Discusses parental involvement in a Title IX case that forced the Tempe, Arizona school district to provide equal funding for a girl's softball field when the district, for reasons of cost containment, had originally wanted the girls to use an adjacent church's field. Observations from both sides and the case's resolution are discussed. (GR)

Contributes to scholarship on defamation, legal interpretation, and social norms by examining 59 state and federal cases decided during the last 150 years involving allegedly false accusations of homosexuality. Finds 15% of the cases resulted in a determination that it was not defamatory to call someone gay, 35% that it was defamatory, and 50%…

Describes research creating a feminist, rhetorical analysis of legal language by examining in detail both the "Plain English" and the "Law and Literature" movements. Examines legal texts that construct the "reasonable woman," asking how that hypothetical legal subject is construed by judicial discourse and what its…

Field trips are troublesome for educators, because normal responsibilities may be exacerbated by supervision and transportation requirements. Forms should be very comprehensive as to field-trip description, objectives, provisions, special instructions to students, and liability-release statements. Emergency preparedness and specific supervision…

Reviews copyright issues, fair use guidelines, and applicable principles of copyright and ownership, the rights of copyright holders, and the conditions under which copyrighted material can be used by others. Notes possible affects of the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act and intellectual property issues on dental schools. (Author/DB)

Identifies and discusses three areas in which Catholic higher education institutions and the Catholic Church may be proceeding on radically different assumptions: (1) ecclesiology, the understanding of the nature and function of the church; (2) institutional history, how institutions have developed from their foundations to the present; and (3)…

Finds computer-mediated environments pose a special challenge to legal and cultural protections and that these environments are unprecedented in the way commercially valuable information can be generated in their very use. Contends current discussions about privacy in computer-mediated environments have overlooked the potential of common law and…

Since Brown University lost its four-year court battle over athletic program equality issues, most colleges and secondary schools have learned to settle when sued under Title IX. Virginia Tech, University of Kansas, and Howard University are illustrative cases. Since nearly all high schools and colleges are vulnerable, it is wise to prepare for…

Contributes to scholarship on the complexities of press freedom in non-Western nations. Discusses the context of press freedom in Jordan; the press before the 1989 liberalization; factors that favored press liberalization in 1989; the 1993 press law; the "Temporary Law for the Year 1997"; press reaction to the amendments; and factors…

Contributes to scholarship on press freedom, indecency, and federal regulation by examining the 36 cases between 1987-1997 in which the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) issued indecency fines. Investigates various factors and finds that, while the FCC appears to follow a fairly predictable pattern, there are elements of arbitrariness. (SR)

Because intellectual property law and remedy are set and enforced by individual nations, in the online world, the victim of unlicensed copying has a choice of jurisdiction in enforcing rights. This article defines intellectual property rights and infringement, discusses legislation, and assesses the extent to which right owners can seek redress.…

Uses content analysis of 14 American newspapers over an 8-week period, finding that over one-quarter of the suspects described in crime stories are identified in connection with potentially prejudicial statements (as defined by the American Bar Association), with law enforcement officers and prosecutors the most frequent sources. (SR)

An educational law professor reflects on the context of sexual harassment prevention. Some people won't take the subject seriously and are concerned only with legalities. Every school needs a formal plan to eradicate sexual harassment. Milder forms often worsen, if uncorrected, and kids cannot learn if they are afraid. (MLH)

Reviews recent studies of legal discourse and nonacademic writing and presents the results of a historical case study on an environmental public policy. Finds that a dynamic discourse community changed writing roles among government employees, lay members of the audience, and water pollution control board members. States that controversial…

Summarizes a complex sex abuse case in a Texas district that turned on a teacher's failure to report a coach's misdeeds to the proper authorities. The appeals court, which found for the teacher, concluded that the missing ingredient was control. The child-abuse reporting statute did not empower a teacher with legal control over the coach's…