A small community in southwest Michigan has been witness to a significant cultural divide within its school system. An influential church has permeated school leadership and in many cases has overstepped the proverbial "wall separating church and state." A fairly high-profile case saw the Sixth Circuit Court enjoin the district to remove…

The Report of the 1999 Commission on Public Relations Education recommends that undergraduates study the legal and ethical issues involved in the practice of public relations. When the educator/author first began teaching a Communication Law course at Northwest Missouri State, it was offered through the Mass Communication Department, was required…

The author provides a historical analysis of the efforts to clarify church/state/school relations and an indepth look at recent Supreme Court rulings on this subject. The author's work illuminates the sensitive issues involved and the current Supreme Court's stand in applying First Amendment guarantees in public schools. (Author/CT)

In deciding on the constitutionality of a variety of practices involving schools, courts have been increasingly called upon to balance the two First Amendment religious guarantees--that Congress shall not make any laws respecting the establishment nor prohibiting the free exercise of religion. This fifth chapter in a book on school law discusses…

A general introduction to computer based national information systems, and the context and basis for future studies are provided in this report. Chapter One, the introduction, summarizes computers and information systems and their relation to society, the structure of information policy issues, and public policy issues. Chapter Two describes the…

Teaching public relations from an American perspective should be reconsidered: current textbooks barely mention multicultural and international concerns except in most cases as a secondary issue. The current paradigm emphasizes the media with the first amendment serving as the cornerstone of the emphasis. The American approach to international and…

The relationship between public schools and their employees is one of the most frequently litigated aspects of American education. Accordingly, the chapters in this text present a comprehensive and current report of legal issues in public school employment. Chapter titles and authors are as follows: (1) "Critical Elements of the Employment…

Reviews the Equal Access Act of 1984 presenting the two major requirements of the act. Discusses the issues raised (in relation to the definition of what constitutes a public forum) in the Pennsylvania case "Student Coalition v. Lower Merion School District." Includes options for schools to consider when establishing "open" or…

Asserts that the pressures on religious freedom are increasing especially in relation to the issue of religion in the public schools. Focuses on school prayer, the use of school facilities for religious activities, and the controversy surrounding school vouchers. Addresses when religious expression is permitted in public schools. (CMK)

This article investigates the issues surrounding teachers' use of social networking media and their First Amendment rights. It focuses on the need to develop a school district policy outlining specific guidelines for the use of technology and social networking. It also focuses on the changing world of technology and social networking as well as…

What should college and university administrators do when the First Amendment seemingly conflicts with tightly held institutional values? Should administrators block, discourage, or attempt to adjudicate speech because it doesn't agree with their belief systems or institutional mission statements? This reader-friendly handbook addresses the…

Under the "commercial speech doctrine," corporations were restricted for many years from speaking out on public issues or engaging in certain advertising practices. This "doctrine" was based on a case from the 1940s, in which the court ruled that purely commercial advertising had no constitutional protection from government…

Recent Supreme Court decisions have fundamentally altered the attorney's right to advertise. This potentially revolutionary revision in prescribed professional communications has paradoxically had ambiguous results. Despite the freedom to advertise, most attorneys forego this opportunity to maximize profits, expand clientele, or merely enhance…

Contends that the issue of whether public school teachers may wear religious garb while teaching is no longer a debatable topic. Argues that wearing religious garb may unduly influence students and therefore violates the separation of church and state. Concludes that teachers must set an example of tolerance and should not wear religious garb…

This magazine aims to help high school teachers of civics, government, history, law, and law-related education program developers educate students about legal issues. This issue focuses on religious freedom in the United States. It contains 11 articles: (1) "Government-Religion Relations in Historical Perspective" (C. Cookson) discusses…