Two standards govern student free speech
The Second Circuit recently found that schools could bar certain religious references at school-sponsored ceremonies and assemblies.
Social Studies
Court upholds dismissal of counselor over book
A federal district court in Illinois has ruled that Rich Twp HS Dist 227 didn't violate a guidance counselor's free speech rights when they fired him based on a "self-help" book he wrote about relationships.
Theft of school funds: 2 Chicago-area cases
Two cases of theft of school funds this year lead us to examine the elements of theft, as found in research: a motivated perpetrator, the presence of the target, and favorable conditions at the location of the crime.
The Constitution & a state championship series
Editorial judgement in our ongoing report of a poll about the possibility of an Illinois state championship series in marching band developed by the IHSA requires us to look at a case appealed last year to the Seventh Circuit.
School's liability in bullying gets another test
Parents of a deceased bullying victim are suing the school, claiming school officials did too little to stop the bullying. The school argues that they're not liable based on a Supreme Court case from 1999.
1st Amendment safe in political patronage jobs
A 3-judge panel on the Seventh Circuit found that a city could demote a commissioner based on his political affiliation. Doing so does not violate the commissioner's 1st-Amendment rights.
Judge allows UCLA to post purchased videos online
A federal district judge in California dismissed with prejudice a claim brought by educational video manufacturers against UCLA. They tried to bar the university from posting purchased educational videos on the Internet.
Facebook, IL Liquor Control Act of 1934 may collide
Changes to the Illinois Liquor Control Act of 1934 will make parents and guardians who own private property where underage drinking occurs guilty of a Class A misdemeanor, starting Jan. 1.
Did Fairfax Cty. board waste taxes to go after a teacher?
The case of a Virginia teacher, falsely accused of child sex abuse, underscores the waste by school districts on legal fees, the destruction of the career of an innocent man, and the need to get real help for true victims of child sex abuse in our schools.
Student sues to distribute fliers for birthday party
The US Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit heard arguments in a case involving a student whose school district barred her from distributing fliers for her birthday party, held at her church.