Law Commons^™

Corporal Punishment In The Public Schools: The Legal Question, William Irwin Arbuckle Iii

Akron Law Review

PUBLIC EDUCATION in the United States has come a long way since the one-room schoolhouse days. This phenomenal growth has been paced by the controversy surrounding the use of corporal punishment as a means of enforcing discipline in the schools. From the oldest reported case reaching the issue of corporal punishment' back in 1833 down to the present, the proponents of corporal punishment have had to defend their actions in the courts from a wide variety of attacks based on criminal law, tort law, state statutes, school board regulations and, most recently, constitutional guarantees. Although the attacks on corporal punishment …

Student Rights Under The Due Process Clause . . . Suspensions From Public Schools; Goss V. Lopez, Glenn W. Soden

Akron Law Review

IN ADDRESSING ITSELF to the constitutionality of Section 3316.66 of the Ohio Revised Code,' the United States Supreme Court in Goss v. Lopez has ruled for the first time upon the extent to which the rights of students are to be protected under the due process clause of the fourteenth amendment in conjunction with any disciplinary removal from a public school. By its action the Court has tacitly undertaken to lift the cloud on student rights which has existed under the common law doctrine of in loco parentis, and interpose procedural safeguards upon any decision of school officials to deprive …

Drug Urinalysis In The Public Schools: Going Beyond T.L.O., James J. Cummings

Akron Law Review

The approach taken here will be to discuss briefly the fourth amendment, review traditional doctrines involving school searches, analyze the recent United States Supreme Court decision in New Jersey v. T.L.O., describe the relevant issues in a urinalysis search and recommend the standard by which such procedures should be judged.

Mathew Fraser Sheds His Consititutional Rights To Freedom Of Speech At The Schoolhouse Gates, Karrie M. Kalai

Akron Law Review

The Constitution does not bestow an "unbridled license giving immunity for every possible use of language." The first amendment is not the guardian of unregulated talkativeness. Accordingly, the state's power to control the conduct of children reaches beyond the scope of its authority over adults, and the well-being of children is one subject entirely within the state's constitutional power to regulate. While children clearly have some first amendment rights, these rights differ in important respects from the rights enjoyed by adults. As the Supreme Court noted, "the world of children is not strictly part of the adult realm of free …

The Edward's Decision: The End Of Creationism In Our Public Schools?, Juliana S. Moore

Akron Law Review

Although many previous cases addressing this issue have gained national attention perhaps no other issue since the famous Scope's "monkey trial" has raised as much controversy as Louisiana's adoption of the "Creationism Act." Now, one thing is certain; when Susie's dad asks her what she learned in school today, she most certainly won't reply that she learned about creationism in science class. The Supreme Court's recent ruling' has insured that the separation between church and state in our public schools will remain. This casenote attempts to examine that ruling, its relationship to similar cases and its impact in the future …

Kuhlmeier V. Hazelwood School District: The First Amendment Rights Of Public High School Students, Edward S. Muse

Akron Law Review

In Kuhlmeier v. Hazelwood School District, the Supreme Court held that high school students' first amendment rights were not violated when their principal deleted articles from the school newspaper. The Court stated that the school newspaper was not a "public forum" for expression which normally receives full first amendment protection. The Court further held that the school principal did not violate students' first amendment rights when he restricted the printing of articles due to the effect that they could have on other students.

The Supreme Court's decision will undoubtedly curtail students' rights to free speech and press. This casenote …

Utilizing School Voucher Programs To Remedy School Financing Problems, Dominick Cirelli

Akron Law Review

This comment will focus on the existing problems in school financing, and the judicial treatment of these problems. Additionally, this comment will address whether school voucher programs are a viable option in addressing school financing inequities,"' with a particular focus on the existing voucher programs in Cleveland and Milwaukee." Finally, this comment will evaluate whether a voucher program would survive equal protection scrutiny.

The Contemporary Significance Of Meyer And Pierce For Parental Rights Issues Involving Education, William G. Ross

Akron Law Review

Despite their ringing declarations about human rights, Meyer and Pierce were both formally decided largely on the basis of property rights -- the liberty of the schools to conduct a business, the right of private school teachers to follow their occupation, and the freedom of the schools and the parents to enter into contracts. Although the Court easily could have decided the cases on the bases of freedom of religion or freedom of speech, the Court had not yet incorporated any part of the Bill of Rights into state law, and it was not prepared to begin the process of …

Free At Last? Charter Schools And The "Deregulated" Curriculum, Molly O'Brien

Akron Law Review

This paper will explore the prospects for charter school reform to provide curricular innovation and will point out several provisions in the legal organization of charter schools that will limit the possibilities for major innovation or radical reform of the official curriculum. This paper will also take stock of the autocratic and bureaucratic nature of the current public school model and weigh the possibility for charter schools to transform schools into places that embody democratic and community values. Charter schooling presents an exciting opportunity for school reform that rejects the factory model of public schooling and establishes both an official …

Religion In The Schools: On Prayer, Neutrality, And Sectarian Perspectives, Mark Strasser

Akron Law Review

About sixty years ago the United States Supreme Court decided Everson v. Board of Education, a case marking the beginning of modern Establishment Clause jurisprudence. Since then, in cases ranging from challenges to programs providing on-site religious education during school hours to challenges of school refusals to permit after-school lectures from a religious perspective, the Court has had several opportunities to clarify the respects in which religious education may be associated with public schools without violating constitutional guarantees. The Court’s analysis of the implicated issues has been remarkably inconsistent, both in tone and in substance. Indeed, the reasoning most recently …