Mandating drug tests for public-school teachers in Hawaii would not only be a violation of privacy rights but also expensive and do little to address drug use, according to the state chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union.

The Honolulu Star-Bulletin reported Sept. 15 that the Hawaii ACLU plans to file a suit against the state, which recently signed a contract with the Hawaii teachers union that includes random and for-cause drug testing.

"The state is now in a dubious position of being the first state ever to subject its public-educational force to a blanket policy of random drug testing," said Hawaii ACLU head Vanessa Chong. "It unfairly violates the rights of thousands of law-abiding public school employees while doing little to protect anyone."

The ACLU will file the lawsuit on behalf of teachers who say the union was pressured to include the testing requirement in order to win pay increases.

State Attorney General Mark Bennett replied, "We believe that the state and the teachers union have an absolute right to sign this type of a contract."

More than 60 percent of teachers' union members approved the contract. "There are teachers who believe they were blackmailed, but we also heard from teachers who believe they have an obligation to ensure their schools are drug-free," said Hawaii State Teachers Association Executive Director Joan Husted.

The call for drug testing came after six state education department employees were arrested on drug charges during a six-month period, including a high-school teacher.