The problem of campus sexual assault is viewed through the theoretical construct of institutional betrayal and the legal construct of Title IX.

Title IX is designed to protect students from discrimination based on sex in any educational institution that receives financial assistance. This article focuses on Title IX as it applies to high school athletic programs by considering the trial of a high school district in California. A federal court found considerable inequalities between boys…

Discrimination based on sexual orientation in K-12 education is not prohibited in many school districts across the United States. Teachers who are of the sexual minority (gay, lesbian, or bisexual) must remain closeted or risk losing their jobs. A history of past court decisions and laws deeming sexual minorities to be degenerates from which…

School administrators are expected to balance the need for school safety and good order with the rights of students to be free of unreasonable search of their person and property. This balance can be particularly difficult when over-the-counter or prescription drugs are involved. This article summarizes a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that…

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…

A review of legal decisions provides thought-provoking considerations for administrators who want to deter drug use on campus. The United States Supreme Court has recognized that even a limited search of students is a substantial invasion of privacy, but also that school officials need to maintain school discipline. Guidelines for the…

Notes that students' legitimate expectations of privacy and school officials' need to maintain school discipline and safety often collide. Outlines guidelines for searching in the following instances: student lockers; drug dogs; student trips; strip searches; and urinalysis. Suggests that training for all administrators, faculty, and staff in the…

Reviews some legal and procedural guidelines pertaining to freedom of expression and due process in how teachers and administrators handle student verbal or symbolic threats. Reviews school cases related to freedom of expression, written expression, verbal or written expression off school property, and Internet expression. Offers recommendations…

Examines litigation involving academic freedom, expressive freedom, and drug testing as examples of the shifting balance between teacher rights and school board authority. Concludes that balancing teacher rights with community expectations is difficult, and the scales of justice may not always tip in favor of a teacher's rights. (SG)

Church-state issues in education have a long history in America. Although the U.S. Supreme Court has made several landmark decisions with regard to the separation of church and state in schools, strong conservative influences in Southern states, including Louisiana, have resulted in state statutes and individual school-district policies and…