Outlines two legal cases involving letters of reprimand written by administrators and put in teachers' files. Shows how in these cases the letters did not constitute defamation or a violation of First or Fourteenth Amendment rights. (MD)

To consider one aspect of workplace freedom of speech--the question of authority versus freedom, this paper examines the first amendment protections of government workers. The paper looks at freedom of speech rights by using two theoretical frameworks (the natural rights view and the law and economics view) to analyze Supreme Court decisions on…

Discusses the "Cleveland Board of Education v. Loudermill" case, in which a security guard was dismissed for dishonestly completing an application without a chance to answer the charge or challenge his dismissal. Examines the United States Supreme Court ruling, immediate due process implications, unanswered questions, and lower court…

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 focus of this chapter is on the substantive constitutional protections of the public school employment relationship guaranteed by the First Amendment, particularly freedom of speech, and by the Fourteenth Amendment's right to privacy. Included are burden-of-proof standards required for establishing a prima facie case of denial of these…

Application of the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to dismissal of public employees has become clarified through such recent federal court litigation as "Loudermill v. Cleveland Board of Education" in 1981, which followed the Supreme Court precedent set in 1972 in "Board of Regents v. Roth." The threshold…

This chapter--new to the "Yearbook"--discusses all court cases reported in 1986 that involved student athletes, coaches, athletic directors, athletic associations, booster organizations, interscholastic sports programs and events, and sports facilities and equipment at both the K-12 and higher education levels. It does not, however,…

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…