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The article summarizes the court case Simonian versus Fowler Unified School District, et al, which involves the unequal protection claim of a high school student relating to the disciplinary action imposed to him by school officials. The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California denied the motion of the district to dismiss the case. The court ruled that reliance on state law was misplaced.

The article reports on the decision of the Commissioner of Education for the New York Board of Education to order a school district to readmit a student to school after his eight-month suspension. The Commissioner concluded that the penalty of suspension for over one year for the student was excessive. The student was suspended for engaging in a fight with another student.

Provides suggestions to school officials when setting the appropriate balance between a duty to regulate student dress and the rights of young people to express themselves. Importance of seeking input from parents; Significance of developing clear, concise policies that carefully define the rules, whether dealing with dress codes broadly or uniforms; Reason it is a good idea to reward students who comply with policies.

The article discusses a case on the 10-day suspension and alternative placement of Justin Layshock, high school senior in the Hermitage School District in Pennsylvania. Layshock was suspended after creating a parody profile of Eric Trosch, his high school principal, in the Internet site MySpace.com. The court found that Layshock caused actual disruption on the school operations.