This chapter discusses legal ramifications of administrative decisions in schools involving bombs and bomb threats, false fire alarms, searches and seizure, and police investigations in the schools. In the case of bomb threats, the principal and not the police must take the legal responsibility for making the decision of whether or not to evacuate…

The purpose of this study was to help public school administrators, especially principals, to understand the legal and constitutional limitations of their authority in dealing with students. Control of students is discussed as five separate topics, each representing a chapter, as follows: (1) freedom of expression and First Amendment rights; (2)…

The illegal Mexican migration to the U.S. has resulted in judicial and statutory responses that have constrained the constitutional and civil rights of Chicanos. The Supreme Court, in its concern for stopping the flow of illegal immigrants, has ruled in U.S. v. Martinez-Fuerte that it is not a constitutional violation to refer motorists to a…

This draft was developed by educators, parents, administrators, students, and Office of Overseas Dependents education representatives. It is designed to serve as a guide for the local development of handbooks regarding student rights and responsibilities. The draft, which will be reviewed after recommended revisions are received, is very broad…

This monograph summarizes methods used to investigate and prevent crime in school, sketches possible legal claims that students might make as a result of these approaches to inschool crime prevention, and, in an extensive analysis of five court cases, gives particular attention to the legal issues related to searches of student lockers by school…

This report (1) describes how the project disseminated information about student rights through a student rights handbook, a student rights news service, and speaking engagements; (2) outlines the nature of project services that help students obtain their rights; (3) describes procedures for enforcement of student rights; (4) discusses school…

This report provides board policy samples and other policy resources on student rights and responsibilities. The intent in providing policy samples is to encourage thinking in policy terms and to provide working papers that can be edited, modified, or adapted to meet local requirements. Topics covered in the samples include (1) freedom of…

Provides an edited version of the Supreme Court opinions in "TLO v New Jersey." Includes an article delineating the new rules on student searches that have resulted from the court decision. A third article discusses questionable areas the Court decision left unclear. (MD)

This legal primer on violence in schools addresses the responsibility of school officials to respond to undisciplined youths whose behavior threatens the welfare and safety of other children in attendance. It is broken down into sections that provide a brief overview of the key rules and guidelines for school officials and teachers in each topic…

With the alarming increase in drugs and weapons on American school campuses, teachers and school officials have stepped up their efforts to search lockers, other school property, and sometimes the students themselves. School officials must remember that any search of a student creates a Fourth Amendment issue. Thus, it is important to know the…

Suggests that it is necessary to protect the privacy of government procedures that could compromise security, yet there is also a need to revise and fine-tune legislation that expands government authority. Asserts that all major corrections in the delicate balance between public safety and civil rights typically require corrections themselves. (NB)

Examines whether Fourth Amendment of United States Constitution applies to relationship between student athlete and educational institution and whether drug testing is illegal search and seizure in violation of the amendment. Suggests that institutions strike an appropriate balance between helping student athletes protect their own health, while…

Teachers continue to be underinformed about legal issues affecting schools. Litigation and case law since 1998 suggest that principals should provide teachers with additional training in the areas of school violence, school prayer, sexual harassment, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, data privacy, and student suicide. (MLH)

Survey of 24 midwestern school attorneys, 31 midwestern school administrators, and 22 law professors identified the most important school law cases in 10 categories: students' rights, due process, search and seizure, school attendance, rights of the handicapped, school curriculum, church and state, school desegregation, school finance, and…

This article reviews the most frequent causes of seizure disorders in young children and the classification of different seizure types. It discusses current therapies, including alternatives to medication. Emergency response to seizures is covered a well as non-epileptic episodes that may resemble seizures. Epilepsy's potential impact on the…