A discussion of the transmission and prevention of hepatitis B focuses on implications of the disease for special educators, including maintaining confidentiality, providing education in the least restrictive environment, curriculum modifications in related behavioral/social areas, and personal risk. Relevant administrative and legal questions are…

Reviews a number of court cases dealing with teacher liability and malpractice. Concludes that, in general, the courts recognize the constraints under which teachers work and want them to have the opportunity to work creatively without fear of litigation. (FL)

The 1985 Illinois school reform legislation revised statutes and regulations to ensure that teachers who were evaluated as substandard could be removed from their positions. Describes and discusses the decision-making problem that results when administrative error subverts the legislative intent. (MLF)

This article, written by two lawyers, defines defamation, discusses the basic law of defamation and stigma, and focuses on recent case law on this topic. The cases are only a sample of the numerous cases that school districts across the nation face on the issues of defamation and stigma. The following topics are included in the legal review: the…

Considers school choice and employment policies. Suggests that American educators can learn a great deal from other Western nations, which have long made educational freedom a cornerstone of their policies. Concludes that the experience of other Western democracies suggests that a publicly funded school can appropriately ensure the coherence of…

A case involving the harassment of a female college writing instructor by an older, male student serves as a model to provide a framework for dealing with similar problems in the future. This case moved from initial acts of challenging authority in the classroom and monopolizing office hours to the bizarre: obscene phone calls, mysterious mail,…

The author looks back to see whether lessons from the past might help as we face the present and future. He offers quotes from H.S. Commager's "Our Schools Have Kept Us Free"; Deanne W. Mallot, president of Cornell University; and the faculty of George Peabody College for Teachers. (CT)

Examines litigation involving academic freedom, expressive freedom, and drug testing as examples of the shifting balance between teacher rights and school board authority. Concludes that balancing teacher rights with community expectations is difficult, and the scales of justice may not always tip in favor of a teacher's rights. (SG)

This article presents the Two Sides interviews, which confront the serious and immediate conflict between free speech and hate speech on college campuses. Dr. Robert O' Neil discusses the scope of free speech in the college community, while Dr. Timothy Shiell focuses on hate speech on campuses. Contains 12 references. (VWC)

Explores how, in the 1990s, a new form of censorship emerged in the ever-expanding definition of sexual harassment. Asserts that no greater threat to free speech and individual rights in the university presently exists within the scope of American jurisprudence. Offers cases to support these claims. (EV)

Reviews the recent history of the Fifth Amendment focusing primarily on its use by government officials during the Iran-Contra hearings and by teachers during the McCarthy era hearings. Concludes that social studies teachers must encourage discussion of the political and philosophical issues contained in the Iran-Contra hearings. (JDH)

Argues that teachers in America's school systems are not beneficiaries of "enhanced professionalism" but victims of processes which, in the name of reform, take away teachers' professional rights to make decisions about teaching. Describes the activities of groups of teacher-activists who are working to maintain the autonomy of teachers.…

Pointing out that increasing questions about and attacks on various methods used in teaching English language arts led to a 1994 National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Resolution on the right to teach (reaffirmed in 1996) calling for the identification, definition, and defense of methods most often attacked, this brochure is the result of…

When conflicts arise between the call for information in the name of public interest and the teacher's right to privacy, teachers' privacy should be respected by school boards and administrators unless the teacher's private life impairs the fulfillment of professional responsibilities. (IAH)

A Connecticut teacher who was fired after being accused of improperly touching a student tells the story of his ordeal. In the months following his termination, his mental health deteriorated as the media made frequent sensational reports. He feels, even if he wins his countersuit, he cannot be fully vindicated. (SM)