I try hard not to second-guess authority figures who know more about a specific situation than I do. But making the decision to strip-search a 13-year-old girl goes far beyond the pale. You just don't go there, particularly after the initial search reveals nothing.

Savana's attorneys say she can seek damages from the school district. While that may provide some resolution, I seriously doubt that Savana will fully shed her humiliation any time soon.

Six years later, she finds consolation in knowing that her case will mean that other students will feel safer at school. "I wanted to make sure that no other person would have to go through this, so I am pleased by the court's decision," Savana said.

We should all be. School administrators need sufficient latitude in terms of policy and practice to keep students and staff safe and schools orderly. There's a good deal of school law that speaks to those needs. But that doesn't mean students check their constitutional rights at the door.

Marjorie Cortez, a former 13-year-old girl still working through her adolescent awkwardness, is a Deseret News editorial writer. E-mail her at Marjorie@desnews.com