Now that the Supreme Court in "Davis" has determined that schools can be sued for what one child does to another, schools will have a hard time avoiding frivolous lawsuits. The difficulty of analyzing the "Davis" decision lies in drawing a line between teasing and harassment. The conduct of certain six- and seven- year-olds…

This article examines a conflict that arose in 2004 between a federal court's oversight of desegregation and the implementation of the public school choice provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act in Pinellas County, Florida. School system leaders challenged the statute on the grounds that it would likely disrupt a controlled-choice plan…

In the case of "Pico v. Island Trees Union Free School District," involving school library censorship by a Long Island (New York) board, the U.S. Supreme Court in 1982 failed to decide whether board discretion or First Amendment rights should prevail, and instead remanded the case to lower courts. The author of this document first…

In Markham v. Geller, a policy of attempting to hire less experienced teachers was held in violation of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA). This article examines the case's significance for the interpretation of the ADEA and the case's impact on the question of business justification. (Author/MLF)

Examines the Fifth Circuit Court's 1991 reasoning in "Price," a case that resulted from the school district's adoption of a new student reassignment plan to meet court-ordered desegregation. Suggests locating schools in the center of cities. Advocates that the judiciary conduct periodic checks on school districts that have been declared…

More than 500 school districts currently operate under court-ordered desegregation mandates. Provides an overview of desegregation litigation and cites recent developments that may portend the end of judicial oversight for a number of school districts. (48 references) (MLF)

Recounts the history of the case, its unfolding in court, and the implications of the court's holdings. (IRT)

An analysis by the Media program staff members of the Human Rights Commission of San Francisco of the circumstances under which group intelligence testing has been ended in the San Francisco Unified School District as of March 1973, and of related issues concerning educational diagnosis. (JM)

Much of the chaos in public school curriculum is a result of issues concerned with authority and governance in curriculum development. Mandates by federal courts, Congressional legislation, state courts, and contracts with professional employees impact on decisions of local education authorities. Needed changes in the structure of curriculum…

Discusses briefly and then presents the text of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in "Board of Education v. Rowley." The Court held that, under the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, a school district is not required to provide interpreter services for a deaf student already making satisfactory educational progress. (RW)

The Supreme Court's decision in "Missouri" underscores the majority's reluctance to find a constitutional or factual connection between segregated schools and segregated neighborhoods that would allow courts to fashion broad remedial decrees. Examines the judiciary's treatment of residential segregation and racial segregation in…

The paper discusses the impact of two legal cases. In "Board versus Rowley," the Supreme Court established a three-part standard for appropriate education of students with disabilities. In "Centennial versus Commonwealth," the Pennsylvania Supreme Court held that gifted students merit an Individualized Education Program and…

Two sex discrimination cases recently decided by federal courts in Alabama serve as a warning to small school districts that they must adopt more formalized employment procedures and make certain that the administrators implement the policies faithfully, procedurally and in spirit. (MLF)

The 1977 Supreme Court decision in "Milliken v. Bradley," involving the Detroit public schools and the state of Michigan, held that federal courts possess the authority not only to order the implementation of educational program components as part of a desegregation remedy, but also to assess a portion of the cost of such components…

Reviews three recent Supreme Court decisions involving government officials' immunity under Section 1983 of the U.S. Code (Civil Rights Act of 1871). Discusses how the decisions apply to school boards and officials and to teachers' and students' civil rights. (Author/RW)