Education Law Commons^™

We Shall Overcome: The Evolution Of Quotas In The Land Of The Free And The Home Of Samba, Stella Emery Santana

Seattle University Law Review

When were voices given to the voiceless? When will education be permitted to all? When will we need to protest no more? It’s the twenty-first century, and the fight for equity in higher education remains a challenge to peoples all over the world. While students in the United States must deal with the increase in loans, in Brazil, only around 20% of youth between the ages of twenty-five and thirty-four have a higher education degree.

The primary objective of this Article is to conduct an in-depth comparative analysis of the development, implementation, and legal adjudication of educational quota systems within …

Sffa V. Harvard College: Closing The Doors Of Equality In Education, Ediberto Roman

Seattle University Law Review

The United States Supreme Court’s recent combined decision ending affirmative action in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard College and Students for Fair Admissions v. University of North Carolina was hailed in conservative circles as the beginning of “the long road” towards racial equality. Others declared that “the opinion may begin the restoration of our nation’s constitutional colorblind legal covenant.” Another writer pronounced, “Affirmative action perpetuated racial discrimination. Its end is a huge step forward.” A Washington-based opinion page even declared: “[T]he demise of race-based affirmative action should inspire renewed commitment to the ideal of equal opportunity in America.” Despite …

School “Safety” Measures Jump Constitutional Guardrails, Maryam Ahranjani

Seattle University Law Review

In the wake of George Floyd’s murder and efforts to achieve racial justice through systemic reform, this Article argues that widespread “security” measures in public schools, including embedded law enforcement officers, jump constitutional guardrails. These measures must be rethought in light of their negative impact on all children and in favor of more effective—and constitutionally compliant—alternatives to promote school safety. The Black Lives Matter, #DefundthePolice, #abolishthepolice, and #DefundSchoolPolice movements shine a timely and bright spotlight on how the prisonization of public schools leads to the mistreatment of children, particularly children with disabilities, boys, Black and brown children, and low-income children. …

Title Ix And Gender Stereotype Theory: Protecting Students From Parental Status Discrimination, Jocelyn Tillisch

Seattle University Law Review

This Comment asserts that students who experience discrimination on the basis of parental status have a cause of action under Title IX by using the gender stereotyping theory that is common in Title VII analysis as illustrated by Tingley-Kelley v. Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania. Part I will first provide an overview of the applicable law surrounding Title IX and Title VII. Part II will briefly summarize application of the gender stereotype theory and the applicable case law that provides the legal framework for this proposition. Part III will detail how the Title VII framework can be followed to …

Academic Freedom And Professorial Speech In The Post-Garcetti World, Oren R. Griffin

Seattle University Law Review

Academic freedom, a coveted feature of higher education, is the concept that faculty should be free to perform their essential functions as professors and scholars without the threat of retaliation or undue administrative influence. The central mission of an academic institution, teach-ing and research, is well served by academic freedom that allows the faculty to conduct its work in the absence of censorship or coercion. In support of this proposition, courts have long held that academic freedom is a special concern of the First Amendment, granting professors and faculty members cherished protections regarding academic speech. In Garcetti v. Ceballos, the …

What's "Appropriate"?: Finding A Voice For Deaf Children And Their Parents In The Education For All Handicapped Children Act, Suzanne J. Shaw

Seattle University Law Review

Initially, the Comment briefly reviews the EAHCA's purpose and its legislative history, and describes the workings of its administrative procedures. The Comment then examines the seminal case interpreting the EAHCA, Board of Education v. Rowley, as it applies to the parents' role in a deaf child's education. This section of the Comment also explores the meaning currently given to "free appropriate education" and "least restrictive environment" (LRE), as well as the natural, and possibly irresolvable, tension between these requirements. Against this background, Section III of this Comment then sets out the Act's unique impact on deaf children. This impact …

Freedom Of Religion Vs. Public School Reading Curriculum, Keith Kemper

Seattle University Law Review

The purpose of this Note is to analyze the decision by the United State Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in Mozert v. Hawkins County Board of Education in light of recent United States Supreme Court opinions regarding the free exercise of religion. Section I will explain the legal issues that are relevant in deciding this and similar free exercise cases. Section II will discuss the history and background of the Mozert case. Section III will discuss the different opinions in Mozert. Section IV will analyze and critique the different rationales used to decide this case. After weighing …

Attack On The Eha: The Education For All Handicapped Children Act After Board Of Education V. Rowley, Karl Boettner

Seattle University Law Review

The Rowley Court had the opportunity to reverse state erosions of the EHA. Unfortunately, the Court ratified and encouraged such attacks. The Court's educational benefit standard demands as little as Washington's "suitable education" standard. The Rowley Court suggested a way to sidestep the IEP process which is similar to Washington's avoidance method. Finally, the Court eliminated judicial review of state administrative decisions regarding educational standards and the educational programs of handicapped children. The Rowley Court justified this elimination by claiming that parental ardor and participation in the IEP process were sufficient remaining safeguards for handicapped children. However, effective exclusion of …