Education Law › Criminal Law › Civil Remedies

Schoolyard Bullies Facing Criminal Charges

What is the line between schoolyard bully and criminal? A Colorado teen is about to find out after police recommended assault charges for a 15-year-old who allegedly beat up a girl in the school lunch room. The mother...more

Jury Awards $1.7M to Victim of Sexual Assault on School Bus

Apparently India isn’t the only place where girls are sexually assaulted on buses. As six suspects in the fatal gang rape of a student on a public bus in Delhi stand trial, on this side of the world, a jury in Florida awarded...more

Suing For Wrongful Death Or Injury Following A College Hazing

The parents of Robert Champion from Decatur have been offered $300,000 by Florida A&M University to settle a wrongful death lawsuit related to the hazing of their son. The incident occurred in November of 2011 when students...more

$60 Million and Counting – Lessons from Penn State

On July 23, the NCAA imposed severe monetary and participation sanctions on the Penn State football program with the purpose of bringing about a cultural change at the school. NCAA President Mark Emmert stated “the...more

Pennsylvania Court Considers Coverage for Gerry Sandusky Under D&O Policy

In its recent decision in Federal Ins. Co. v. Sandusky, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 76880 (M.D. Pa. June 4, 2012), the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania had occasion to consider whether a D&O...more

Child Rape Victims Awarded $4 Million in California Lawsuit

Two grade-school victims of a predatory gym teacher have been awarded over $4 million in a civil suit against the Sacramento School District, in a trial that sharply questioned the district’s policies to detect and avoid...more

Penn State Sex Abuse Scandal Rocks Families, Institutions, Laws

In a case with echoes of the Catholic Church sex abuse scandal, Penn State University and indeed the State of Pennsylvania face horrific charges of ignoring the sexual abuse of eight children at the hands of former Penn State...more

Investigating Sexual Assault Claims - Even Private Colleges Are Vulnerable

A recent Tennessee federal jury case involving a private university reminds the academy of the critical need to balance fairly the interests of the accused and accuser in investigating sexual assault cases. While private...more

Ken Berry: Litigation Paralegal and Award-Winning Prisoner Advocate

I wrote this Paralegal Spotlight for Paralegal Today (July/Sept 2010) featuring Ken Berry, a litigation paralegal and award-winning prisoner advocate. Incarcerated for eight years due to a wrongful conviction, Berry turned...more

Safford Unified School District #1, et al. v. Redding

Opinion

Supreme Court: Strip-Search of Teenager Violated Constitutional Rights The Supreme Court delivered a 8-1 opinion ruling that a strip-search of a thirteen-year-old girl by school officials looking for an ibuprofen tablet...more

Model Police SWAT/ERT Creation and Organization Plan

The Model Police SWAT/ERT Plan was crafted to give criminal defense attorneys and those pursuing Title 42 section 1983 actions a familiar baseline from which to gauge police activity and guidelines during the employment and...more