Discusses "Mozert v. Hawkins County Public Schools" (Tennessee), a case involving a controversial reading textbook offending fundamentalist parents of six middle school children. The Court of Appeals reversed a district court ruling, holding that uniform use of the Holt textbook was not essential to the state's goals to teach reading.…

Reviews court cases and constitutional issues related to religious freedom, teachers' religious beliefs, and school board employment practices regarding teachers. Discusses such issues as leaves of absence, school curriculum, physical appearance, and clothing, and suggests implications for board employment practices and avenues for further…

There is a critical need for integrating basic legal concepts into social work curricula. Important content areas include: confidentiality, knowledge of when to seek court action, case recording, understanding legal rights of parents and children, giving substantial factual testimony, and use of one's authority for action. (MSE)

An analysis of related cases since the Supreme Court case "Branzburg v Hayes," which concerned the news reporter's privilege question, shows that state and federal courts have been inconsistent in their decisions and that every decision in favor of journalists has been a qualified one. (GT)

Presents the majority and the dissenting opinions of the Supreme Court justices in their 1978 decision regarding the 1971 police search of the Stanford University student newspaper office. (GT)

The existence and exercise of a teacher's authority to use corporal punishment in disciplining students has been challenged in both Louisiana and federal courts. Recent developments and posit solutions where the law is unsettled are reviewed. Available from: the Louisiana State University Law School, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (LBH)

Threatening student web sites raise complex legal questions for schools. According to "Tinker v. Des Moines (1969), students' First Amendment rights must be abridged to ensure an orderly school environment. Recent litigation, educator rights, American Civil Liberties Union interventions, and legally defensible strategies for schools are…

Examines the legal issues that may have impacts on charter schools. Considers the results of a study of the impact of charter school laws on urban schools (E. Rofes, 1998). Questions whether charter schools are public institutions and examines the key constitutional issues they face. Also reflects on labor issues and dealing with teachers' unions.…

Because affirmative-action programs require governmental entities to act in a race-conscious and/or gender-conscious manner, public employers' affirmative-action programs may be challenged under both Title VII and the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. This document describes the standards of review by which…

A study of reader response to newspaper articles in a defamatory context tested: (1) the judicial assumption that the macro-environment in which statements appear is important to a reader's distinguishing between fact and opinion; (2) the possibility that a byline may influence a reader's characterization of statements; and (3) the idea that…

A central issue in litigation arising from adverse employment decisions affecting school personnel is the adequacy of due process procedures. Due process is required only if a teacher is able to establish a protected property or liberty interest. The first section of this chapter accordingly discusses the circumstances under which due process is…

The applicability of Fourteenth Amendment procedural due process to private colleges and universities is discussed. After considering state action in private higher education, cases from 11 federal judicial circuits are reviewed to show how courts have applied the various theories of state action. An emerging theory of state action that is…

In this statement by William Bradford Reynolds, Assistant Attorney General under the Reagan Administration, the problem of prison overcrowding is discussed in relation to the definition of "cruel and unusual punishment." The Supreme Court's decision in the Chapman versus Rhodes case is presented as an example in which overcrowding as…

The way in which Drew Pearson--who was involved in more than 100 libel actions during his nearly 37-year reporting career--fared in the courts and was affected by the ever-evolving libel law is considered in this paper. Among the topics discussed are the 1964 "Sullivan" decision, which held that a public official must prove "actual…

In the case of Ingraham vs. Wright, the United States Supreme Court ruled that under the eighth amendment school children do not have constitutional protection from the use of corporal punishment. The majority decision relies heavily on assumptions concerning the tradition and effectiveness of the use of corporal punishment in education. In an…