The legal viability of an evaluation means that the evaluator can address legal issues successfully while avoiding debilitating legal difficulties. This article argues for the inclusion of a legal viability standard in the "Personnel Evaluation Standards" of the Joint Committee on Standards for Educational Evaluation and presents a…

Incidents of point-shaving and placing and accepting bets are evidence that professional gamblers are influencing college sports and campus life. Because of student athletes' competitive nature, they may be more likely to engage in gambling. The National Collegiate Athletic Association and individual colleges are examining and addressing this…

There has been little litigation since the Family Medical Leave Act's inception in 1993. This article highlights FMLA's scope of coverage, leave requirements, notice and verification, special rules for employees and local education agencies, employment and leave entitlements, and enforcement. Employers violating the FMLA may have to reinstate and…

Presents information on law enforcement relating to library crimes. Discusses jurisdiction, reporting a loss, law enforcement response, law enforcement's expectations, suspects, publicity, the aftermath, and testimony in court. (AEF)

Sound technology policies can spell the difference between an effective website and an online nightmare. An effective web development policy addresses six key areas: roles and responsibilities, content/educational value, privacy and safety, adherence to copyright laws, technical standards, and use of commercial sites and services. (MLH)

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…

Service learning is not immune from legal problems. In 1993, the third Circuit Court of Appeals quashed a lawsuit claiming a school's mandatory public-service requirement violated the 1st and 13th amendments. The most recent case was pursued against a New York district whose modest public-service requirement supposedly forced students into…

Preventive legal risk management is about implementing policies and practices that protect an organization from the risk of legal claims and that help ensure that the organization complies with its legal obligations. A well-structured process will prevent or minimize adverse effects on a school's human, physical, and financial assets. (Contains 26…

Two legal cases depict affirmative action as the primary source of racial tensions within school operations: "Wygant v. Jackson Board of Education" (1986) and "United States v. Board of Education of the Township of Piscataway" (1993). Pre-established policies of preferential treatment have no place in today's teacher-employment…

Reviews 1998 cases of discrimination against students, focusing on discrimination on the basis of gender, ethnicity, and disability and on hazing. Cases did not usually involve the blatant discriminatory acts that inspired antidiscrimination legislation. They involved increasingly complicated and subtle forms of discrimination and required more…

In a Texas case, the U.S. Supreme Court recently affirmed that a policy allowing student-led, student-initiated prayer at high-school football games violated the Establishment Clause. Whatever districts do, school business officials and others responsible for safeguarding resources should pay attention to the school-prayer issue. (MLH)

In 1999, a coalition of child advocacy groups, the Canadian Foundation for Children, Youth, and the Law, challenged Section 43 of Canada's criminal code, which permits "reasonable force" in disciplining children. The heavily debated issue turns on judges' varied interpretations. A court decision is expected by year's end. (MLH)

This article examines legal issues involved in the assessment of educational results for students with disabilities, especially requirements under the 1997 amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. It suggests that policies regarding assessment of students with disabilities may have outpaced practices and legal interpretations…

Describes a course on civil litigation with the federal government at Drake University Law School (Iowa). Notes course objectives, including the practical aspects of federal government civil litigation, the concept of sovereign immunity in a democratic society, theories of statutory interpretation, and use of attorney fee shifting in such cases.…

Reviews research on the impact of zero-tolerance policies on student behavior and achievement. Concludes that policies are generally ineffective and often counterproductive. (Contains 14 references.) (PKP)