A Minnesota shooting shows how gaining students' trust and sharing information can mean the difference between life and death. A 16-year-old previously expelled for bringing a shotgun to school threatened firearm violence. Thanks to students' tips, the boy was intercepted (after wounding an officer) and taken into custody. (MLH)

Discusses the implications of "Niziol," a case in which a Florida high school student was killed in the school parking lot when his gun accidentally discharged. The parents sued the school board in federal district court. The magistrate dismissed all the federal law claims, though she postponed her decision on the state law claims. (MLF)

James LaVine, a high-school junior, wrote a first-person fantasy about killing 28 people in school and then committing suicide. The district suspended him for 17 days. James and his father filed suit against the school district alleging that the emergency expulsion violated James' First Amendment rights. The District Court ruled for the LaVines…

A disturbed student armed with a rifle terrified a rural high school. Although the student was disarmed without harming anyone, a crisis game plan was needed. Offers suggestions for administrators to prepare for a potentially lethal crisis. (MLF)

Schools are encouraging investment in cafeterias that can be used for a variety of purposes. The successful redesign of the George Rogers Clark Middle School/High School cafeteria in Hammond, Indiana, resulted in an up-scale-style dining area where students could also connect to the Internet for homework and research during breakfast and lunch.…

Clothing is a primary form of gang-member identification. School boards that seek to revise dress-code policy on gang attire need to make certain they can justify their steps so that students' right to freedom of expression and the need for a safe school environment can coexist. Reviews five court cases and offers guidelines. (MLF)

Gang membership in large cities is declining but may be increasing in small towns. A student high-school teacher in Silver City, New Mexico, describes several academic, counseling, disciplinary, and extracurricular programs (including a support group for gang dropouts) to address students' and teachers' school-safety concerns. (MLH)