Lexington County principal accused of strip-searching student sees lawsuit dismissed
She was fired for violating district policy in her search of a student. Now, a former Airport High School principal has seen her lawsuit against the district dismissed.
Naarah Bryant, who was in her first year as the school’s assistant principal when she was fired by the Lexington 2 school district, filed the lawsuit in early February alleging that her early termination violated her employment contract with the school. The suit, which was dismissed by a judge May 12, came almost a year after she had appealed the school district’s decision to a higher court.
“We disagree with the court’s order and are looking into all options, including appealing,” Bryant’s attorney, Beth Bowen, told The State in a statement. The district had no other comment beyond deferring to the judge’s decision in the case.
Her termination came after she searched a female student at Airport in January 2022. Bryant believed the girl had a vape pen in her possession, according to the lawsuit. The dismissed lawsuit sought compensation for damages like loss of income and harm to her reputation.
The school district claimed Bryant had strip-searched the student with a male school resource officer present, in violation of a district policy. Bryant claimed, in the lawsuit, that she was not aware the student was only wearing a sports bra under her jacket because the student had told Bryant she was wearing something underneath.
Before the male officer came into Bryant’s office to help conduct the search, the student unzipped her own jacket, leaving her in only a sports bra, according to the lawsuit. Four vape pens with tobacco and one with marijuana were found in the search and the student was told she’d be recommended for expulsion.
The student emailed the school district the following day, complaining about the search and said Bryant and the officer called her “dumb” and “a liar.”
“While I was standing in the room with just my bra on and my pants, Officer Lopez walked into the room, which also made me very uncomfortable,” she said in her email, included in legal documents from Bryant’s appeal. The day after Bryant conducted the search of the student she was placed on paid administrative leave. By early April 2022, the school district fired Bryant and the district’s board of trustees upheld the decision, despite her appeal.
This story was originally published May 20, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
CORRECTION: A previous headline for this story misconstrued the status of Naarah Bryant’s lawsuit. It has been dismissed.
