The time has come for a thorough review of the "Guidelines for the Consideration of Governing Bodies in Adopting a Code of Conduct for Learners" (hereafter the Guidelines). More than 20 years after its original publication, no amendments have been made to this important document. To substantiate the case for review, some of the most…

The Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution guarantees the right of people to be secure against unreasonable searches and seizures. The privacy of individuals, including students, is therefore protected, but only after considering the interests of society. This simulated case study explores what happens when there is an alleged conflict…

Presents a 10-question quiz based on court decisions reported from 1977 through 1979. Three areas are covered--student discipline, student searches, and student expression. Answers and explanations are given for each question. (IRT)

In DesRoches v Caprio, federal district court ruled in favor of Jim DesRoches who had decided not to consent to a search of his backpack for a pair of allegedly stolen sneakers. Judge Robert G. Doumar decided the need to find the stolen sneakers did not outweigh the students' privacy interest and offered guidelines about school searches for stolen…

This analysis of a November 2001 case in Botetourt County, Virginia, looks at whether the Fourth Amendment right against an unreasonable "seizure" or the 14th Amendment "liberty" for parents to control the care and custody of their children requires a ban on, or at least immediate notification regarding, detentions of a…

The issue examined is whether those unique characteristics of the university environment that have led to the development of a judicially-sanctioned general regulatory power will automatically render a warrantless disciplinary search "reasonable" within the terms of the fourth amendment. (LBH)

A federal district judge dismissed a suit brought by two students against a high-school principal who found marijuana in their hotel room on a senior class trip. Although the Fourth Amendment governs searches of students by school employees, employees need not have probable cause for a "reasonable" search. (MLH)

This report points up the infringement on student constitutional rights by Washington State public schools. To remedy the situation, the report proposes State legislation guaranteeing the substantive rights of students. The proposed legislation is presented together with explanatory and supportive statements. A related document is EA 003 787. (JF)

Case citations from federal and state court decisions concerning violence and school safety are organized in five major sections with brief summaries of relevant cases in subcategories followed by a table of cases cited. The major sections are as follows (1) "Assaults on School Personnel" (Michael L. Yates); (2) "The Fourth Amendment: Search and…

The purpose of the paper is to discuss (chronologically) the history of student rights by analyzing and synthesizing judicial decisions and assessing the future implications the student rights' movement has for educators, noting that the landmark Supreme Court case providing judicial approval for the procedural rights of students was Gault v.…

Discusses administrator responsibility and student rights under the Fourth Amendment. Reviews search and seizure case law in school settings, highlighting "New Jersey v. TLO,""Vernonia v. Acton," and other landmark decisions. Some experts advocate a moral or cultural ethos fostering a sense of family and community, character…

The courts have come to play an increasingly important role in educational policy making and the administrative management of our public schools. This is especially apparent in the context of school discipline where numerous and varied controversies have been translated into legal disputes over the past three decades, many of which have ultimately…

This draft was developed by educators, parents, administrators, students, and Office of Overseas Dependents education representatives. It is designed to serve as a guide for the local development of handbooks regarding student rights and responsibilities. The draft, which will be reviewed after recommended revisions are received, is very broad…

This report (1) describes how the project disseminated information about student rights through a student rights handbook, a student rights news service, and speaking engagements; (2) outlines the nature of project services that help students obtain their rights; (3) describes procedures for enforcement of student rights; (4) discusses school…

Provides an edited version of the Supreme Court opinions in "TLO v New Jersey." Includes an article delineating the new rules on student searches that have resulted from the court decision. A third article discusses questionable areas the Court decision left unclear. (MD)