ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - New York’s governor has directed the state Education Department to investigate allegations that four 12-year-old girls were subjected to strip searches in their middle school nurse’s office.
Democrat Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday also directed state police to assist local authorities investigating the Jan. 15 incident in the Binghamton City School District.
District officials last week said the girls, who are black, were evaluated by the nurse but not strip-searched. But on Tuesday the district said it has hired a law firm to investigate.
More than 100 people rallied outside the school Tuesday afternoon to protest, saying the girls were humiliated after being strip-searched for drugs because they appeared “hyper and giddy.”
Cuomo said the allegations “raise serious concerns of racial and gender bias.”
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