This school year has begun with a number of changes related to teacher tenure, evaluations, and dismissals. On August 4, 2023, Governor Pritzker signed into law Public Act 103-0500, revising the Illinois School Code...more
Recently, the Seventh Circuit—the circuit court governing Illinois—upheld a lower court’s judgment in favor of a school district defending against two reverse race discrimination claims brought by a longtime District...more
With the end of the school year slowly approaching, remember that any recommendations to non-renew a probationary teacher’s employment for the next school year must likely be acted upon at the board’s March or April meeting. ...more
The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments on October 8 in three closely watched cases addressing whether Title VII, which prohibits employment discrimination “because of … sex,” covers discrimination based on LGBT...more
10/17/2019
/ Altitude Express Inc v Zarda ,
Athletes ,
Bostock v Clayton County Georgia ,
Civil Rights Act ,
EEOC v RG & GR Harris Funeral Homes ,
Gender Identity ,
Hiring & Firing ,
LGBTQ ,
Oral Argument ,
School Restrooms ,
SCOTUS ,
Sex Discrimination ,
Statutory Interpretation ,
Students ,
Title VII ,
Transgender
On August 23, 2019, Governor Pritzker signed into law Public Act 101-531 (Act) which puts into place a number of measures aimed at increasing student safety....more
9/25/2019
/ Charter Schools ,
Child Abuse ,
Criminal Convictions ,
Disciplinary Proceedings ,
Educational Institutions ,
Failure to Report ,
Felons ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Internal Investigations ,
ISBE ,
License Suspensions ,
Licensing Rules ,
New Legislation ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Professional Development ,
Public Acts ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Safety Standards ,
Sex Offenders ,
State and Local Government ,
Students
The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) recently updated its Non-Regulatory Guidance on the Performance Evaluation Reform Act (PERA) and Senate Bill 7 (SB 7). Similar to the 2012 guidance, the updated Non-Regulatory...more
Last week, the Illinois Appellate Court’s Second District held that a teacher subject to dismissal based on a reduction in force (RIF) did not have recall rights because she was in RIF Grouping 2, and that the school district...more
An Illinois Appellate Court recently overturned the 2012 dismissal of a teacher who was terminated for being under the influence while at work. The opinion provides instructive guidance on how courts closely analyze a school...more
School leaders across the country are buzzing about a California Superior Court’s recent tentative ruling that the state’s teacher tenure, dismissal, and layoff laws violate the equal protection clause of the California...more
In a recent decision, the Public Access Counselor (PAC) ruled that Western Illinois University Board of Trustees violated the Open Meetings Act (OMA) when it voted to terminate a faculty member in closed session. According to...more