The Edu Law

Legal Concepts, Cases, and Procedures

Tag: Student Rights

IEP vs 504 Plan Legal Differences – Eligibility, Protections, Enforcement IEPs give special education; 504 Plans give accommodations
Feb 4
Education, Law

IEP vs 504 Plan Legal Differences – Eligibility, Protections, Enforcement

An IEP and a 504 Plan are not interchangeable documents. An Individualized Education Program is a legally binding special education plan governed by federal special education law and designed for students whose disabilities require specialized instruction. A 504 Plan is a civil rights accommodation plan governed by disability discrimination law and designed for students who […]

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Can a School Suspend a Student Without Due Process – Rules and Timelines Schools must follow due process before suspending a student
Feb 4
Education, Law

Can a School Suspend a Student Without Due Process – Rules and Timelines

A school generally cannot suspend a student without some form of due process, but the amount of process required depends on the length of the suspension, whether the school is public or private, and the jurisdiction. In U.S. public schools, even short suspensions require minimal due process protections, while long-term suspensions and expulsions require formal […]

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Title IX Complaint Process Explained – Timelines, Evidence, Outcomes Title IX complaints force schools to investigate sex discrimination and can lead to discipline or remedies
Feb 3
Education, Law

Title IX Complaint Process Explained – Timelines, Evidence, Outcomes

The direct answer is this: the Title IX complaint process is a structured civil rights procedure that allows students, parents, and employees to report sex-based discrimination or harassment, requires schools to follow specific investigation steps and timelines, and can result in remedies, disciplinary actions, or federal enforcement depending on findings. It is not a criminal […]

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Can Schools Ban Certain Hairstyles or Clothing? Constitutional Limits Explained Schools can set dress rules, but they cannot violate students’ constitutional rights
Feb 2
Constitutional, Law

Can Schools Ban Certain Hairstyles or Clothing? Constitutional Limits Explained

The clear legal answer is this: schools can regulate hairstyles and clothing, but only within constitutional limits, and those limits are tighter than many school policies assume. Public schools, as government actors, must respect students’ constitutional rights. Dress codes and grooming rules are allowed, but bans that are arbitrary, discriminatory, unrelated to education, or that […]

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Can a School Search a Student Phone: Fourth Amendment Rules And Exceptions
Jan 5
Constitutional, Law

Can a School Search a Student Phone: Fourth Amendment Rules And Exceptions

Phones became the default pocket computer for teenagers. Texts, photos, location history, social media, browsing trails, even banking and health apps now live inside one small device that never leaves a student’s hand. School administrators face real safety and discipline problems that often connect directly to phone use. Courts have had to stretch older Fourth […]

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Can Schools Search Your Backpack? Know Your Rights as a Student In the U.S., students have Fourth Amendment rights, but courts allow school officials to conduct searches if they have 'reasonable suspicion', a lower standard than police needing probable cause
Aug 15
Education, Law

Can Schools Search Your Backpack? Know Your Rights as a Student

Your backpack is your personal space. It might carry your journal, your snacks, your headphones, maybe even a lucky charm tucked away in a side pocket. And that makes it feel private. But once you walk through those school doors, the rules about privacy shift. Let’s get real: schools are responsible for keeping students safe. […]

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