Discusses 2001 U.S. Supreme Court decision in "Gonzaga University v. Doe" wherein the Court held that because Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) does not create federal privacy rights, students and parents cannot sue educational institutions under Section 1983 seeking damages for FERPA violations. Nevertheless, educational…

The president of the school board in Crockett, Texas, claims that the programs employing affective education and values clarification approaches have actually increased the behaviors they were designed to prevent. Admonishes school board members to listen to and investigate the concerns of parents. (MLF)

The First Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the district court's ruling in a Massachusetts case involving an AIDS awareness program. Disagrees with ruling that the defendants had not violated the plaintiffs' federal rights and contends that parents should have the right to remove their children from a one-time performance that is not part of a…

Two court cases involving parental objections to a school's curriculum on religious grounds carry important implications for the balance of control school boards and parents exert over the public school curriculum. (TE)

Discusses clear trends in school law regarding compulsory community service and school district liability for student-to-student sexual harassment. The courts are upholding mandatory community service programs, as seen in a recent Fourth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling. The courts are also recognizing a student's right to protection by school…

In "Barrow" the 5th Circuit erected a very high burden of proof for school districts to show that policies requiring employees to live within the district are necessary to sustain public confidence in public schools. (Author/MLF)

The Federal District Court ruled in favor of the Chapel Hill, North Carolina, school board's requirement that, as a condition for graduation, each student must perform 50 hours of unpaid community service. (MLF)

The basic premise of the common-school movement survives today: A well-functioning democratic society requires a well-educated citizenry. Public schools should not try to convert children to beliefs and values that contradict parental teachings; however, schools are responsible for letting kids know such values exist. (MLH)

Discusses the debate over proper balance between a school board's authority to prescribe a uniform curriculum and parent's First Amendment right to free exercise of religion, citing a recent Tennessee case which determined that uniform use of objectionable texts is not crucial for a sound education. (WTH)

Reviews a recent decision in "Littlefield" by the 5th Circuit upholding a school uniform policy. Advises board member who wish to adopt a school uniform policy to solicit input from parents and students, research the experiences of other school districts with uniform policies, and articulate the interests they wish to promote through uniform…