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161 votes

Can a public school in the USA force a 14yr old to create a Twitter account for a passing grade?

You say: the school expects him to create a public Twitter account, with his real information, in order to promote the program & the results of the program. This is a cut-and-dried case of ...
Paul Johnson's user avatar
  • 13.7k
152 votes

A student slipped a drug into my coffee — what are the legal ramifications of this situation?

If the pill contained a harmful or noxious substance, this is battery, which is a crime in Lousiana ("the intentional administration of a poison or other noxious liquid or substance to another"). ...
user6726's user avatar
  • 215k
130 votes

Can a university legally enforce a policy preventing students from creating their own wireless networks?

Yes they can You are approaching this from the wrong direction. Their right to enforce what you can and can't do doesn't come from radio-spectrum law; it comes from property and contract law. You ...
Dale M's user avatar
  • 215k
69 votes

Can a public school in the USA force a 14yr old to create a Twitter account for a passing grade?

I think some of the answers are good but taking a long approach. Much easier approach: Student: "I can't do the assignment." Teacher: "Why?" Student: "Twitter won't let me sign-up" Teacher: "...
blankip's user avatar
  • 1,069
35 votes

Can a public school in the USA force a 14yr old to create a Twitter account for a passing grade?

I would suggest reaching out to the ACLU in addition to the EFF on the matter as the school could be in violation of multiple constitutional rights by compelling the student's participation on Twitter....
hszmv's user avatar
  • 23k
34 votes

is it illegal to falsely use an unrelated act to block/ban things?

No it is not illegal A school can ban or block online content from its own computers or connections as its administrators or teachers think proper, and does not need any law that authorizes or ...
David Siegel's user avatar
33 votes

A student slipped a drug into my coffee — what are the legal ramifications of this situation?

Edit 11/13/2018 Yes, I'm aware this answer does not address "what are the legal ramifications"; it is rather an overview of what the OP should consider doing in order to protect her case and herself ...
BlueDogRanch's user avatar
  • 18.9k
33 votes

Can a university make rules about students' lives outside campus?

With respect to disciplining its students and employees, a private school can basically do whatever it wants. There's more freedom to do so with respect to students than with employees, who have ...
bdb484's user avatar
  • 60.8k
33 votes

US: Is there any subject that it is unlawful to teach in schools?

A teacher could not instruct students in how to build explosives for use in Federal crimes: It shall be unlawful for any person to teach or demonstrate the making or use of an explosive, a ...
James K's user avatar
  • 996
32 votes

Does art. 12(1) of the German Basic Law require students to be automatically graduated regardless of grades?

No What it means is that no German can be forced by the government into a job, education or place of work. So for example, the Government cannot come and say "we are short on railroad workers, ...
nvoigt's user avatar
  • 8,781
31 votes

Can a university legally enforce a policy preventing students from creating their own wireless networks?

They aren't allowed to jam your networks, per this Mariott case. However, that doesn't prevent them from enforcing their contract terms and various "acceptable use policies" based on your ...
pjc50's user avatar
  • 1,157
25 votes

Can a university legally enforce a policy preventing students from creating their own wireless networks?

I am not a lawyer, but I do run the IT department at a small college where this issue has come up a few times. Our reading of the situation (other institutions may read it differently) is I am not ...
Joel Coehoorn's user avatar
24 votes

US: Is there any subject that it is unlawful to teach in schools?

In 1925 Tennessee passed the Butler Act, which prohibited the teaching of evolution in public schools, more specifically the teaching that "mankind was descended from a lower type". This law ...
David Siegel's user avatar
23 votes

A student slipped a drug into my coffee — what are the legal ramifications of this situation?

Whether you choose to press charges is up to you, and not to the school. If you do though, make sure you have copies of all evidence relating to the school investigation and the student's suspension, ...
Graham's user avatar
  • 2,779
18 votes
Accepted

Is handing out bibles near school property a 1st amendment violation?

The Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution does not prohibit people with no affiliation with the government from trying to convert people to their religion in a ...
ohwilleke's user avatar
  • 225k
17 votes
Accepted

Can a university legally enforce a policy preventing students from creating their own wireless networks?

No They Can't FCC Public Notice DA 04-1844 on "Rules Governing Customer Antennas And Other Unlicensed Equipment" addresses colleges and universities, and sounds to me like it is specifically ...
9072997's user avatar
  • 666
17 votes

What can happen if you violate a cease and desist letter?

A cease and desist letter is basically a formal way of them saying, "stop what you are doing, and please don't do it again." It is not proof of tortious conduct by you, nor is it proof of ...
Gregory Currie's user avatar
16 votes
Accepted

Could a high school teacher require their students to register to vote in New York?

According to New York law ELN § 17-142: Except as allowed by law, any person who directly or indirectly, by himself or through any other person: 1. Pays, lends or contributes, or offers or promises ...
D M's user avatar
  • 7,223
16 votes

Does art. 12(1) of the German Basic Law require students to be automatically graduated regardless of grades?

I don't think it can be interpreted that way, particularly due to the second sentence in your quote: The practice of an occupation or profession may be regulated by a law. And such laws (or at least ...
PMF's user avatar
  • 6,486
16 votes

Is an umbrella school a "high school"?

Without knowing the specifics on Florida Goverment's regulations, the term Umbrella School is used to designate school like organizations that over see multiple homeschoolers and that they are meeting ...
hszmv's user avatar
  • 23k
14 votes

Can a university legally enforce a policy preventing students from creating their own wireless networks?

The only avenue for a legally-enforceable restriction against running your own network on campus would be via the contract arising from enrollment at the school. If this is a government-operated ...
user6726's user avatar
  • 215k
14 votes
Accepted

Can you take action against a miserable pass-rate of an exam?

No, the result of an exam is not actionable. The court could only make a decision whether legal proceedings were met. However, the grader’s decision whether a particular answer (and thus the overall ...
Kai Burghardt's user avatar
13 votes

Could the federal government mandate state universities to not discriminate against out-of-state students?

Such a law could probably be passed under the authority of the interstate commerce clause of the Constitution. Price controls on various products have previously been justified under that clause.
David Siegel's user avatar
13 votes

Do US public school students have a First Amendment right to be able to perform sacred music?

This question mixes up two separate although related issues: Does a student have a first amendment right to perform "sacred" music during school time? Is a public school allowed to include ...
David Siegel's user avatar
13 votes
Accepted

Is an umbrella school a "high school"?

It is asking me whether I am "currently enrolled in high school" and I am not sure what that would entail. I am currently being homeschooled under an umbrella school called "Florida ...
John Bollinger's user avatar
13 votes
Accepted

Why does a highschooler (in the US) who has turned 18 still need to have liability waivers signed by parents?

There is no legal need for this to be done (and arguably, a waiver signed by a parent and not by an eighteen year old student in addition or instead, is not even a legally valid waiver). But the "...
ohwilleke's user avatar
  • 225k
13 votes

I want to remove school record that reveal my trans status. Can my complaint use terms which stipulate this without identifying as 'transgender'?

These discrepancies probably won't hurt your complaint. To be successful, your complaint needs to lay out a set of facts that support a claim for legal relief. Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(a)(2). But the facts ...
bdb484's user avatar
  • 60.8k
12 votes
Accepted

Is it legal to swear at school?

The First Amendment is absolutely relevant to the question (in a public school which is subject to the First Amendment, because it is a governmental entity), although it isn't the end of the story. ...
ohwilleke's user avatar
  • 225k
12 votes

A student slipped a drug into my coffee — what are the legal ramifications of this situation?

I think the other answers are off-base to the extent that they assume that what the student put in your drink is "noxious," "harmful," or "poison." As you describe it, ...
bdb484's user avatar
  • 60.8k

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