Uncovering What Is a “Reasonable” School Administrator

• In Event: Education Law and Policy Issues in Education

Abstract

Courts often mention that their analysis is based on reasonableness of decisions based on how an objective person in society would act. Yet, these cases analyze challenges regarding an action (or inaction) to circumstances that an ordinary person in society would likely never face. These circumstances typically require a reasonable person who is familiar with the specialized role of the school operations or the event’s circumstances. In other words, courts have implicitly held the reasonableness standard in terms of an “objective” or “reasonable” school administrator. The purpose of this study is to explore through judicial opinions what courts have described as a reasonable administrator when addressing conflicts between a school and its students.

Authors

• Jeffrey C. Sun, University of Louisville

• Philip T.K. Daniel, The Ohio State University, William and Marie Flesher Professor of Educational Administration