This policy memo examines some fundamental shifts, along with their real-world implications, within the past 60 years of Supreme Court jurisprudence, up to and including the current "Carson v. Makin" case. The Supreme Court is just a few small steps away from transforming every charter school law in the U.S. into a private-school voucher…

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to describe and analyze the conduct implications of qualified immunity in allegations of deprivation of civil rights by public school administrators regarding the First Amendment-student speech. Methodology: Data were collected using the LexisNexis and JuriSearch online legal research systems, which…

Reviews the split decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in June 1981 that upheld the authority of the Minnesota State Fair to restrict the fairground solicitation activities of the Krishna religious sect. Discusses the relevance of the case to schools and colleges that constantly face problems concerning First Amendment rights. (Author/WD)

The judicial trend is against according broad First Amendment protection for teacher grievants. Administrators who do not support legitimate labor activity, however, may experience teacher retaliation. (CJH)

As journalism teacher-advisors become better trained and better organized professionally, they are more often following the lead of student journalists of the 1960s and clarifying their rights in court. Only two cases relevant to the advisor's First Amendment rights have been decided. Although both decisions were adverse to the advisors concerned,…

Analyzes recent federal court decision striking down school anti-harassment policy on First Amendment grounds. Discusses freedom of expression rights in public setting as compared to public-school context. Argues decision incorrectly relies on law developed outside public-school context, unjustifiably finds violation of First Amendment, and may…

The Student Press Law Center serves as a national clearinghouse to collect, analyze, and distribute information on the First Amendment rights of student journalists and journalism teachers and on violations of these rights in high schools and colleges. This report details information concerning current censorship incidents: the investigation by…

This study discusses the extent to which the First Amendment rights of freedom of speech and expression apply to teachers in the public schools. A historical perspective of the First Amendment rights of educators is provided; techniques of standard legal research were used to establish the primary sources of law. Investigation, which focuses on…

During inclement weather in Memphis, Tennessee in February 1968, two separate incidents caused black sanitation workers to strike for job safety, better wages and benefits, and union recognition. Mayor Henry Loeb was unsympathetic and opposed to the union. Martin Luther King agreed to lend his support to the sanitation workers and spoke at a rally…

Describes a lesson for secondary students for U.S. history or government classes in which they define what a mission statement is and explain how the Preamble to the Constitution of the United States functions as a mission statement. Comments that the students also discuss events that expanded the right to vote. (CMK)

Since freedom of thought and expression is essential in a democracy, censorship of language is rightly regarded as a threat to all other freedoms. Still, it is inevitable that certain restrictions will occasionally be imposed on language in America and in other societies. Restrictions on language date back to the Ten Commandments, which condemned…

This paper examines four issues related to religion and the public schools: (1) released-time education; (2) variations in interpretation of court decisions; (3) teacher attitudes toward religious instruction; and (4) freedom of religious expression. Released-time education programs were held to be constitutional in "Zorach v. Clauson."…

Supreme Court rulings of the last five years regarding freedom of speech are examined. There have been a wide range and variety of free speech developments during this period. (RM)

Debates over the separation or accommodation of religion and government have divided the United States since its founding. This collection of over 70 primary documents represents the ideas and issues on the interpretation of the United States Constitution's First Amendment clauses pertaining to establishment and free exercise of religion. The…

Research shows that the American public is not fully aware of the meaning of the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. The article discusses what schools can do to make students more aware of the First Amendment, including allowing student newspapers to be uncensored by administrators and allowing student councils to really…