The Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects the people of the United States from unreasonable searches and seizures. On first reading, these protections seem clearly defined. The amendment was meant to protect Americans from the kinds of random searches and seizures that the colonists experienced under British colonial rule. Under British law, "writs of assistance" gave British soldiers broad discretion to search colonists' homes for evidence of crimes. Perhaps the first thing to note about the Fourth Amendment is that it is not concerned with every search and seizure. It only applies to "unreasonable" searches and seizures, and even then only restricts police or other governmental officials who are acting in their official capacities. In a school setting, teachers and school administrators may be governed by the Fourth Amendment, while a student's parents (or classmates) would not be. This article discusses the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and its applicability in schools. (Contains 2 notes.)