Civil Rights › Education Law

Has the School Properly Tested Your Child?

An interesting new article addresses a common problem in special education law--whether the school's evaluation is adequate. Mark Weber's article, "All Suspected Areas of Disability," discusses new case law, and points out...more

Board Candidate Files Suit After State’s Attorney Serves Quo Warranto Action

In Parker v. Lyons, 2013 WL 1624336 (C.D. Ill. 2013), a candidate filed a nominating petition with the requisite number of signatures and was later served with a quo warranto action by the State’s Attorney. The quo warranto...more

Playing Cards With a Government That Stacks the Deck - D.C. District Court Radically Expands The "Christian Doctrine" To...

On March 30, 2013, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia issued a decision imposing certain socio-economic contract requirements on subcontractors operating hospitals associated with the University of...more

Federal Court Determines That The Fair Housing Act Applies To University Housing

In United States of America v. University of Nebraska at Kearney, et al., the United States District Court for the District of Nebraska granted partial summary judgment against the University of Nebraska at Kearny in a case...more

Appellate Court: Tenured Teachers May be Terminated for “Disability” Without Violating CFEPA

The Connecticut Appellate Court yesterday released two notable employment law decisions. They won’t become “official” until April 30, 2013, so you have some time to digest them. I’ll cover one today and leave the other for a...more

Texas Moves Forward with Bill to Ensure Flexibility in Admissions

On April 9, 2013, the Texas Senate approved a bill allowing the University of Texas at Austin (UT-Austin) to maintain its cap on automatic admissions through at least 2017 no matter the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Fisher...more

Sixth Circuit Stands by School System's Promotion Decisions

Both public and private employers should take note of a recent decision by the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals that rejected a disgruntled employee’s contention that she was denied promotion because of a “perceived...more

Wrongful Termination Suit Filed in Rutgers Basketball Scandal

Former basketball assistant Eric Murdock has filed a wrongful termination suit against Rutgers University amid the fallout following the disclosure of head coach Mike Rice’s abusive behavior toward the players. ...more

Supreme Court To Hear Case On Michigan Affirmative Action Ban

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear another major affirmative action case, Schuette v. Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action, No. 12-682. At issue is the legality of Michigan's voter-approved ban of using racial preferences...more

CWP 2693 of 2010/ 9968 of 2009 [Hemant Goswami vs. Union of India]

Final Order of High Court in Child Labour Case

Under the J.J. Act of 2000, a person up to the age of 18 years is treated as ‘child’. Same age is prescribed under the CPCR Act, 2005 as well. However when it comes to prohibition of Child Labour Act of 1986, the definition...more

Colorado School Denies Six-Year-Old Transgender Student’s Request To Use Girls’ Bathroom

As The New York Times recently reported, a Colorado school district is facing a lawsuit after refusing to allow a six-year-old transgender student to use the girls’ bathroom in a local elementary school. The case highlights...more

Supreme Court Doubles Up On Affirmative Action Cases

The U.S. Supreme Court has decided to hear a second higher education affirmative action case this term, even while a decision on the first is expected to be released imminently....more

District Court Finds Boys’ Basketball Haircut Policy Does Not Constitute Discrimination Or Infringe Student Rights

In Hayden v. Greensburg Community School Corporation, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana found that a school’s haircut policy for the boys’ basketball team did not constitute gender discrimination,...more

Handling Complaints of Harassment Made Against Non-Employees

As we have previously noted, employers often wonder what to do when an employee makes a harassment complaint, but the alleged harasser is not another employee. The employer cannot simply do nothing, but it also generally does...more

Religious Institutions Update: March 2013

In this Issue: - Key Cases - Court Upholds Permitting, Licensing and Zoning Regulation of Spiritual Counselors - Non-Liturgical Navy Chaplains Denied Injunctive Relief for Statistical Imbalance in...more

Weekly Brief: Are Scholarships a Bait-and-Switch For Law Students?  [Video]

Mar. 21 (Bloomberg Law) -- Bloomberg Law's Lee Pacchia runs through the legal news for the week. A new study shows an average of 69% of law students retain their scholarships after their first year. Also, we have a look at...more

University School of Milwaukee to Pay $37,500 in EEOC Pregnancy Discrimination Suit

Employee Was Fired Because of Her Pregnancy, Federal Agency Charged - MILWAUKEE - A Milwaukee K-12 school will pay $37,500 and furnish other relief to settle a pregnancy discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal...more

DOJ ADA Settlement Involving Hepatitis B Sends Critical Message to Higher Ed and Medical Providers

The DOJ has concluded that two medical schools had no lawful basis for excluding applicants who had active cases of Hepatitis B because they could not show that these individuals posed a direct threat to the health and safety...more

Transgender Youth Barred From Girls’ Restroom

Coy Mathis, born a male, has identified as a female since the age of 18 months. Now at six-years old she must confront issues that far exceed the normal trials and tribulations of the first grade classroom. Coy has dressed in...more

Department Of Education Asks School Leaders To Address Gender-Based Violence

In a Dear Colleague letter issued last week to chief state school officers, the U.S. Department of Education called for immediate action to reduce gender-based violence in schools. The letter is short and sets forth only a...more

Christian School Files Lawsuit Against Former Teachers

The Little Oaks Private School, a Christian school based in Thousand Oaks, California, recently filed a lawsuit against two of its former teachers after they threatened a lawsuit. The teachers were fired last August when they...more

Electioneering In Math Class

Politics in math class? Students at Brevard Community College were not only directed to solve mathematical equations but told who they should vote for in the presidential election. Sharon Sweet, a professor at the college,...more

SMMUSD IRRESPONSIBILITY ENDANGERS OUR CHILDREN

http://www.smmusdsafety.org/ SMMUSD IRRESPONSIBILITY ENDANGERS OUR CHILDREN The SMMUSD demonstrates a consistent pattern of evading responsibility for child safety. The SMMUSD has refused to answer questions about...more

Forbidding or Allowing Student Religious Speech

A recent unpublished case discusses when a school can forbid student religious speech. If the speech is school-sponsored expressive speech, the school has much more leeway to exercise editorial control, needing only to relate...more

University of Maryland Faculty Physicians, Inc. Will Pay $92,500 to Settle EEOC Disability Lawsuit

Medical Practice Fired Employee Because of Her Crohn's Disease, Federal Agency Charged - BALTIMORE - University of Maryland Faculty Physicians, Inc. will pay $92,500 and furnish other relief to settle a disability...more