A Supreme Court ruling last March, "Seminole Tribe of Florida vs. State of Florida," sharply restricted Congress' ability to override a state's immunity to federal lawsuits under the 11th Amendment. State institutions have already used the decision to fend off litigation on a variety of issues, including age discrimination, patents and…

Higher education associations representing hundreds of colleges and universities have filed briefs asking the Supreme Court to reverse an appeals court ruling that Brown University (Rhode Island) discriminated against female athletes in cutting support for their gymnastics and volleyball teams, in violation of federal Title IX regulation. The…

Describes two federal court cases concerning objections to public school textbooks. In "Smith v. Board of School Commissioners of Mobile County," parents attempted to eliminate objectionable content from textbooks through the Establishment Clause. In "Mozert v. Hawkins County Public Schools," parents wanted to remove children…

Reviews the continuing legal and political battles against corporal punishment and discusses the legal future of corporal punishment in view of social and legislative changes since "Ingraham." (81 footnotes) (MLF)

Reviews how federal courts applied the "state-created danger" theory in the school setting. The courts ask when, if ever, does a school district owe an affirmative constitutional duty to protect students from private violence at school. Examines those cases, with emphasis on elements a student must prove in order to hold the school…

The speaker examines the issue of the legal liability of individual school board members as it has arisen as a result of such court cases as Wood v. Strickland and Goss v. Lopez. The discussion includes questions of infringement on students' and teachers' rights and cases of school officials acting as individuals rather than in an official…

A historical analysis of the laws surrounding college-fraternity relationships, governed by the first amendment to the Constitution, and the likely state of those laws following the 1984 Supreme Court decision in Roberts v. United States Jaycees, is presented. (MSE)

It is suggested that the Bakke case settles so little it is virtually useless as a precedent. Its single holding is that it put Bakke in medical school; without any consistent majority rationale there is no law of the case. Available from Univ. of Oregon, School of Law, Eugene, OR 97403. (MSE)

Absent the constitutional rights enjoyed by the student press at state institutions of higher education, the administration at a private institution is legally free to control the content of its student press. Explores a theory that shifts the focus to academic freedom protected by contracts between faculty and institutions. (MLF)

In "Williams by Williams v. Ellington" the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the strip search of a female student for drugs. Explains the standards for searching students in schools as set forth by the Supreme Court in the "New Jersey v. T.L.O." decision. Considers the application of legal standards in "Williams"…

The Clinton administration has asked the Supreme Court to force Virginia Military Institute, currently all male, to admit women rather than have the state create a similar leadership program for women at another institution. The case parallels litigation in South Carolina involving the Citadel. (MSE)

Issues and recent events concerning censorship of the arts in the United States are examined, and the threat to artistic freedom posed by recent Supreme Court decisions is examined. Focus is on erosion of the actual or imminent harm requirement of the law and on the court's class-based approach to free speech. (MSE)

In August 1999, the Kansas State Board of Education voted to remove the subject of evolution from state-mandated tests required for all Kansas students. Looks at the board's decision in light of current Establishment Clause jurisprudence; examines the consequences for schools, students, and courts nationwide; and whether the state's action is a…

Describes legal standard of reasonable suspicion for school officials to conduct student searches in public schools and court cases interpreting that standard. Discusses probable-cause standard for student searches by law-enforcement officials, voluntary student searches, and individual versus random searches. Recommends two practices to reduce…

Since the advent of the "Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms", the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) has rendered judgments in four cases where individual educational stakeholders have alleged violations of their constitutional rights. In three of the cases, "R. v. Jones", "Eaton v. Brant County Board of Education",…