A Hillsboro-Deering High School graduate and school officials have agreed to settle a federal lawsuit over the search of his truck for a gun, court records show. Details of the settlement were released Thursday.
In a lawsuit filed at the U.S. District Court in New Hampshire, Jack Harrington, 18, said that a search of his pickup truck and glove box in the school parking lot in April of 2025 violated his Fourth Amendment rights against unreasonable searches and seizures.
The search did not yield any firearm. Court records show Harrington owned a Glock 43 handgun.
With legal support from the Second Amendment Foundation, Harrington sued superintendent Jennifer Crawford, principal James O’Rourke, assistant principal Brian McGinn and school resource officer Michael DeTurris.
The settlement agreement states that the search was “unconstitutional” and did not meet the standard of “reasonable suspicion.”
In previous court filings, school officials defended their actions, arguing that the search was not based on mere “hunch.”
The search followed after a coach overheard Harrington discussing with a classmate a recent traffic stop during which he had his gun in the truck’s glove compartment. The conversation took place on a bus headed to a school sporting event. School administrators were then notified of this exchange, according to the lawsuit.
While federal law states it is illegal to possess a firearm in school zones, a 2022 New Hampshire law bars police from enforcing certain parts of that federal rule. Still, state law continues to prohibit students from having guns on campus.
The settlement also states that Crawford and O’Rourke’s decision to search Harrington’s vehicle was based on a “good faith belief that their actions complied with the law and acted out of concern for the safety of all students and staff at Hillsboro-Deering High School.”
The agreement includes a limitation stipulating that Harrington’s case cannot serve as precedent for other students challenging similar searches. This gives the school legal flexibility in handling other students or future situations.
