or V of La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §40:964, as may be amended. Testing for alcohol abuse shall comply with federal and state standards.
Drug Testing Guidelines:
Drug testing of an applicant's specimens shall be performed in compliance with the NIDA (National Institute of Drug Abuse) guidelines in a CAP certified laboratory. The cut-off limits for drug testing shall be in accordance with NIDA guidelines.
Consequences of Positive Results
All confirmed positives of drug tests shall be reviewed by the medical review officer (MRO) in accordance with those standards. This process will be followed in all drug testing. The confidentiality of such results shall be maintained.
Once a positive drug test has been confirmed by the MRO, the applicant shall meet with the MRO to discuss the results. If the positive test results cannot be reconciled or mitigated as to its cause to the satisfaction of the MRO and Superintendent, then no employment shall be affected except as may be provided in the following section of this policy.
Conditional Employment of Certain Applicants
If it can be determined that the positive test results of an applicant are due to a legitimate cause, employment may begin under such rules or circumstances as may be imposed by the Superintendent after he/she consults with the School Board’s General Counsel.
Applicant's Rights to Privacy, Confidentiality, and Sanitary Conditions:
The St. Landry Parish School Board shall be sensitive to the needs of all confidentiality guidelines in the implementation of the following guidelines:
The Superintendent/designee shall be responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of all information in connection with an applicant's drug screen results.
At all times applicant's confidentiality shall be protected. Applicants shall be assigned individual lab numbers and all correspondence to the lab shall be done through this number.
In the actual taking of samples, the process will be conducted in accordance with prudent procedures to protect the individual's privacy.
All testing records and results shall be confidential, except to the extent necessary to comply with state reporting statutes.
Only positive results shall be communicated to applicants. The medical review officer (MRO) shall contact the applicant with the results and schedule an informational meeting in an attempt to resolve the positive finding.
Results will be released to persons other than authorized state and federal officials, by written permission of the applicant.
Condition of Continuation of Employment:
Compliance with the St. Landry Parish School Board's current or amended substance abuse policy is a condition of employment. Failure or refusal of an applicant to cooperate fully, sign any required document, submit to any inspection or test, or follow any prescribed course of substance abuse treatment shall be grounds for terminating any employment offer.
Recoded: February, 2003
Revised: December 1, 2022
Ref: 49 CFR 40.1 et seq. (Procedures For Transportation Workplace Drug and Alcohol Testing Programs)
49 CFR 382 (Controlled Substances and Alcohol Use and Testing)
La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§17:81, 23:1081, 49:1111
St. Landry Parish School Board