For this 15th article in the series reviewing recent court decisions concerning appropriate school psychology practice from both professional and legal perspectives, the topic is employment security. More specifically, the focus here is the sufficiency of the grounds for termination of a school psychologist in the wake of what the school…

Background: In exploring the matter of sensory loss and job discrimination, the National EEOC ADA Research Project (NEARP) seeks to answer a singular question. Objective: How do persons with hearing loss (HL) vs. visual loss (VL) experience the nature and scope of workplace discrimination differently, if at all? Methods: The NEARP team uses an ex…

Recent data suggest that 83% of individuals, aged 18 to 29 years, frequent social media sites (Drouin et al., 2015). This statistic confirms the need for universities to teach important issues regarding personal social media usage to students. At the forefront of these issues is how personal social media usage can affect students' future…

A review of two recent federal court cases concerning school principals who experienced adverse job actions after they engaged in speech about fiscal misconduct by other employees indicates that the courts found that the principal's speech was made as part of his or her job duties and was not protected by the First Amendment.

This fifth article in the series reviewing recent court decisions concerning appropriate school psychology practice from both professional and legal perspectives, asks readers to consider the summary of the Illinois case presented, and the questions and answers that follow. The primary issue is whether the school district's adverse employment…

There has been little research regarding adverse employment actions against public school principals. Principals are dismissed, demoted, or transferred, not only for low accountability test scores but for a variety of reasons that may or may not affect test scores. The legal ramifications of these adverse employment actions have resulted in…

The authors' recent study of all published decisions in state and federal courts concerning superintendent termination led to a surprising finding: The decisions overwhelmingly favored school districts. In this article, the authors examine several superintendents' intriguing cases. The authors also discuss practical lessons for superintendents.

The employment contract is sometimes misunderstood by both employees and employers. Drafters of employee manuals, policies, and procedures should be aware that the nature of the at-will employment relationship can be transformed into a binding employment contract by the words and phrases chosen. In this article, the author uses the case of Eric,…

Superintendent dismissal cases may be grouped into two major categories (nonrenewals and terminations) that can be divided into three levels: cases based primarily on the contract, on legislation, or on constitutional rights. Superintendents have been much more successful in challenging terminations than nonrenewals. Numerous issues and cases are…

Reviews key Supreme Court decisions on free speech rights of public employees. Advises school administrators to be vigilant in discipline or dismissal cases where freedom of speech is an issue. (MD)

Reviews court cases since the classic Brito v. Zia (l973) decision dealing with terminations based on subjective performance appraisals. Examines professional interpretations of Brito v. Zia, criticizing them in light of professional practice and subsequent court decisions. Distills major themes and issues from the review of cases and discusses…

Two thematic articles are included: "Career Counselors as Vocational Experts: Determining Earning Capacity" (Maze) discusses the value of counselors as expert witnesses in forensic settings; "Vocational Examinations in Family Law and Wrongful Termination Cases in California" (Miller, Schwadron) suggests that vocational expert…

Describes a principal's reaction to the destruction of his career resulting from unfounded sexual harassment charges. Blackballed by the educational community, he became an excellent car salesman and author of a book on parental involvement. Advice for other administrators judged "guilty by accusation" is provided. (MLH)

Describes the breach-of-contract lawsuit brought by former faculty members at Mount Vernon College, Washington, DC, as a result of the takeover of the small college for women by George Washington University, which resulted in the closing of Mount Vernon and the dismissal of its faculty. (SLD)

The difference in the degree of academic due process which tenure provides as compared to that to which a younger person lacking tenure is entitled when his appointment is not renewed. (IR)