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The Supreme Court's recent decision in Good News Club v. Milford Central School continued a two-decade trend of cases addressing the merger of two First Amendment freedoms: freedom of speech [...]

Numerous court cases have shaped public education in the United States. Notable cases dealing with equal access to education, freedom of speech, religion in schools and student safety and discipline are described.

It is getting to be predictable. Just about the time summer arrives, the Supreme Court hands down a major church-state decision. To some people what is not so predictable is [...]

A series of questions regarding the charges of violation of First Amendments establishment and free exercise clauses and religious beliefs made by parents on Wheaton district's use of materials for supplementary programs is discussed to show that elimination of educational materials in response to religions objections is not advisable. The Appellate Court dismissed the parents' free exercise and establishment clauses claims and ignored the charge that the materials promote belief in supernatural beings. The ruling showed that principals need not feel threatened by opposition based on parental religious beliefs.

Analysis of the recent US Supreme Court cases of Board of Education v. Mergens and Lee v. Weisman suggests that student-initiated religious speech is constitutionally protected, but organized religious exercises are prohibited in public schools unless attendance is voluntary. The First Amendment right to freedom of speech covers religious speech by individual students, but the Establishment Clause governs formal religious exercises where coercion is a concern.