It has been 30 years since the U.S. Supreme Court, in the "Tinker" case, upheld three students' right to wear black armbands protesting the Vietnam War to school. Recent cases involving sagging pants and an African headwrap (dress code violations) did not meet allowable "free-speech" requirements. (MLH)

School regulations concerning hair have been successfully defended in appellate courts in about half the country. The most recent decision of a federal circuit court upholding a school's rules was decided in 1975. In this instance, the court reversed the position it held only three years earlier. There are some guidelines that should be kept in…

Author reviews court decisions that affect the schools. (Editor/CB)

In a Sixth Circuit Court decision, Judge Harry Welford concluded that the First Amendment did not prohibit an Ohio school district from banning Marilyn Manson T-shirts under the district's constitutional authority to regulate student speech (disruptive behavior) that conflicts with its basic educational mission. (MLH)

Teachers have recently gained significant First Amendment protection within the areas of classroom utterances; dress and appearance; badges, buttons, and other insignia; flag salutes; and classroom assignments. The extent of this academic freedom has not yet been determined, but various guidelines have been set by both federal and state appellate…

This report presents commentaries on the legal aspects of student rights and on some of the disciplinary measures utilized by public schools. It proposes legislation designed to assure that schools, in shaping their disciplinary policies, will conform to the framework of existing constitutional law and recent court cases. A related document is EA…

This book is a collection of syllabi, attitude surveys, and essays relating to free-speech issues, compiled by the Committee on Freedom of Seech of the Speech Communication Association. The collection begins with a rationale for the inclusion of a course on free speech in the college curriculum. Three syllabi with bibliographies present guides for…

Reviews Second Circuit Court of Appeals decision upholding right of school boards to adopt "reasonable" regulations governing teacher dress or hairstyle. Case offers the most exhaustive judicial examination of the issue to date. (Author/PKP)

Discusses student rights in the areas of dress codes, freedom of speech, and due process. (JF)

Describes latest court litigation on student rights. (JF)

Courts will support school boards' dress codes if based on needs rather than opinions. Courts have affirmed that minors have constitutional rights. Hair length, clothing style, and beards may be protected by students' right to freedom of expression. Codes must be carefully written and consistent with schools' legitimate goals. (PB)

Firing, censorship, sexism--understand the contracts and laws that affect you. (Editor)

Explores the legal status of public school teachers' wearing religiously distinctive clothing in the absence of specific state prohibition. Analyzes the effects of laws prohibiting teachers from wearing religious clothes and argues for the abolition of religious dress statutes. (40 references) (MLF)