Since Spring 1995, a Bedford, New York superintendent and her district have been virulently attacked by two parents who initially accused them of promoting Satanism, exemplified in an after-school game called Magic: The Gathering. These parents are now attacking drug prevention programs, various homework assignments, and literature selections. The…

Criticizes the institution of the death penalty for convicted criminals with mental retardation. Examples are given of cases in which juries were not told of the defendant's mental retardation before sentencing, and a list of defendants with mental retardation that have been executed since 1976 is provided. (CR)

This study evaluated the use of "allegation blind" interviews (in which interviewers did not know the specific allegation involved) with children (n=1535) suspected of being victims of child sexual abuse. The "allegation blind" interview technique yielded a statistically higher disclosure rate than the "allegation informed" interviews. (Author/DB)

In cases of marital separation, educators should determine a person's entitlement to a child before giving out information about the child. Courts may have denied a parent access to a child or, in the case of domestic violence, criminal charges may be involved. Educators should avoid giving evidence, but should cooperate with court-appointed…

Explores the relationship between student personnel administrators' moral judgments and their knowledge and experience with legal issues affecting student affairs. A survey of 188 voting members of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) showed that student affairs administrators had a high overall comfort level with…

The life estate gift annuity program, which can benefit both the donor and the institution of higher education, is explained; the legal aspects are discussed; and the potential advantages and disadvantages to both parties are outlined. (MSE)

Resistance to organ donation and the continuing shortage of donated organs is discussed and four legal approaches to organ acquisition are examined. A fifth, based on the principle of supported individual autonomy, is proposed. (MSE)

Identifies resources available to assist the homosexual population with career planning and job search concerns. Discusses evolving legal issues of protection. Concludes counselors may see homosexual clients with more questions than the counselors can answer. (Author/ABL)

Reviews eight situations that have legal implications concerning child abuse for child care directors. Also notes some new state laws and trends concerning the definition, reporting and handling of child abuse cases. (BB)

Rights for people with mental handicaps include claim rights and moral rights, which are associated with routine discrimination and fundamental discrimination, respectively. In Britain, people with mental handicaps are routinely denied both types of rights. Greater protection would be offered through a "Code of Practice" and consistent…

Ohio's experiences in the areas of "voluntary" certification, mandatory scope of bargaining, remedies for refusals to bargain, grandfathering, mixed-motive discharges, and clear-and-present-danger strikes have been troublesome. However, the state's experience with agency shop agreements and deferral to arbitration has been sound. (MLF)

Three legal examples illustrate five areas of school attendance policy that should be carefully examined for imprecise or incorrect wording that could cause costly legal challenges. (MLF)

One college teacher's use of mock trials in sociology instruction is described. Students are assigned roles as petitioner, respondent, attorneys, judge, courtroom staff, witnesses, reporters, and jurors. Pretrial investigations provide experience in information-gathering and critical thinking. Posttrial debriefing reveals others' thinking…

Reviews copyright issues that were addressed at the InCITE 1995 workshop, including copyright law, fair use guidelines, multimedia issues, copyright policy statements by national professional organizations, legal activities related to the Internet, and multimedia guidelines. (LRW)

Finds that in almost two-thirds of the cases studied, in which organizations responded to public charges of sexual harassment, legal strategy--rather than public relations strategy--was used by official spokespersons. Argues that organizations need to reconcile the often contradictory counsel of public relations and legal professionals. (SR)