School Law Bullet

In a recent case, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania has made it clear that a school district can impose limits on a parent when the parent acts in a manner that is abusive or inappropriate towards school staff.  Facts in the Case In Grim v Pennsbury School District, (- 2015 WL 1312482; Civil Action No. 14-04217 (E.D.Pa., Mar. 24, 2015), a parent who was in … [Read more...] about Court Finds That Schools Do Have the Ability to Place Limits on Unreasonable Parents and Provides Guidance on How to Do So

As you know, we have been closely following this story and are trying to keep everyone informed as it develops. Here is the bottom line. On March 17, 2015, the Commonwealth Court has entered an order that continues the injunction against disclosure of employee home addresses, provided that the injunction will remain in effect only until either:  (1) 15 days from today if neither party files a … [Read more...] about Court Continues Injunction Regarding Disclosure of Employee Addresses Under RTKL

As indicated in School Law Bullet 150 this past week, on February 18, the Commonwealth Court determined that the Right to Know Law is so procedurally flawed that it violates the rights of individuals to participate when a record containing their home address is requested.  The Court directed school districts to notify individuals when such records are requested to enable them to present reasons … [Read more...] about Commonwealth Court Reinstates Injunction Regarding Disclosure of Home Addresses Under RTK Law

On February 18, the Commonwealth Court determined that the Right to Know Law is so procedurally flawed that it violates the rights of individuals to participate when a record containing their home address is requested.  Therefore, the Court now requires notice to individuals when such records are requested, and a full opportunity for them to be heard. The Very Short Version of the Facts This case … [Read more...] about Commonwealth Court Issues Decision on Disclosure of Home Addresses Under Right To Know Law

Confused about the Child Protective Services Law amendments? Ready to pull your hair out thinking about employee clearances and background checks?  Having panic attacks about new legal compliance related to volunteers in your school?  You are not alone. In what can be legitimately termed the Post-Sandusky era, the landscape of mandated reporting and child abuse protection/prevention has just … [Read more...] about Keeping Up With Child Abuse Laws In A Post-Sandusky World: A Practical Legal Guide for Schools

On January 7, the Office for Civil Rights and the Department of Justice issued joint guidance in the form of a Dear Colleague Letter to clarify the obligation of school districts to ensure equal access to education for English language learners. Federal Law Requires Equal Access Federal statistics indicate that English Learner (EL) students are enrolled in three out of four school districts and … [Read more...] about New Guidance for Programs to Assist English Learners