A school official seized, opened, and searched T.L.O.'s purse, finding evidence of marijuana possession and selling. In the juvenile court, T.L.O. moved to suppress the evidence found in her purse as well as her confession, which, she argued, was tainted by the allegedly unlawful search. The juvenile court denied the motion to suppress, holding that a school official may properly conduct a search of a student's person if the official has a reasonable suspicion that a crime has been or is in the process of being committed, or reasonable cause to believe that the search is necessary to maintain school discipline or enforce school policies. The New Jersey Supreme Court disagreed with the juvenile court's conclusion that the search of the purse was reasonable. The U.S. Supreme Court reversed the New Jersey Supreme Court, as it argued that a reduced standard for searching a student's person and possessions is justified because of the "substantial" government interest in maintaining a proper learning environment in which to educate children. In this case, as in several other related cases, the courts have affirmed that children in school do not have a "legitimate expectation of privacy." This decision reaffirms the principle that the rights of juveniles are distinctly different from those of adults.