The 2021 Regular Session of the Connecticut General Assembly concluded on June 9, 2021, but the primary source of action on education law issues was a special session of the General Assembly and ensuing “budget implementer”...more
8/10/2021
/ Charter Schools ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Educational Institutions ,
Emergency Management Plans ,
General Assembly ,
Hairstyle Discrimination ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Native American Issues ,
Public Sector Unions ,
School Districts ,
Special Education ,
State and Local Government ,
State Budgets ,
Team Mascots ,
Vaccinations ,
Wage and Hour
It is not uncommon for school districts and parents to disagree over what is to be included in a child’s individualized education program (“IEP”). The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (“IDEA”) provides a process...more
The new Title IX regulations addressing sexual harassment in elementary and secondary schools went into effect August 14, 2020. These regulations prescribe the exact way that schools must now address sexual harassment of...more
10/8/2020
/ Complaint Procedures ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Educational Institutions ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
OCR ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Reporting Requirements ,
School Districts ,
Sexual Harassment ,
Title IX
Hidden within the concerns surrounding reopening schools during a pandemic is the requirement that the new Title IX regulations go into effect on August 14, 2020. ...more
7/29/2020
/ Colleges ,
Educational Institutions ,
FERPA ,
Gender-Based Violence ,
IDEA ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
School Districts ,
Sexual Assault ,
Sexual Harassment ,
Sexual Violence Policies ,
Students ,
Title IX ,
Universities
As you are all aware, a basic educational requirement in the State of Connecticut is that each school district must make a minimum of 180 days of instruction available to students each school year. ...more
3/17/2020
/ Attendance ,
China ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Crisis Management ,
Department of Education ,
Distance Learning ,
Educational Institutions ,
Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) ,
IDEA ,
Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Public Health ,
School Districts ,
Section 504 ,
Special Education ,
Students
Connecticut law [C.G.S. §17a-106h] requires that “persons employed by a local or regional board of education … who have contact with students” receive mandatory training on prompt identification and reporting of suspected...more
In this day and age where, sadly, tragedies have struck numerous schools across the country, the question of when schools are allowed to share personally identifiable student information with law enforcement frequently...more
Once again, the Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (“OSERS”) has weighed in on the rights of school districts to limit outside evaluators from accessing school classrooms. The...more
In what appears to be the first decision on this issue in the country, a federal court in California granted a high school athlete’s request for an injunction overturning his high school’s prohibition against athletes...more
Following the United States Supreme Court’s decision of earlier this year in Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District, appellate courts, including the United States Supreme Court, have typically remanded special education...more
Does a school district violate the First Amendment when it prohibits a football coach from kneeling on the fifty yard line and praying with students and members of the public at the end of each high school football game? The...more
The Second Circuit Court of Appeals recently addressed the issue of whether a school district can ban a parent from school property during the school day and/or during on-site sporting events based on the parent’s prior...more
In what appears to be the first case of its kind within the Second Circuit, a United States District Court Judge within the District of Connecticut has crafted an order of over $200,000 in compensatory damages for a school...more
On January 11, 2017, the United States Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District, a case likely to change the landscape of special education by redefining the level of education that is...more
On October 22, 2016, the US Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (“OSEP”), via its latest informal guidance/opinion letter (“Letter to Carroll”), once again addressed whether, once a school...more
The legislature, this year, put in place significant changes relative to the expulsion of students which will supposedly go into effect on August 15, 2017. Assuming that the legislature leaves intact these changes during the...more