Are you at liberty in school to sing or write music using any words or phrases?  Does the method of communication give you more leeway in expressing yourself?  Is “music” speech and therefore protected under the First Amendment? Courts have addressed these questions and determined that music, …

In 1972, Congress passed the Equal Opportunity in Education Act, popularly referred to as Title IX.  The intended purpose of the law is to eliminate discrimination on the basis of gender in public and private schools that receive federal funds. Most public schools receive federal …

 The display of the Confederate flag, as shown here, has been the subject of numerous lawsuits. In January, 2009, a federal court ruled against students wearing the Confederate flag at school and agreed with the school district’s ban of this type of symbolic speech.* Three high school …

 The answer is yes – there are a handful of states with laws regarding different forms of student expression rights. As you know, the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution grants you freedom of speech and assembly. States can also provide protection for its citizens by passing their own laws or …

In May, 2007 a school security officer at Monarch High School in Colorado saw a 16-year-old sophomore smoking in the school parking lot. He took the student to the assistant principal’s office where his cell phone was taken. His text messages were read and some were transcribed …

Ryan White was thirteen years old when he was diagnosed with the virus that causes AIDS. He had been infected by treatments for his hemophilia. In 1985, he was barred from attending his high school in Indiana and therefore his education because school officials were …