U.S. Senator Frank Lautenburg (D-NJ) and Representative Rush Holt (D-NJ-12) have reintroduced legislation which would require colleges and universities to have anti-harrasment policies. The legislation is designed to stop cyberbullying and harassment on college and university campuses and also provides funding for schools to “establish or expand programs that help to prevent student harassment,” according…
Category: Youth & Schools
School employees violated student’s constitutional right to privacy by releasing poorly-redacted psychiatric evaluation to class of 11-graders
L.S. v. Mount Olive Bd. of Educ., No. 09-3052 (D.N.J. Feb. 25, 2011) 2011wl677490 Abstract: A federal district court in New Jersey has decided that a social worker and special education instructor employed by the school board are liable for violating a high school student’s federal and state constitutional right to privacy. After dismissing claims…
ACLU of PA Sues Two Northeast School Districts Over Unconstitutional Drug Testing Policies
The American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania filed separate lawsuits in state court today to stop two northeastern Pennsylvania school districts from randomly drug and alcohol testing students who participate in extracurricular activities, including athletics and school dances, or who drive to school. The ACLU of PA believes the schools’ policies violate a 2003 Pennsylvania…
Ferpa Does Not Prohibit U. of Illinois From Releasing Student Records, Judge Rules
Elyse Ashburn reports on a federal court order that because FERPA does not prohibit the University of Illinois from disclosing educational records of students, the university must disclose them in response to a FOIA request by the Chicago Tribune. I had blogged about the case earlier today. The judge’s analysis seemed to be that because…