Two new American Bar Association rules can help school executives determine whether to use the board's attorney or hire their own private attorney. Various situations are cited to show the advisability of choosing one over the other. (KS)

Describes the case of Casey Jesson, a hyperactive child ordered by the state of Hew Hampshire to ingest Ritalin or forego a public education. Despite adverse side effects and the perils of drug dependency, there is greater parental and educator acceptance of Ritalin than ever before. Scientologists are sparking an anti-Ritalin campaign. Includes…

Reviews current legal interpretations regarding discipline of handicapped students. Proposes a model for fostering compliance with legal mandates when considering disciplinary procedures for such students. Principals should employ behavior management options (such as time-out techniques, use of school counseling and social workers, in-school…

Eighteen suggestions for reducing or even preventing grievance arbitration costs are detailed under negotiating the contract, administering the contract, and preparing for arbitration categories. (KS)

Higher education administrators planning for retrenchment should follow these guidelines: document the financial circumstances justifying retrenchment; devise a long-range financial plan; identify how and by whom retrenchment decisions are made; and know both the interests of and procedural protections available to faculty, staff, and other…

Reviews the Family Privacy Protection Act of 1995 and its potential impact on research and evaluation involving minors. Although this legislation was not passed, the issues related to both active and passive parental consent for the participation of minors in research are very much alive. (SLD)

The most overlooked facet of school construction is the dovetailing of permanent construction insurance and technology construction insurance. Advice is provided about technology and technology purchases, highlighting problems associated with costs, copyright infringements, delivery delays, electrical wiring, hardware, student records, vendors,…

The Raiders won the right in court to move from Oakland to Los Angeles, but they face an appeal by the National Football League (NFL) and a separate lawsuit by the city of Oakland. The NFL's appeal of the antitrust verdict and Oakland's suit based on eminent domain theory are reviewed. (SR)

This newsletter defines common law negligence, discusses recent trends in common law negligence, cites litigation, and establishes guidelines to assist school administrators in the avoidance of such tort action. The success or failure of a negligence suit most commonly turns on one of three factors: duty, breach of that duty, and proximate cause…

The tax on unrelated business income of charitable, educational, and other exempt organizations, a provision of the Revenue Act of 1950, is examined as it affects the trade or business activities of art museums. Special problems of art museums such as those with gift shops and eating facilities are discussed. (JMD)

Offers administrative directives, including visitor identification and student release policies and a specific release procedure, for preventing and dealing with problems related to child snatching by spouses or former spouses. (KS)

Questions assumptions by Schoenfeld and Zirkel in a study reviewing gender discrimination cases against institutions of higher education. Critiques the methodology used in that study, cautions about the overall utility of "outcomes analysis," and reports more promising routes of empirical legal research. (15 references) (MLF)

Public schools are facing growing pressures to allow home-schooled and charter-school students to participate on varsity teams. In many western states, home-schooled students are permitted to play sports. In other states, this practice is prohibited, due to strict eligibility requirements for public-school students. Recent litigation discloses no…

The question of whether the selling of art by a private nonprofit art association violates the provisions of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 is considered. Revenue rulings of 1971 and 1976 suggest that any sale of art may render the organization ineligible for tax exemption when private interests are benefited. (JMD)

Solutions to concern over computer software copyright infringement include seeking a licensing agreement with the software publisher or negotiating with a supplier for discounts on multiple copies of a program. The best sourcebook for guidance is "Software Quality and Copyright: Issues in Computer-Assisted Instruction," by Virginia Helm. (DCS)