Two recent cases in which federal courts held plaintiffs liable for defendants' attorney fees illustrate the courts' impatience with students and parents lodging suits judged frivolous. The conclusion is that, while school authorities must remain sensitive to students' constitutional rights, caution is urged in taking complaints to federal court.…

Children's rights in education in Great Britain and the United States were compared. Issues concerning control of educational choices, appeal against disciplinary decisions, access to student records, and the disclosure of school records in juvenile courts are analyzed. (AM)

Administrators need to document all events connected with disciplinary action, including dates and descriptions of the incidents and of actions taken. These records, signed statements from witnesses and others involved, and references to applicable board policies or state statutes serve as crucial documentation in case of a formal court hearing.…

This paper discusses the lower court decision and the U.S. Supreme Court decision in the case of Ingraham vs Wright. (Author/SJL)

The use of physical violence on students affronts democratic values and infringes on individual rights; furthermore, a study of school violence found a high correlation between physical punishment and violent behavior of students. (Author/MLF)

A Georgia school district standardized discipline procedures, codified offenses, and published the results in booklet form. A clear hierarchy of offenses specifies problems to be handled at the local school, at formal hearings, or at a special disciplinary committee. Students know what to expect, and administrators know how to proceed. (MLF)

Study tests the degree of support for flexible due process in campus disciplinary hearings. Focuses on whether faculty, parent, and student expectations for due process protections vary based on the severity of the potential outcome. Results indicate that respondents expect due process protections to increase as the severity of the potential…

A legal history of the logic behind the manifestation determination meeting was compiled based on a review of the literature. In addition a search of the Individuals with Disabilities Education law Reporter (IDELR) was conducted to identify manifestation determination cases decided after 1994 and before 2003. This time frame gave an indication of…

Article discussed the nature of judicial reasoning which provided a foundation for current court decisions supporting student rights and described the impact of judicial reasoning upon educational policy. (Author/RK)

Examines the procedural due process challenge to short-term suspensions. (Author)

Before discussing discipline policies and practices specifically, the authors survey the basis for discipline, the kinds of discipline, the needs and sources of discipline, and the relationships between parents and students and discipline. The authors point out the need for encouraging self-discipline and make the point that discipline and…

Discusses recent federal court rulings setting minimal procedural requirements governing the administration of student discipline by school officials. (JG)

Describes what happened when presidents of various state universities in Florida tried to act as publishers of campus newspapers. (LJR)