Stratford High School (Goose Creek, South Carolina)

Stratford High School is a high school located in Goose Creek, South Carolina.Infobox Secondary school
name = Stratford High School
type = Public High School

principal = James Spencer
address = 951 Crowfield Blvd.
city = Goose Creek
state = South Carolina
country = USA
oversight = Berkeley County School District
free_label_1 = Phone
free_1 = [phone]
enrollment = approx 3,100
yearbook = Excalibur
school news = Real TV
grades = 9–12
campus = Suburb
website = [http://www.berkeley.k12.sc.us/HIGH/shs/shs.htm/ www.berkeley.k12.sc.us/HIGH/shs/shs.htm]

Stratford serves grades 9 through 12, and is a part of the Berkeley County School District. Stratford has about 3,100 students. The "Knight" is the mascot of Stratford. The current principal is James Spencer, who has been principal since May 2004.

Alma Mater

:"All Hail Thee, Mighty Stratford!":"Together We Shall Stand.":"We'll Show Our Pride And Spirit":"To All Throughout The Land.":"With Hopes To Last Forever":"As Many Years Go By,":"We'll Be Forever Faithful,":"All Hail Thee, Stratford High!"

Clubs and Organizations

*Academic Team
*Art Club
*Honors Society
*Athletic Trainers
*Band
*Baseball
*Basketball
*BETA Club
*Broadcast
*Cheerleading
*Cross Country
*Crusaders
*DECA
*Drama Club
*Drill Team
*Excalibur Yearbook
*FBLA
*FCA
*FCCLA
*Football
*French Club
*Freshman Board
*Gama Phi Knights
*Golf
*Gospel Choir
*HOSA
*Ice Hockey Club
*Imagine Magazine
*Jazz Band
*JROTC
*Junior Classical League
*Junior Board
*Knight Edition
*Knight Pride
*Math Club
*Media Club
*Model United Nations
*NHS
*Peer Mediation
*Powder Puff Football
*Quest
*Renaissance
*Rifle Team
*Senior Board
*Sentinel Newspaper
*SHS Singers
*Silent Knights
*Skills USA
*Soccer
*Softball
*Sophomore Board
*Spanish Club
*Speech and Debate
*Student Council
*Swim Team
*Teacher Cadets
*Tennis
*Track
*VICA
*Volleyball
*Wrestling
*Youth Court

Notable Alumni

*Harold Green 1986, former NFL Pro bowl Running Back for the Cincinnati Bengals and Atlanta Falcons from 1990-1998
*Matt Wieters 2004, Played on 2004 AAAA Lower State Championship Baseball Team, and was a High School All-American, Member of the 2007 Georia Tech Baseball team that went to the College World Series, was the first player since The Citadel's Gettys Glaze (1990) to catch and close the same game, the 5th overall draft pick in the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft by the Baltimore Orioles, where he currently plays minor league baseball for the Orioles Class AA affiliate the Bowie Bay Bears.
*Justin Smoak 2005, Member of the 2005 S.C. AAAA State Championship Baseball Team, 2005 S.C. Mr. Baseball and was also a High School All-American, selected in the 16th round of the 2005 Major League Baseball Draft by the Oakland Athletics, 2006 Cape Cod League MVP, member of the 2007 US Baseball Team, 2008 became the all-time home run leader at the University of South Carolina Was drafted in the first round(11th overall) of the 2008 MLB first year players draft by the Texas Rangers.

Drug Raid At Stratford High School

The November 5, 2003 police raid of Stratford High School was recorded by both the school’s surveillance cameras and a police camera. The tapes show students as young as 14 forced to the ground as officers in SWAT team uniforms and bulletproof vests lead a drug dog to search their book bags. Only a few students were restrained. The ACLU represents 20 of the nearly 120 students caught up in the raid.

The raid was brought about by discussion between the school’s principal at the time, George McCrackin, and the City of Goose Creek police department. Due to threats and many placing the blame for the raid on him, McCrackin resigned shortly after the tapes surfaced on national television. The raid was authorized based on the principal’s suspicion that several students were dealing marijuana, but was not organized or planned by the McCrackin or the school's administration. No drugs or weapons were found during the raid and no charges were filed.

As 16-year-old Joshua Ody, one of the students caught up in the raid, put it, “I felt like I had less rights than other people that day.”

On July 10, 2006, a settlement was reached that awarded $1.6 million to the students in the law suit, of which $1.2 million was divided among the students, and the remaining $400,000 to be used in legal fees. [ [http://www.november.org/stayinfo/breaking06/GooseCreekSuit2.html Latest News - Judge Oks Settlement For Stratford Police Raid ] ]

ACLU Lawsuit

Following the raid, the ACLU brought a lawsuit on behalf of students’ families charging police and school officials with violating the students’ right to be free from unlawful search and seizure and use of excessive force. The lawsuit demanded a court order declaring the raid unconstitutional and blocking the future use of such tactics, as well as damages on behalf of the students.

In addition to recognizing students’ rights to be free from unconstitutional search and seizure and restricting police tactics, the settlement establishes a $1.6 million dollar fund to compensate the students and help cover medical and counseling costs from the incident.

The cost of the settlement will be paid by the city of Goose Creek, the Goose Creek Police Department, and the Berkeley County School District where the school is located, with assistance from their respective insurance companies.

It is not yet known exactly how many of the nearly 120 students will accept the settlement. The offer came in response to a class-action lawsuit on behalf of 53 students, of which the ACLU’s lawsuit is a part. While both sides have agreed to the terms of the settlement, it will be technically final in July 2006, when it is expected to receive judicial approval.

The essential terms of the settlement may be viewed at: http://www.aclu.org/drugpolicy/youth/24952lgl20060407.html

Final Settlement documents may be found at: http://stratfordsettlement.com

References

External links

* [http://www.berkeley.k12.sc.us/HIGH/shs/shs.htm Stratford High School]
*A school surveillance video of the raid with narration by Principal McCrackin may be viewed at: [http://stream.realimpact.net/?file=realimpact/aclu/20031205_ACLU_DrugBust.rm Stratford High School Police Raid]