The absence of comprehensive educational theory regarding dress codes results in deference to community norms as a way to determine implementation and compliance. Implementing dress codes ultimately results in inconsistent practices and violations of students' rights. To the detriment to student learning, dress codes disproportionately affect…

Analysis of two recent federal court cases in which principals violated student speech rights offers guidance to middle school administrators as they attempt to address student expression. Characteristics of a successful school from the Association for Middle Level Education provide a framework for analyzing these cases in order to prevent…

In today's public secondary schools, administrators face challenges that prior generations never anticipated, one of which is the T-shirt conundrum. The T-shirts that students wear to class contain all sorts of messages and images, many of which administrators may well consider inappropriate. This article is intended to help beleaguered educators…

Hardly a week passes without yet another highly visible court case involving the rights and freedoms of secondary school students. The subject matter of these lawsuits is as varied as the activities of the students who have gone to court to vindicate their legal interests. The outcome of such cases also runs the gamut; some student plaintiffs (and…

This article discusses some basic principles that can guide principals' decisions on when and how to regulate student dress. Like many school issues, implementing a dress code or uniform policy involves both the constitutional rights of students and the responsibilities of school officials. As a result, with dress codes and many other concerns,…

The 2008 presidential campaign has, by all accounts, been extraordinary. Record numbers of voters expressed their views in historic primaries, and citizens across the country have been invigorated by debate about what policies and which politician will be best for this country. Equally noteworthy is the fact that young people have not been absent…

This third edition expands coverage on such topics as the law and students with disabilities, confidentiality, sexual harassment, student searches and tuition vouchers. It also includes some new topics such as bullying, copyright law, and the law and the internet. Both public and nonpublic school educators are aware that courts, over the last…

Discusses court cases relating to teachers' dress and grooming in the classroom. Focuses on the question of individual rights v societal rights. (Author/LD)

Since the passage of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, an employer's rights to establish dress and appearance standards for employees has been challenged with increasing frequency as a discriminatory employment practice based upon sex. The majority of such cases have concerned the right of male employees to wear their hair as long as that…

In the past few years numerous cases have appeared before the courts concerning the dress and grooming of students. In many of these cases, the issue has been related to male students' hair length. Throughout the nation, conflicting trends have emerged from a legal point of view, and the issues remain largely unresolved. This paper discusses the…

As illustrated by two recent decisions, the courts in the past decade have demarcated wide boundaries for school officials considering dress codes, whether in the form of selective prohibitions or required uniforms. Administrators must warn the community, provide legitimate justification and reasonable clarity, and comply with state law. (MLH)

Examines the issue of teacher dress codes in view of courts' considerations. (CM)

The courts will entertain an action to consider the propriety of the suspension or expulsion of a student based on the student's hairstyle. The promulgator of the regulation, be it the principal or the board of education, bears a heavy burden of justification for the rule. The two recognized factors that might sustain a hairstyle regulation are:…

Describes procedures required of boards of education by the courts in disciplining students. (JF)

The Arizona Court of Appeals, in the first court decision regarding public school uniform policies, held that mandatory school uniforms do not violate students' First Amendment rights. Discusses the Arizona decision and its effect on the structuring of school uniform policies and their potential successful institution at the high school level. (31…