Business law and legal environment textbooks typically devote a page or two to the tort of invasion of privacy, describing the four versions of this tort, including "appropriation of identity." The Clarkson textbook notes that "An individual's right to privacy normally includes the right to the exclusive use of her or his…

Freedom of expression is imperiled on today's college campuses. Citizens and educators alike are concerned about the number of shout-downs and disinvitations and their silencing effect on intellectual diversity. The use of speech codes, "safe spaces," new rules demanding "trigger warnings," and condemning…

In this white paper, the authors situate the critical issue of preparation for the workplace in the broader context of students' constitutional right to an education that provides the knowledge, skills, experiences, values and dispositions that are the foundations to be a productive citizen. They tie the renewed concern about preparing students…

In this policy brief, a summary of the longer report of the same title, the authors situate the critical issue of preparation for the workplace in the broader context of students' constitutional right to an education that provides the knowledge, skills, experiences, and dispositions that are the foundations to be a productive citizen. They tie the…

In New York State, private and religious schools are required to offer a curriculum "substantially equivalent" to what is available in local public schools. Substantial equivalency--which has been law for nearly 130 years--allows parents to direct the education of their children by enrolling them in the school of their choice, while also…

Teacher use of social networking sites such as Facebook has presented some ethical dilemmas for policy makers. In this article, we argue that schools are justified in taking action against teachers when evidence emerges from social networking sites that teachers are (a) doing something that is illegal, (b) doing something that reflects badly on…

This case illustrates why future school leaders must be prepared to handle complex legal and political issues that commonly arise in school districts today. We discuss a long-standing and unresolved legal battle between a Hasidic Jewish community and the public school district in East Ramapo, New York. In particular, we examine the difficulties…

Raising academic standards and eliminating achievement gaps between advantaged and disadvantaged students are America's prime national educational goals. Current federal and state policies, however, largely ignore the fact that the childhood poverty rate in the United States is 21%, the highest in the industrialized world, and that poverty…

This article reports on two Mideast-themed schools which have attracted fierce controversy amplified in the news media and the blogosphere. A new public school with a focus on Arabic language and culture is set to open in New York City this week, after being assailed for months by opponents who claim it will be a taxpayer-funded Islamic school…

A year ago, an upstate New York college withdrew a speaking invitation to Wade Churchill, a University of Colorado professor who had characterized 9/11 victims as "little Eichmanns." Churchill's portrayal of 9/11 victims as a mixture of conscious and unwitting participants in a systemic evil of Holocaust proportions indeed was…

This article address the legal and constitutional issues surrounding how far school leaders can go in restricting distribution of materials that are viewed as religious in nature. Does restricting the student's right to distribute the flyer amount to a suppression of free speech based on content? Does the principal's action constitute unlawful…