Related to: Department of Education

OCR Releases New Q&A Guidance for K-12 Public Schools Regarding Educating Students with Disabilities during COVID-19

On September 28, the Department of Education Office for Civil Rights (OCR) published thirteen questions and answers pertaining to public schools in the current COVID-19 environment. While this document is not legally binding, it gives insight into the OCR’s position on various new topics. The OCR references the newest CDC guidance which encourages local communities…

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Title IX Sexual Harassment Policy Checklist

As we reviewed in a previous Legal Update, the U.S. Department of Education issued new Title IX regulations establishing requirements for a school district’s response to reports of sexual harassment in its programs or activities.  The new regulations went into effect on August 14, 2020, as schools were inundated with issues related to COVID-19 and school…

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Federal Court of Appeals Allows Transgender Student’s Title IX Claim to Move Forward, Defers to DOE’s Interpretation of Title IX Regulations

Last week, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a lower court’s decision dismissing a transgender student’s Title IX discrimination claim against his school district. Notably, the Fourth Circuit deferred to the Department of Education’s interpretation of the Title IX regulations in making its decision. Because the Fourth Circuit is the highest court to have…

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