The regulations of the New York City Board of Education which spell out an individual's right to have access to Board of Education records are given. The regulations reflect the Board of Education's attempt to meet the requirements of the New York State Freedom of Information Law of 1977. The regulations deal with the following topics: (1) the…

Prior to the enactment of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), little of the data collected by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was made public or could be obtained from the agency. Although the FDA files are now open, information is considered exempt from public disclosure when it involves regulatory procedures, program guidelines, work…

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) was amended in 1974 in order to restrict government control and to facilitate the public's access to information. However, part of the FOIA bans federal officials from disclosing "trade secrets" and commercial or financial information obtained in confidential circumstances. This exemption has…

Because a state must provide personal security for children in its care, possible false positive errors in identifying maltreatment are less grievous in schools and other institutions than in families. States have a legal duty to prevent intrusions upon privacy that may damage self-esteem. School psychologists have to prevent such intrusions. (JAZ)

Colleges are using "prospect research" to gather information about and cultivate prospective wealthy donors, but the methods and their success are raising ethical questions about the donors' rights to privacy and the confidentiality of information about them. (MSE)

This fourth lesson in a continuing education course on legal issues affecting libraries and librarians discusses the library's rights and legal responsibilities in the areas of censorship and intellectual freedom, the Freedom of Information Act and patron privacy, problem patrons, and ethical considerations of library services. (14 references)…

Discusses the issues of invasion of privacy in the relationship between school counselors and students and the potentiality for litigation (including defamation suits) when privacy is breached. (MD)

The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision in New Jersey vs. T.L.O. suggests the legality of student searches by school officials should not depend on strict adherence to the probable cause standard, but on its reasonableness of suspicion and scope. (DCS)

Copyright, trademark, libel, privacy, and contract laws are continuing to grow in complexity. In the case of a dispute, the main questions center on the damage done and the motives behind the publication. Four categories discussed include: authorship, ownership, honor, and privacy. (MLW)

The impact of computer information and the intrusive machinery of surveillance is examined and the need demonstrated for the law to afford individuals in Australian society new means of protecting their privacy. (Author/LBH)

The 1964 Wilderness Act was legislated to protect and maintain a portion of the nation's remaining wild areas as they were during pre-settlement times. In part, the intent was to provide the opportunity for primitive forms of recreation in surroundings where wilderness can be experienced on its own terms. However, overuse and related resource…

Argues that while the Privacy Protection Act of 1980 appears to reverse the "Zurcher v. Stanford Daily" decision, loopholes may permit some newsroom searches. (FL)

The decision whether to publish information concerning a given person in institutional public relations efforts must go well beyond consideration of the information's usefulness in the immediate context. Damage to another's reputation or invasion of privacy is both unethical and costly. (MSE)

Case studies for secondary school students based on recent federal cases focus on the extent to which a student's right to privacy may be diminished by the school environment. Decisions have been based on the school offical acting in the place of parents and as a state agent. Discussion questions are included. (KC)

Examines the supposition that insufficient privacy is stressful to the individual. Data were obtained from urban centers in New Zealand. Findings support the hypothesis that a percieved lack of privacy is associated with psychosomatic stress. The relationship is specified by measures of stress and sex of respondents. (Author)