A LEGISLATIVE AND JUDICIAL ANALYSIS OF SEXUAL RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN AMERICAN SECONDARY STUDENTS AND THEIR TEACHERS (318

The purpose of this study is to analyze legislation and case law regarding sexual relationships between American secondary school students and their teachers. Chapter one provides an introduction to the study, and chapter two reviews relevant literature. In chapter three, codes of criminal and administrative law are reviewed to determine which sexual relationships between educators and students are permissible and prohibited in each state. Federal statutes, including Title IX of the Rehabilitation Act of 1972 and § 1983 of Title 42 of the United States Code, are reviewed to determine how federal law applies to sexual relationships between teachers and students. Next, case law is reviewed to determine how state and federal courts have ruled regarding sexual relationships between teachers and students. While the primary focus of the dissertation is sexual relationships between teachers and students, case law related to sexual relationships between students and other school employees is reviewed as well. In chapter four, the dissertation reviews state and federal court cases in which employees terminated for engaging in sexual relationships with students filed suit against their former employers or state boards of education alleging wrongful termination or other