The legal status of college students in relationship to the institution they attend is discussed, focusing on the contractual relationship, due process, access to education, First Amendment rights, search and seizure, federal aid regulation, residency requirements for voting, and the doctrine of academic abstention in legal matters. (MSE)

A guide is presented for faculty members and administrators about circumstances in which faculty may speak freely on issues and what procedural safeguards are applicable when disciplinary actions are contemplated. Issues of contracts, interests conflicting with the state's, tests for violation of First Amendment rights, defenses, and remedies are…

The government is a special employer that operates under the guidelines of the United States Constitution. Under these guidelines, government may not, without adequate justification, (1) deprive its citizens of fundamental, protected rights such as the freedoms of speech and association; (2) deprive a citizen of property or liberty without the due…

Focusing on current United States Supreme Court decisions affecting the searching of students in school, this report also briefly examines the evolution of the right to education and student freedom of speech. Regarding search and seizure, since 1985 the Court has maintained that school officials are not exempt from the restrictions of the Fourth…

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…

This monograph reviews the law applying to defamation issues, cites various judicial decisions that affect colleges and universities, and offers guidance for minimizing the risk of defamation liability. It defines the two subclasses of defamatory statements: first, libel, which is a recorded or printed statement, and second, slander, which is…

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…

This monograph analyzes health and safety issues in education in terms of relevant constitutional and statutory provisions. Chapter 1, an introduction, summarizes Fourteenth Amendment equal protection and due process clauses and defines "handicapped" under the Rehabilitation Act. State assistance and student eligibility under the…