Louisiana is currently one of the 19 states in the United States that still allow the use of corporal punishment in public schools. The research questions that drove this study explored Louisiana-published court cases involving corporal punishment in public schools, district policies regarding the use of corporal punishment, reported instances of…

The purpose of this research is to examine court cases about adverse employment actions against public educators for insubordination, in an effort to understand what courts consider to be "insubordination." This study represents qualitative document-based research that was based upon the analysis of case law. The research sources were…

This quantitative study investigated reasons that school principals recommend non-renewal of probationary teachers' contracts. Principals in the Southeast and Midwest completed an emailed survey. The ordinal nature of the data gathered dictated that comparisons be made between groups using the Mann Whitney U. The study investigated the barriers…

Analyzes Georgia high-stakes testing case involving administrative law judge's recommendation (subsequently approved) that fifth-grade science teacher's teaching certificate be suspended for giving his students pretest copies of the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills. Suggests No Child Left Behind Act will spawn similar litigation in the future. (PKP)

Gives ten "don'ts" coming out of recent court rulings that school administrators should bear in mind before firing a teacher. Issues such as homosexuality, militancy, and insubordination are discussed. (Author/DN)

The Connick vs. Myers Supreme Court decision regarding public employees' right to express themselves has been applied to public schools in two recent federal court cases. The rulings suggest school boards may discipline school employees for disputes over internal office matters but must tolerate their dissent over public matters. (DCS)

In a stunning 5-4 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court has held that teachers and coaches who suffer reprisals for raising complaints regarding illegal sex discrimination against their students can sue their school districts for damages. This ruling is unprecedented with respect to Title IX enforcement and will likely alter how school officials handle…

Dismissing a teacher for insubordination is usually acceptable to the courts when the teacher willfully defies reasonable and specific regulations and orders despite repeated and clear directives that such behavior must cease. (PGD)

An elementary school teacher from Worcester, Massachusetts, was reprimanded and received a two-day suspension and a series of involuntary transfers after being reluctant to turn a case study (done for a college class) of a disturbed student in to her principal. Rights of privacy of public employees are discussed and Supreme Court decision in…

Describes 6th Circuit Court of Appeals decision in "Cockrel v. Schelby County School District," involving a fifth-grade teacher's claim that she was unlawfully terminated for teaching a unit on the industrial use of hemp, thus violating her First Amendment right of free speech. (PKP)

Reviews court decisions since Pickering v. Board of Education and Mt. Healthy v. Doyle, and suggests guidelines for balancing teachers' claims of first-amendment protection with need for orderly school administration. Ends by summarizing lawful restrictions on criticism of administrators and notes the elements of litigants' respective burdens of…

Immoral behavior does not automatically provide the basis for dismissal of a teacher or administrator. There must be a proven causal connection or nexus between the behavior and job performance. (Author/WD)

Surveys court cases having an impact on teacher's freedom of expression. (JF)

Teachers are increasingly being awarded court cases for infringement on their civil rights by boards of education. (LH)

A detailed checklist and timeline for ensuring due process are provided for adverse personnel actions, and the need to supplement this with expert, same-jurisdiction legal advice is stressed. This approach emphasizes the importance of treating due process as an ethical as well as a legal requirement. (SLD)