The definition of religious freedom from the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom (1786) to the most recent U.S. Supreme Court decision is not clear and well-defined. The two religious clauses found in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (those denying Congress the right either to establish religion or to prohibit its free exercise)…

Designed as a practical approach to the study of law, this publication offers seven lesson plans focusing on legal topics that have potential significance to high school students preparing to enter the world of work. Lesson plans address the following topics: minors and the law, automobile insurance, employment law, sports and the law, computer…

Legal methods and related case law that can be used by public higher education administrators to deal with intrusions by outsiders onto the campus are examined. The following legal factors related to control of campus access are addressed: risk management, police power, general trespass, school related trespass/loitering statutes, First and…

Chapter 21 of a book on school law traces the development of metropolitan interdistrict school desegregation. Historically, the first multidistrict cases were filed to secure the desegregation of intentionally segregated school districts. Subsequently, multidistrict cases were filed in metropolitan areas where there were so few white students…

Two constitutional issues continued to dominate litigation related to school finance during 1977. Questions concerning the spending of public funds for the benefit of students attending private schools (for example, Wolman v. Walter) continued to arise in both state and federal courts. Also, cases involving the constitutionality of state school…

Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (the Act) provides for federal funding of special programs for educationally deprived children in both public and private schools. Respondents, parents of children attending nonpublic schools in Kansas City, Mo., brought this class action, alleging that petitioner state school officials…

This paper analyzes data on anti-corporal punishment advocacy and the data's use in judicial, legislative, and public areas. The paper defines corporal punishment and discusses seminal court cases, personal effects of corporal punishment, developmental factors, demographic factors, litigation, use of tort remedies, and the concept of Educator…

Church and state is discussed in four articles: "Religion, Separation, and Accommodation: A Recipe of Perfection?" (Delos B. McKown, Clifton B. Perry, pp. 2-7); "Public Religion: The Republican Banquet" (Martin E. Marty, pp. 8-9); "Religion in the 1980s" (Ernest van den Haag, pp. 10-11); and "Education in…

An award-winning law student article discusses the implications of a court decision concerning the legality of student searches on campus and the need for institutions to review their policies and attitudes toward increased scrutiny of student life. (MSE)

The goal of this book is to provide comprehensive and practical knowledge of relevant legal issues that affect the administration of public schools. It will allow educators to effectively perform their duties within the boundaries of constitutional, statutory, and case law. It is also designed to be easy to understand for those with little or no…

This brief provides an overview of three recent state court cases in Alabama, Wyoming, and Ohio that uniquely address the constitutionality of state special education finance systems. In each case, the courts found the special education finance systems to be unconstitutional due to inequitable or inadequate funding for children with disabilities.…

Presents perspectives of five authorities in education on the question of academic freedom in elementary, secondary, and higher education. Suggests that the meaning of academic freedom has become more ambiguous and elusive as new social and educational settings have developed in recent years. (Author/MJL)

Constitutional doctrines (First Amendment religious clauses and Fourteenth Amendment equal protection clause) and factual issues are discussed, including: policies and procedures for recognition of student groups, facilities accessibility for students, literature distribution on campus, student activities accounting, and nonstudent speaker…

Bakke's equal protection holding is analyzed and an assessment is offered of what the decisions mean for academic special admissions programs. Discussion focuses on how race may be used as a factor in admissions decisions consistently with the equal protection clause of the Federal Constitution. (Author/MSE)

Examines the legal and ethical framework within which the National Center for Education Statistics must work to resolve the tensions between obligations to disclose information and obligations to protect confidentiality. Discusses some approaches to reconciling the sometimes conflicting demands of applicable legal and ethical guidelines. (164…