The United States Supreme Court in Kennedy v. Bremerton Sch. Dist. held that a local school district violated the First Amendment freedom of religious expression rights when it directed an assistant football coach to stop praying on the fifty-yard line of a high school football field after each game. In finding for the high-school football coach,…

Cyberbullying has been identified by school leaders and researchers as one of the most serious adverse consequences of incorporating information technology into the classroom. This article examines the legal status of cyberbullying by conducting an analysis of selected federal appellate court opinions. This analysis identifies a set of legal…

The purpose of this study is to investigate factors that may influence school administrators' disciplinary decisions involving students with disabilities. Confirmatory factor analysis suggests that the investigator-developed measures adequately represent the hypothesized latent factors per the pattern of observed responses. The hypothesized…

Special education litigation remains a volatile area with significant practice implications. A review of the 2010 case law in the "Special Educator" identified discipline (manifestation determination, seclusion and restraints, harassment), evaluation/RTI, and postsecondary transition as specific areas of concern. School administrators should keep…

The purpose of this national survey is to determine secondary school principals' knowledge of the rights of students and teachers, how often principals are legally threatened and sued, how they adjust their behaviors in response, and how they obtain and disseminate legal information. Survey results show that a majority of principals are uninformed…

This article lays the foundation of American First Amendment jurisprudence in public schools and examines recent cases relating to student Internet speech. Particular emphasis is placed on the ability of schools to regulate student off-campus Internet speech. School authorities who wish to regulate nonthreatening off-campus speech in the…

Principals over 60 years of age tend to infringe on the civil rights of students more than their younger colleagues. Such is the kind of data turned up in a study of Kansas principals. Other findings are equally intriguing. (Editor)

A humorous account of the effects of recent court decisions regarding student rights. (MLF)

Presents 17 rules for administrators' and teachers' education practices that are likely to be defensible in court. (MD)

Article reviews court decisions on the issue of male students' right to wear long hair styles in school. Author summarizes by suggesting probable outcomes of hair-style cases in the various states. (Editor/CB)

As illustrated by two recent decisions, the courts in the past decade have demarcated wide boundaries for school officials considering dress codes, whether in the form of selective prohibitions or required uniforms. Administrators must warn the community, provide legitimate justification and reasonable clarity, and comply with state law. (MLH)

Wise and ethical administrators can obtain the truth about student behavior incidents using the proper techniques. Following the law, honoring due process, maintaining a high degree of fairness, and using proper investigatory techniques (extensive questioning, involving the nurse in health related matters, maintaining security, protecting student…

Argues that government programs and regulations have hampered the effectiveness of public education, that efforts to involve parents and students in the running of schools have not resulted in democratic governance, and that giving adult rights to adolescents has created an imbalance of authority. Offers suggestions for correcting the imbalances.…

This article suggests guidelines drawn from court rulings, which are reliable indicators of the current status of legal opinion on the subject of procedural due process and the rights it guarantees students. (Editor/RK)

This article describes a student services model which, the author says, trains students in effecting change constructively through legitimate channels. Students gain visibility and develop rapport with authority figures. (Editor)