Last week, you may have noticed an influx of media reports on incidents of hazing disclosed by colleges and universities throughout Pennsylvania. These disclosures were made pursuant the Timothy J. Piazza Anti-Hazing Law, signed into law by Governor Tom Wolf in October of 2018. The law is an amendment to the Pennsylvania Crimes Code, it replaces existing Anti-Hazing Law found in the Pennsylvania … [Read more...] about The Expansion of Pennsylvania Anti-Hazing Laws and its Impact on Secondary Schools and Institutions of Higher Education
School Law Bullet
Overstepping Authority? Controversial Policy on Arming School Personnel Faces Legal Challenges
Tamaqua Area School Board (TASB) Policy allowing the arming of school personnel and the use of deadly force faces serious legal challenges in lawsuit brought by teacher’s union. On September 18, 2018, the TASB adopted Policy 705, “Standard Operating Procedures for Person’s Authorized to Use Weapons.” The policy creates a new category of employment called School Resource Professionals (SRP’s). … [Read more...] about Overstepping Authority? Controversial Policy on Arming School Personnel Faces Legal Challenges
Federal School Safety Commission Issues Recommendations
The Federal School Safety Commission, created earlier this year following the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, issued a 180 page report this week with recommendations in three areas to address school violence: prevention; protection and mitigation; and response and recovery. The Report The report begins with a timeline of violent school incidents, beginning with the 1979 shooting at Grover … [Read more...] about Federal School Safety Commission Issues Recommendations
Commonwealth Court Steadfastly Refuses to Exempt Bus Videos Depicting Students from Disclosure Under the Right to Know Law
On December 10, 2018, the Commonwealth Court issued a second opinion requiring the disclosure of bus videos as public records. This decision, Central Dauphin School District v. Hawkins, presents similar issues to those decided last July in the matter of Easton Area School District v. Miller. Element5 Digital Facts in the Case In 2016, a television news reporter requested a copy of the bus camera … [Read more...] about Commonwealth Court Steadfastly Refuses to Exempt Bus Videos Depicting Students from Disclosure Under the Right to Know Law
Changes Proposed to Title IX Regulations: Make Your Voice Heard
As predicted, the Department of Education (USDOE) recently released its proposed regulations for Title IX. These regulations have yet to take effect. Under federal law, the public must be given an opportunity to comment on the proposed regulations before any regulation is formally adopted and implemented. However, given the proposed revisions, educational institutions should start to review their … [Read more...] about Changes Proposed to Title IX Regulations: Make Your Voice Heard
Third Circuit finds Endrew F. Does Not Change FAPE Standard, Offers Other Instructive Guidance to School Entities
The Third Circuit Court of Appeals has held in the case of K.D. v. Downingtown Area School District, No. 17-3065 (3d Cir., Sept. 18, 2018), that the standard for a FAPE provided by the Supreme Court in Endrew F., heralded as heightening the FAPE standard by some, is in fact the same FAPE standard applied by the Third Circuit for quite some time, meaning school entities obligations in the Third … [Read more...] about Third Circuit finds Endrew F. Does Not Change FAPE Standard, Offers Other Instructive Guidance to School Entities
