Describes two recent court cases that demonstrate the difficulty of balancing the emphasis on drug detection with the privacy rights of students. Concludes that school officials should not be quick to assume that reasonable suspicion exists. (IW)

Describes a suit against the East Lansing (Michigan) Schools, brought by conservative religious parents dissatisfied with counseling, music, and conflict-resolution activities provided for their third-grade son. The plaintiffs' action failed. The Hatch Act has limitations. However, there is strong public sentiment against entrusting schools with…

In early 1999, the boys' varsity basketball coach for the Hazel Park School District, which is in a suburb of Detroit, Michigan, unexpectedly announced his intention to retire at the end of the year. The only two applicants for his position were John Barnett and Geraldine Fuhr. After the interview process, the superintendent announced that Barnett…