This book discusses freedom of speech issues affecting the college community, in light of "speech codes" imposed by some institutions, new electronic technology such as the Internet, and recent court decisions. Chapter 1 addresses campus speech codes, the advantages and disadvantages of such codes, and their conflict with the First…

Identifies five great ideas of the U.S. Constitution as power, liberty, justice, equality, and property. The first of two installments, article focuses on how ideas of power and liberty are presented in the Constitution. It also discusses how people may exercise power through voting and public protest and liberty through their First Amendment…

The First Amendment to the Constitution is a cornerstone of American democracy and students, like all members of the nation, are entitled to its protections. This study investigates the level of knowledge of students' First Amendment rights among secondary preservice teachers in various disciplines and their confidence in dealing with First…

Considers the right to free speech guaranteed in the first amendment to the United States Constitution and discusses categories of public property and the standards of regulation applied to each in terms of freedom of speech. Reviews two court cases involving American Future Systems, Inc., a private corporation which sells cookware, silverware,…

Raising academic standards and eliminating achievement gaps between advantaged and disadvantaged students are America's prime national educational goals. Current federal and state policies, however, largely ignore the fact that the childhood poverty rate in the United States is 21%, the highest in the industrialized world, and that poverty…

Free speech for the public employee is much more limited than free speech in the society at large. The courts have been unwilling to extend free speech protection carte blanche and have instead cautiously attempted to define what speech would be allowed or prohibited in public organizations. This approach is illustrated in four areas of court…

The United States Constitution guarantees freedom of speech to all citizen students. However, this right is not absolute. There is a point at which the right to free expression must be curtailed in the interest of providing the most effective teaching and learning environment. (Author/RC)

Describes the panic that typically arises when the First Amendment is invoked in charges of sexual harassment in schools. Contends that sexism is a fundamental part of school culture, that school administrators apply free speech rights differently to males and females in schools, and that the Constitution applies to girls too. (24 footnotes) (MLF)

During the past 150 years U.S. courts have demonstrated a special protectiveness toward academics and academic institutions. Academic freedom was not a concern when the U.S. Constitution and the First Amendment were drafted and is not mentioned in the "Federalist Papers." However, decisions by a series of Supreme Court justices led to…

Recent legal developments concerning college students and colleges and universities are summarized, with a focus on constitutional issues related to the rights of students to organize, the collection and allocation of mandatory student activity fees, and the protection of freedom of speech regarding commercial enterprises. The status of…

Summarizes the content of the federal constitution and various state constitutions regarding freedom of the press. Examines certain borderline issues, including actions and expressions, pornography, defamation, libel, and copyrighted material. States that regulation of unprotected material must be reasonable, specific, and clear. Discusses what…

This teacher's guide is designed to accompany the two-part videotape "For Which It Stands: Flag Burning and the First Amendment." The videotape and teacher's guide should help students to: (1) understand the emotion and significance of the flag-burning issue; (2) examine the free speech aspect of the First Amendment of the Bill of…

The United States Supreme Court has to date decided four major cases dealing with curricula or the rights of students. The Court (1) declared unconstitutional a law that prohibited instruction in evolutionary theory, (2) upheld the right of students in school to express their views on controversial subjects, (3) extended protection under the…

The United States Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision in the Rosenberger case, ruled that the University of Virginia had violated the free speech clause of the First Amendment of the United States Constitution by refusing to subsidize a Christian student publication. The magazine, "Wide Awake," was published by a student organization that…

While some analysts have asserted that the First Amendment was intended to prohibit laws against seditious libel (speech overtly critical of the government), the judicial record reveals a willingness to tolerate some onerous infringements on free expression. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, 25 states passed "sedition" or…