When school employees investigate alleged misconduct by students, they must follow school rules and federal and state laws. A school-locker search in a recent case from Indiana--"S.A. versus State"--illustrates the importance of employees and students knowing the rules governing investigations, and of specific employees being given the…

Before electing to utilize metal-detection devices for random weapons searches of students, school districts should be prepared for the possibility of having to litigate the legality of their policies. Reviews the limited case law on the subject, and offers recommendations to districts that decide to proceed with the development of such a policy.…

Public concern about substance abuse, fueled by political and media attention, is causing school administrators to consider a variety of approaches beyond traditional drug education. No procedures, methods, or rules regarding drug testing should be established in the absence of clear school board policy, and no policy decisions should be made…

This paper discusses the proper way to conduct official government investigations on college campuses within the framework of the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution which protects against unreasonable searches and seizures. The article emphasizes that this amendment lays the groundwork for the limitations on the exercise of…

Reviews four recent cases decided in state and federal courts. The cases focused on due process in student suspensions, the use of unlawfully obtained evidence in disciplinary hearings, unacceptable methods for handling personnel conflicts, and the application of voluntary affirmative action policies during periods of staff reduction. (PGD)

The recent decision of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in "Miller," based on the school district's interest in preventing possible abuse, gave legal support for random, suspiciousless drug testing of students. Contends this is a "slippery slope" argument, that the key factor in deciding whether to adopt a policy of random drug testing should…

This paper--part of a collection of 54 papers from the 48th annual conference of the Education Law Association held in November 2002--addresses social forces that affect the school curriculum regarding legal rights of public-school students. It identifies areas of concern and recommends methods for ensuring that the legal rights of students are…

A wide variety of contemporary legal issues, involving all levels of public and private education, are addressed in the 20 separate chapters comprising this volume. The titles and authors of the chapters are as follows: (1) Due Process of Law: Loudermill v. Cleveland Board of Education (Hooker); (2) Schools, Technology and the Law (Helm); (3)…