The memorandum opinion and order in the Chess vs. Widmar case is presented in which 11 students at the University of Missouri-Kansas City allege that university officials refused to allow the students (part of a religious group called Cornerstone) to conduct their regular religious services in university-owned buildings. The students contended…

In order to determine the scope and nature of federal constitutional protection of the student press, this study examines 100 reported and unreported court cases dealing with censorship and punishment in public high schools and colleges. The study includes major sections on the Supreme Court ruling in "Tinker v. Des Moines School District" and its…

This publication is the complete transcript of a weekly radio program devoted to contemporary issues in American Education. This particular program focuses on the topic of the courts and their relationship to the public schools. Separate segments of the program discuss 1) a recent suit by a high school graduate who can't read and cases involving…

This monograph examines the broad topic of student rights and focuses in turn on a number of related constitutional issues. Chapter 1 outlines some of the social changes affecting American education and briefly touches on many of the sources of school-based conflict. Chapter 2 deals specifically with the issue of school dress codes and efforts by…

The issue of student rights and the law is presented in this essay and bibliography. Included are discussion of student activism and the courts, law and morality, the new era of student activism, legal, institutional, and moral rights, and institutional administration and the law. Also considered are constitutional questions raised by student…

This article identifies three areas of guidance activity that have been subjected to court censure because they involved violations of the civil rights of students. The areas are (a) testing and placement, (b) suspension and expulsion, and (c) student rights of self-expression. The situational examples and related case law are presented for each…

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…

Although most parents want school officials to enforce rules for a drug-free school environment, they often feel differently when their own children are the objects of student searches. This paper argues that as long as searches are directed at "others,"--those who are known or assumed to be guilty of school rule violations or criminal…

A Supreme Court decision requiring a state university to allow a student group to hold religious services in campus facilities is reviewed. The decision was admittedly a narrow one, leaving several issues for later consideration, but it does signal a lightening of longtime prohibitions on campus religious activity. (MSE)

"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)

Argues that, as a matter of constitutional law, public school boards of education do not possess unrestricted authority to exclude material from the curriculum on the basis of ideological content, and explores the rights of students and parents to challenge such exclusions. Available from Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review, Harvard…

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"…

Examines recent Supreme Court opinions to illustrate how the justices are reinterpreting the First Amendment. Discusses student freedom of expression, freedom of religion, the free exercise clause, and the establishment clause. Concludes that a perceived trend in court decisions to limit freedom of religion and expression requires teachers to help…

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…

School security is a national concern. Throughout the country, youth crime and violence threaten to undermine the safety of American students' learning environment. This handbook is the product of a joint effort of the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) and DynCorp to help educators develop plans for reducing violence in…