The resolution of free speech issues in the public school context has, until recently, involved a precarious balancing between the First Amendment rights of students and teachers and the role of public schools in inculcating students with fundamental values. This year, in "Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier," the Supreme Court struck…

This article reviews some of the First Amendment issues that school boards and their legal counsel often encounter during a school board meeting. The discussion necessarily begins with a brief review of the public forum doctrine, under which is included the traditional public forum, the designated public forum, and the nonpublic forum. The article…

In 1996 and 1997, the Supreme Court declared five acts of Congress to be unconstitutional. An overview of these decisions is offered in this article. It opens with a discussion of those acts that violated the First Amendment. These decisions dealt with the constitutionality of Arizona's "official English" statute; the Communications…