This dissertation surveys several landmark U.S. Supreme Court cases of academic freedom in the 20th and 21st century to argue for the value of a tolerant and liberal interpretation of unrestricted academic freedom. Central to its argument is a defense of Oliver Wendell Holmes 1919 ruling in "Abrams" that society is best served where all…

This descriptive analysis examined special education due process filings and final decisions in Bucks County, Pennsylvania from the 2017-2018 school year through December 2023. Special attention was given to the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 school years due to the mandatory COVID-19 pandemic closures to examine if there were any changes in the number…

Educational leaders stretch pennies, often in futile attempts, to provide equitable educational opportunities for all students. An educated populous, or lack thereof, heavily impacts not only students, but also local, state, and national economies, job markets, and public safety. Knowing where to exert public school fiscal effort to reduce…

This dissertation project used an interpretivist qualitative research design to study how the right-to-read claim made by seven teenagers attending Detroit public schools in 2016 reflects, addresses, or describes contemporary discussions about educational access. Using situational analysis (SA) as a theory/method, the entirety of the claim…

Cell phones have become a major part of our lives, and as such, they have presented new problems for school officials. This dissertation explores the current status of Fourth Amendment Law and how courts are applying the law to the search and seizure of cell phones in schools, by reviewing cases regarding search and seizure of electronic devices,…

This doctoral study collected and analyzed the narratives of four adult professionals who work to reduce truancy in school-age children grades K-12. Truancy is a complex issue that has far-reaching consequences for all stakeholders from the single student up through the collective society at large. While truancy studies can be found in the…

We live in a culture where school systems are accused of being negligent or at fault for any undesired outcome. This can leave school districts and their employees anxious about potential consequences, regardless if the negligent claim is warranted or not. Therefore, there is a need for all educators to understand their responsibilities to provide…

Shoeprints are a common type of evidence found at crime scenes and are regularly used in forensic investigations. However, their utility is limited by the lack of reference footwear databases that cover the large and growing number of distinct shoe models. Additionally, existing methods for matching crime-scene shoeprints to reference databases…

Title IX Coordinators are responsible for implementing standardized procedures related to each component of Title IX procedures on college and university campuses. The problem this study addressed was the gap in practice regarding the ways colleges and universities implement standardized procedures to ensure equitable due process for involved…

There has been an increase in political policies banning diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in colleges and universities in the United States. In the current research, I focused on examining how two different types of communication strategies influence White people's attitudes toward political policies. The first communication…

This study examined the relationship between jury service length and job productivity and jury case type and job productivity. The general population was educators in technical and trade colleges. A correlation design was used. The sample size of 109 exceeded the minimum number of 102 indicated by the G*Power analysis. Data collection occurred…

In "Garcetti v. Ceballos" (2006), the Supreme Court of the United States held that public employees are not protected by the First Amendment when they speak pursuant to their official duties. The dissenting justices raised the question of how this precedent might be inappropriately applied to faculty at public colleges and universities.…

This study was designed to determine whether the alignment of state and local priorities was a predictor of improving results, specifically the reduction in the percentage of inexperienced principals and percentages of low-performing schools and the increase in graduation rates. The population of this study included 115 North Carolina school…

The doctrine of sovereign immunity in Florida has evolved over time as the common law and statutory environment within the state has changed. Public schools and public-school employees enjoy some level of immunity protection under both common law and statutory law. Nonetheless, Florida law creates a duty to provide a safe environment for students…

In this qualitative study, 21 Title IX federal court cases between 2000-2022 were examined. The purpose of this analysis was to explore how the changes in Title IX guidance across President George W. Bush (R), President Barack Obama (D), and President Donald Trump (R) administrations have impacted higher education institutional liability lawsuits.…