What is one major advantage of solid-state drives (SSDs) com…
Questions
Whаt is оne mаjоr аdvantage оf solid-state drives (SSDs) compared to hard disk drives (HDDs)?
13.
Questiоn Twо (One Hоur аnd а Hаlf) Lydia Brooks is a 16 year old junior in a public high school in the state of Adams. After many conversations with her therapist about emotional struggles in her life at school and at home, she, with her doctor’s guidance, has realized she is a “furry”, which, in her case, requires her to take on the persona of a fox. To be emotionally healthy, Lydia must dress as a fox, meaning that she wears a custom designed fox suit that, when she dons it, makes her feel emotionally secure and confident so that, when she embodies her persona, she can successfully deal with life’s problems. Lydia’s parents support her and her pursuit of life as a furry. They believe that she must pursue this course for her emotional well-being and agree that she should particularly take on her persona at school. When Lydia began to take on her persona at school, the press and public took notice. Many were outraged by Lydia’s actions, including members of the Adams state legislature, several of which sponsored a bill banning anyone, including students, faculty, administrators, or staff, from wearing costumes of any kind to a public school, unless the wearing of the costume was related to a specific school event (such as serving as a school mascot at a school athletic or other public event) and was approved by the school’s principal based on that event. The bill specifically provides that the ban must be enforced even if the parents of the child and the leaders of the school consent to the student wearing the costume to school. One of the bill’s sponsors stated on the legislative floor that “Our teachers have enough problems without having to deal with students bringing their bizarre emotional problems to school. If people want to wear distracting costumes, they can find a private school that is willing to take them. Students trying to learn shouldn’t be a prop for disturbed people working out their issues or parents who don’t have the character to do their job.” The bill has passed, and her school has told Lydia that if she wants to continue at the school, she must leave the costume at home. Lydia and her parents have sued. In addition, Lydia was a member of the school’s softball team. She worked hard to win a place on the team (several students were cut) and, like the parents of the other players, Lydia and her parents, when Lydia made the team, signed an agreement given to them by the team coach promising that the player will make all the practices and games, follow the team rules, and avoid taking any actions that “are detrimental to the interests of the team.” While Lydia has never worn the fox suit to practice and games, has made every practice and game, as well as having an otherwise spotless personal record, Lydia’s coach has dismissed her from the team, finding that the public controversy she has created is a distraction that is detrimental to the interest of the team. She refuses to even meet with Lydia to hear her side of the story. Lydia believes she is entitled to tell the coach how she feels about herself and how she can help the team. The coach believes there is nothing she can say that can change what has happened. Lydia has sued. Closely following events in Adams is Rep. Dana Thompson, a U.S. Congress member from Vermont. She believes that the Adams legislature has set a precedent that, if not legislatively checked, will have ramifications for freedom and equality for people like Lydia across the nation. She has filed a bill forbidding any state or local government from depriving any particular group of students the right to attend public school by establishing rules of behavior targeting these students which are solely motivated by animus toward that group. Adams denies that it has done nothing of the kind. Tensions have gotten higher in other ways as well. While attending at an event at the school, Lydia’s father heard Ted Howard, a parent he did not know and who did not know him, loudly say to several people in the room that “This Brooks girl is a freak. She needs to be institutionalized. Maybe a zoo will take her!” Lydia’s father became enraged and had to be escorted from the room before he accosted Howard. Police officers on duty at the school were then called to the room. After investigating, they arrested Howard for violating a city ordinance that states: “No person may engage in any conduct that has the effect of provoking an immediate breach of the peace by another person witnessing such conduct, assuming that a reasonable person witnessing the conduct would have been so provoked.” Howard is furious and believes his rights have been violated. Other leaders in the Adams legislature have come to the conclusion that our society has to find ways to get along better. The legislature to that end has established a degree program at the University of Adams (a public university) in public mediation. The program provides for 100 new students each year, with at least 50% of tuition paid for each accepted applicant. The program has proved very popular and competitive, with at least 10 applicants for each spot. When establishing the program, the relevant legislative committees held hearings in which national experts testified regarding the state of the research regarding who makes effective mediators. Several of the experts testified that much of the psychological research demonstrates that women, on average, because of their different approach to personal relationships compared to men (again, taken on average) make better mediators. (A few of the experts dissented from this conclusion.) The majority of the legislature, in part because of the testimony of the experts regarding the best mediators and in part in order to provide more opportunities for women seeking professional positions, provided in the bill establishing the program that every female applicant accepted in the program will receive a full tuition (100%) scholarship. (The program directors will select the best 100 people, but the legislature wants to encourage the best women to apply.) Joe Dennis, a male who was accepted in the program but was only awarded the minimum 50% scholarship, is angry and has sued. You are an Assistant State Attorney General. Write a memo to your supervisor analyzing all the constitutional issues regarding: the lawsuit by Lydia and her parents; Lydia’s lawsuit regarding her dismissal from the team; the proposed bill by Thompson; Howard’s legal challenge; and the lawsuit by Joe Dennis. Make sure you fully explain both the constitutional bases for any causes of action, as well as the legal defenses that can be raised against the claims. Do not discuss any areas of the law that were not covered in class.