A current United States Supreme Court case will determine constitutional guidelines for school administrators in searching students for drugs and other school contraband. Thus far, the New Jersey Supreme Court has established a demanding standard for warrantless searches of students and their property, requiring respect for students'"valid…

The 1981 court trial concerning a challenge to the constitutionality of Arkansas' Act 590, the Balanced Treatment for Creation-Science and Evolution-Science Act, is described in detail. Arguments, courtroom strategies, and personalities are discussed, and the ruling of unconstitutionality is outlined. (MSE)

A well-designed database, carefully defined procedures, and consultation with legal counsel can greatly reduce the prospect of costly litigation associated with retrenchment. Tenure contracts, case law on financial exigency, due process, and liability are discussed. (Author/LB)

"Catch-22" problems of the Buckley Amendment are discussed. It is concluded that the right of access should extend to applicants as well as enrolled students, and should not be subject to waiver. Available from So. Calif. Law Review, Law Center, USC, Los Angeles, CA 90007. (MSE)

Discussions of procedural due process, first amendment rights, sex discrimination, tort law, discrimination on the basis of handicap, and legal principles regarding athletic associations and conferences indicate the wide range of legal principles to which postsecondary athletic programs are subject. Sex discrimination is noted as a major issue in…

Reviews 1995 court decisions concerning free speech in colleges and universities, focusing on the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment (educator speech, campus speech regulations, speech in public forum), religion clauses (Establishment Clause, Free Exercise Clause) and statutes (Religious Freedom Restoration Act, Equal Access Act). Concludes…

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)

It is argued that some church-related universities are both religious and academic communities, thus constituting protected exercises of religion. Attempts to coerce compliance with secular standards of nondiscrimination and academic freedom may violate the institution's rights to free exercise of religion. A Brigham Young University (Utah) policy…

Darwinian evolution is accepted by the great majority of scientists as the method by which the diversity of earth's organisms, including humans, evolved. Current research continues to expand our knowledge of evolutionary mechanisms. However, certain religious groups, supporting teaching the creation of earth's species as outlined in Genesis…

Case citations from five legal areas--college students, liability on campus, sport law, employment, and employment discrimination--are presented in this document. Each section offers brief summaries of cases and concludes with a table of cases. The first section on college students examines litigation involving student finances, disciplinary…

The purpose of tort law is to offer remedies to individuals for harm that resulted from the unreasonable conduct of others. This chapter examines those cases reported during 1989 that involved tort claims within the school context. Tort cases discussed in this chapter are organized under the following sections: (1) negligence in regard to…

College union administrators should be careful about the use of facilities, particularly in public schools, because of the potential for legal liability. Institutions of higher education today are vulnerable to being sued in regard to issues of free speech, trespass, and religion. Areas of potential liability include (1) serving alcoholic…

Discusses a brief historical overview of constitutional law as it applies to children, delineated in the First, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Eighth, and Fourteenth Amendments. Emphasizes the need for school psychologists and educators to have an understanding of children's developing legal rights. Specific court cases are cited. (Author/JAC)

Students who have their National Direct Student Loans or Guaranteed Student Loans discharged under federal bankruptcy law may encounter difficulty obtaining college transcripts, and should be counseled on these problems. Available from University of Louisville, 2301 Third St., Louisville, KY 40208; $4.00. (MSE)

The effect of the Bakke case, in which the courts first encountered the question of legality of reverse discrimination, is explored; its constitutional significance is examined. It is concluded that the virtue of the decision is in its support of affirmative action and its equal protection implications. (MSE)