Legal problems concerned with shoplifting suspects are addressed, including common law, criminal penalties, and the merchant's liability. Tangential questions and answers are presented along with discussion of pertinent court cases. (LBH)

In McCrary v. Runyon, the Court of Appeals confronted the racially exclusive admissions policies of two private, segregated schools, each of which relied entirely on tuition and private donations for its operations. The court was unpersuaded by the schools' claim of constitutional protection. The significance of the decision is discussed. (LBH)

Two legal theories inspire suicide-related lawsuits: tort claims of negligence and constitutional claims based on due process. A well-known case illustrates a middle-schooler's suicide and a district's negligence. Liability factors include duty, foreseeability, special relationship, danger creation, and immunity/contributory negligence. (MLH)

The issues of prior restraint and press censorship are examined in this paper, which focuses on the 1970 Williams v. O'Brien court case. The paper discusses the litigation, in which Robert F. Williams, as an American citizen living in Peking, China, sued the United States Postmaster General over the banning of the May 1967 issue of "The…

Intended to provide practical suggestions for reporters and editors, this manual presents the basic law of libel and invasion of privacy in the United States. Following an introduction noting that these are general principles of law and do not fully represent the laws of each state, the guide discusses various aspects of libel law: (1) definitions…

This article discusses legal concepts and court decisions as they apply to teachers and schools. (RC)

Bakke vs The Regents of the University of California is examined in historical perspective and in light of recent developments in the area of reverse discrimination. An attempt is made to analyze the nature of the California Supreme Court's holding, demonstrate the errors in the logic, and expose the potentially catastrophic results should the…

National security controls and restrictions on academic institutions and individuals are discussed, with focus on how the principles of first amendment rights (academic freedom in particular) must balance attempts on censorship of unclassified publications and academic presentations. Specific legislation and litigation are considered. (MSE)

Credentialing examinations have been relatively immune from legal attack based on allegations that the examinations lack validity. The extent of the present legal obligation to demonstrate the validity of credentialing examinations is analyzed in three areas: (1) the Civil Rights Act of 1964; (2) the Constitution; and (3) antitrust laws.…

Recognizes the opportunity for journalism departments to develop and institute courses for scholastic journalism teachers and to develop guidelines for the student press based on the most recent research. (CRH)

An edited version of federal district court Judge William O. Bertelsman's opinion in "Bahr vs. Jenkins" reveals his thinking on the courts' self-restraint in cases affecting school administrators' authority when disciplining students. The opinion also discusses, in an informal style, the rights and responsibilities of parties in such…

Two sources of law are considered--statutory enactments and constitutionally based claims. The second requires evidence of state involvement. The first, under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, provides protection against almost any form of discrimination against workers in the age range 40-65. (LBH)

This brochure presents constitutional principles and guidelines to enable schools and religious groups to work together. It states that public schools must be neutral concerning religion in all of their activities; students have the right to engage in, or decline to engage in, religious activities so long as they do not interfere with the rights…

The contention that, when it passed Section 1983, Congress intended to enforce the Fourteenth Amendment against the states is at least tenable enough to merit a presentation of the issue to the Court by adverse parties. Available from Cumberland Law Review, Box 2268, Samford University, 800 Lakeshore Drive, Birmingham, AL 35209; $5.00 per issue.…

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)