Related to: School Law
We have noticed a seemingly greater number of due process hearings around the country related to student discipline and manifestation determinations. This Legal Update will address the “11th hour referral,” a common but complex scenario which triggers several intertwined sets of procedural requirements related to student discipline and manifestation determinations under the Individuals with Disabilities Education…
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On December 18, 2018, the Federal Commission on School Safety issued its much-anticipated final report. The Commission, led by Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, was created by President Trump following the school shooting in Parkland, Florida. It was tasked with “producing a report of policy recommendations in an effort to help prevent future tragedies.” The report…
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As National Bullying Prevention Month draws to a close, it is important to reflect on the legal requirements and best practices for addressing reports of bullying and harassment. Effectively responding to reports of bullying and harassment is critical, not only for protecting the safety and wellbeing of the students, but also for protecting the school…
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There have been new developments in G.G. v. Gloucester, the case involving a transgender student that was previously before the U.S. Supreme Court. As reported in our previous Legal Updates, this case began in 2015 after a school district adopted a policy stating that the use of boys’ and girls’ restroom and locker rooms “shall…
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With each year, technology plays a more significant role in schools and classrooms. For example, most school districts use a web-based student information system to manage student data and share that data with parents and school staff. In addition, if a school district provides a 1:1 device to students, such as an iPad or Chromebook,…
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November 6, 2017 – In a recent decision, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin upheld the validity of Wisconsin’s Open Enrollment Law, Wis. Stat. § 118.51, which permits a school district to consider whether special education or related services are available, or whether there is “space available” for such service, in…
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July 12, 2017 – On June 29, 2017, the Wisconsin Supreme Court issued an important Open Meetings Law decision in State of Wisconsin ex rel. Krueger v. Appleton Area School Dist. Bd. of Ed., 2017 WI 70. This decision focuses on a significant question that school districts face when bringing together groups of employees and others…
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June 23, 2017 – In our June 16, 2017, Legal Update, we mentioned President Trump’s recent Executive Order on Enforcing the Regulatory Reform Agenda. The Executive Order directs Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to conduct a review of the Department of Education’s regulations and guidance documents and determine whether the Department of Education has overreached its…
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The legal landscape relating to transgender students became more complex over the past two weeks. Earlier this month, a group of Minnesota students and parents filed a lawsuit against their local school district, challenging the school district’s decision to permit a transgender student to access the restrooms and locker rooms that correspond to the student’s…
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On May 13, 2016, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division issued a joint guidance document regarding transgender students. The guidance, which is not in the form of a regulation but rather a Dear Colleague Letter, states, “The Departments interpret Title IX to require…
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