from their positions at the start of the spring 2010 semester. Confiscation of student cellphones In February 2012, the school administration initiated an investigation into marijuana sales at the school, during which the cellphones of students suspected of marijuana sales were confiscated, and the text messages stored on the phones were read. The American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois described the incident as a "fishing expedition", while school officials stated they were "perfectly within our rights". In one instance a student was suspended for five days and barred from participating in extracurricular activities because he refused to provide the password to his cellphone. The probe resulted in two arrests on misdemeanor drug charges. Athletics The Stevenson Patriots compete in the North Suburban Conference. Badminton Baseball Basketball Bass Fishing Bowling Cheerleading Cross Country Fencing Field Hockey Football Golf Gymnastics Ice hockey Lacrosse Patriettes (Dance squad) Soccer Softball Swimming Tennis Track and Field Volleyball Water Polo Wrestling Stevenson High School is a member of the IHSA, the athletic teams are stylized as the Patriots. Many of its teams are top-ranked nationally and have a history of producing collegiate and professional athletes. The following teams have won their respective IHSA sponsored state championship tournament or meets: Awards and recognition Stevenson High School is one of the only high schools in the country to receive the United States Department of Education's "Excellence in Education" Blue Ribbon Award five times. In addition, Stevenson has been named one of America's top high schools by both U.S. News & World Report and Newsweek magazines, and has been named a National School of Distinction in Arts Education by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Niche ranked Stevenson as one of the best public high schools in America in 2017. In 2016, Niche gave A+ ratings in the following areas: academics, teachers, educational outcomes, health and safety, resources and facilities, sports and fitness, co-curricular activities, food service, and administration and policies. Several national publications have regularly included Stevenson in their lists of America's best public high schools. Stevenson was the top-ranked open-enrollment public high school in Illinois in 2021, 2015, and 2014 in U.S. News & World Report, and was the top-ranked open-enrollment school in Illinois in the Washington Post’s rankings in 2014, 2013, and 2012. In 2021, U.S. News & World Report ranked Stevenson as 171st in national rankings and 6th in Illinois. For the