Johns Hopkins University
Syllabus Overview – Spring 2006
Anne Arundel County Cohort
School Law I
Assignments for Week I:
May 15, 2006:
Overview of School Law, including constitutional and statutory
underpinnings of the law, equalization of finance, and constitutional right to attend
school. Private sector school law will include a brief overview of contract law. There
will also be some discussion of the 11th Amendment immunity of Maryland’s school
boards.
Assignments:
Fischer, Schimmel & Stellman, Chapter 1
Supreme Court Education cases, Chapter 5
Cases will be assigned by e-mail and/or Blackboard, to
include Board of Education of Somerset County v.
Hornbeck, Rose v. Council for Better Education, San
Antonio School District v. Rodriguez, and Seattle School
District No. 1 v. Washington
As to the nature of Maryland’s public schools, we will
discuss McCarthy v. Board of Education of Anne Arundel
County and Clauss v. Board of Education of Anne Arundel
County. On 11th Amendment immunity, we will examine
Norville v. Board of Education of Anne Arundel County.
In the area of contract law, cases will be assigned from
the private sector, including Loup v. Louisiana State
School for the Deaf
May 17, 2006:
Due Process, Rights of Teachers, grounds for termination, nonrenewal of probationary teacher contracts, certification issues (1st, 2nd class, and
revocation or suspensions of licenses), and collective bargaining. We will also address
academic freedom.
Assignments:
Fischer, Schimmel & Stellman:
Chapters 2, 3, 4, 10,
12, 13
Supreme Court Education Cases:
Chapter 4
Roth v. Board of Regents, Perry v. Sindermann, Nichols v.
Caroline County Board of Education (Maryland State Bd.,
of Education), James v. Baltimore City School Comm’ers,
Waeldner v. Prince George’s County Bd. of Ed., Avery v.
Baltimore County Bd. of Ed., Board of Ed. of Baltimore
County v. Ballard, Hurl v. Board of Education of Howard
County, Rollins v. Board of Education of Worcester Coun-
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ty, Bd. of Ed. of Carroll County v. Carroll County Education Ass’n., Dorchester Educators Assoc. v. Bd. of Ed.
of Dorchester County, and Boring v. Buncombe County
Bd. of Ed., Pickering v. Board of Education
May 22, 2006:
Negligence, defense and insurance coverage, intentional torts, and
Board/teacher liability, including statutory and constitutional immunities; dealing with
child abuse and neglect.
Assignments:
Fischer, et al., Chapters 5, 7
Attorney General’s Opinion: “Family Law – Child Abuse
and Neglect”
Eisel v. Board of Education of Montgomery County, Hunter v. Board of Education of Montgomery County, Matta v.
Board of Education of Prince George’s County, Horace
Mann Ins. Co. v. Montgomery County Bd. of Ed., Tate v.
Prince George’s County Bd. of Ed., Armijo v. Wagon
Mound Public Schools, Newton v. Town of Sharon
May 24, 2006:
Title IX Discrimination, Disability Rights Issues, including
legal and constitutional implications of sexual harassment, IDEA (special education law),
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and race, age, and other forms of employment
discrimination.
Assignments:
Fischer, et al., Chapters 15, 16
Supreme Court Education Cases, Chapter 5
*
IDEA, Section 504:
Pandazides v. Va. Board of Education, Nichols v.
Harford County Bd. of Ed, Schaeffer v. Weast,
Cedar Rapids Community School District v. Garret F., Honig v. Doe
*
Title IX, Sex Harassment
Jackson v. Birmingham Bd. of Ed., Gebser v. Lago
Vista School District, Davis v. Monroe County Bd.
of Ed., Flores v. Morgan Hill Unified School,
Downs v. Bd. of Ed. of Baltimore County (MSDE),
Clark County School District v. Breeden
May 31, 2006:
Student Free Speech and other freedoms, including
student dress and speech; suspension and expulsion; drug testing and searches.
Assignments:
Fischer, et al., Chapter 19
Supreme Court Education Cases, Chapter 3
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Tinker v. Des Moines Community School District,
Isaacs v. Bd. of Ed. of Howard County, Massie v.
Henry, Pyle v. S. Hadley School Committee, Goss v.
Lopez, Mayberry v. Bd. of ed. of Anne Arundel
County, Ratner v. Loudon County Bd. of Ed.., New
Jersey v. T.L.O., In re Patrick Y., Cornfield v. Consolidated High School Dist. No. 230, Vernonia Dist.
47C v. Acton, Harper v. Poway Unified School District, Frederick v. Morse, Hazelwood School Dist. v.
Kuhlmeier, Bethel School Dist. v. Fraser
June 1, 2006: Desegregation, Affirmative Action, and race discrimination in the schools.
Assignments:
Fischer, Chapter 14
Supreme Court Education Cases, Chapter 1
Brown v. Board of Education I, II, Eisenberg v.
Montgomery County Bd. of Ed., Missouri v. Jenkins,
Belk v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg School District,
Gratz v. University of Michigan, Jackson v. Wygant,
Piscataway Bd. of Ed. v. Taxman, Comfort v. Lynn
School Committee, Thomas County Branch of the
NAACP v. City of Thomasville School District,
Love-Lane v. Martin
We will also cover student records issues, including FERPA.
Assignments:
Fischer, Chapter 17
Owasso Ind. School District v. Falvo, Gonzaga
University v. Doe
June 5, 2006: Religion and the Schools, No Child Left Behind, and Final Examination.
Assignments:
Fischer, Chapter 10, 20
Supreme Court Education Cases, Chapter 2
Wallace v. Jaffree, Lee v. Weisman, Kitzmiller v.
Dover Area School District, Mergens v. West Side
High School, Brown v. Gilmore, Myers v. Loudon
County School Bd., Zelman v. Simmons-Harris,
Doe v. Santa Fe School District.
ACORN v. Bd. of Ed. of New York, Pontiac v.
Spellings, National Law Center on Homelessness &
Poverty v. New York, et al.
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