Discusses the uncertainty surrounding the application of the First Amendment to electronic bulletin boards, listservs, electronic conferences, and other exchanges of electronic information at public colleges and universities. Applies the notions of nonpublic forums and designated open forums to the computer network. (MLF)

Courts have been reluctant to interfere with the decision-making authority of local school boards. However, a reduction-in-force (RIF) decision can be legally challenged by a discharged employee with evidence that the school board has either: (1) acted arbitrarily or capriciously, (2) failed to comply with procedural mandates, or (3) utilized…

Legal challenges to state compulsory attendance laws have emphasized four interrelated constitutional claims. Under provisions of the free exercise clause of the First Amendment, parents have challenged the state's authority to require public school attendance in lieu of home instruction and private, religious organizations have refused to comply…

This publication is the 10th in a series of Educational Research Service monographs designed to summarize judicial decisions on elementary and secondary education issues. The cases included in this edition were selected from judicial decisions found in federal and regional reporters in the period from June 30, 1987, to June 30, 1988. Chapter…

This handbook is the 16th in the series of monographs designed to summarize judicial decisions on elementary and secondary education. The cases included in the book were selected from judicial decisions found in federal and regional reporters for the period July 1, 1993, to June 30, 1994. The cases provide a general overview of school law issues…

This monograph, the fifth in a series, contains summaries and discussion of selected state and federal court decisions handed down during the Supreme Court's 1981-82 term. The cases were selected on the basis of their relevance to contemporary problems in public school settings, their definitiveness as articulations of existing law, and their…

Most state legislatures have either passed or taken under consideration for passage some minimum competency testing program. However, it is not clear that these legislative efforts will result in implementation programs that fulfill legislative intent. Throughout the United States legal challenges from students adversely affected by testing…

School administrators sometimes face circumstances in which student searches seem necessary in order to maintain discipline and provide a safe learning environment. This publication provides an overview of recent court cases related to student searches, in an effort to help school officials anticipate and avoid legal problems while they carry out…

This monograph is designed to summarize judicial decisions on elementary and secondary education issues. Cases are drawn from federal and regional reports during the period beginning July 1, 1998 and continuing through June of the following year. The cases are selected on the basis of their relevance to contemporary problems in public school…

During the past year, in cases involving the authority of school boards to make curricular decisions and provide for services, the courts have balanced school board authority against constitutional and statutory provisions related to privacy, free exercise of religion, and public records laws. Section 1, "School Boards and Board Members," outlines…

This monograph is the 13th in a series designed to summarize judicial decisions on elementary and secondary education issues. The cases included in this edition were selected from judicial decisions found in federal and regional court reports in the period from July 1, 1990, to June 30, 1991. The cases were selected on the basis of their relevance…

This chapter examines cases reported during 1981 concerning school employees. In the format used, federal questions are addressed first, then issues associated with state laws. The author deals with cases in the areas of discrimination in employment, substantive constitutional rights of speech and association and privacy, and procedural due…

This chapter analyzes 1982 decisions involving legal issues in public school employment. Cases in areas of federal law are discussed first, including: discrimination in employment (race, sex, religion, age, and handicap); substantive constitutional rights (speech, association, and religion); and procedural due process (property interest, liberty…

Case law concerning the schools covers a variety of areas, such as the constitutional rights of students and teachers, that were not at issue to previous generations of school leaders. This monograph is the 15th in a series designed to help school officials keep up to date on current court decisions and their implications for local school district…

This monograph is designed primarily to provide a broad scope treatment of case law involving public school issues. The cases included were selected from judicial decisions found in federal and regional reporters in the period from June 30, 1988, to June 30, 1989. Cases were selected on the basis of their relevance to contemporary problems in…