The authority of the First Amendment may transcend the strictures of its original wording, which limits it to proscriptions of federal government suppression of speech. Attempts by some courts to extend First Amendment authority to the workplace is clearly related to the growing criticism of unrestrained managerial dismissal power. The first major…

Teachers and other public employees enjoy the same fundamental rights as other citizens. They are entitled to free speech--though the privilege is not limitless--and to due process and equal protection under the law. (Author/DCS)

The relationship between public schools and their employees is one of the most frequently litigated aspects of American education. Accordingly, the chapters in this text present a comprehensive and current report of legal issues in public school employment. Chapter titles and authors are as follows: (1) "Critical Elements of the Employment…

Decisions made by federal and state courts during 1983 concerning the employment, dismissal, and tenuring of the employees of public agencies--in particular, public schools--are reported in this chapter. The chapter first addresses discrimination in employment based on race, sex, age, or physical limitations and notes that the shifting burden of…