October brings Fall weather, changing leaves, and a bit of chaos on the student discipline front. Homecoming festivities and other school-sponsored events may trigger an uptick in allegations of student-on-student sexual misconduct. When a school employee receives notice of a potential Title IX issue, the District must respond with immediate and swift action so as not […]
Read moreThe U.S. Supreme Court recently issued its long-awaited decision in Mahanoy Area School District v. B.L., ruling that a school district violated a cheerleader’s First Amendment rights when it suspended her from the cheer team because of her off-campus social-media posts. However, in doing so, the Court explained that its ruling was narrowly limited to […]
Read moreThe Federal Commission on School Safety recently issued its Final Report. A copy of the full report can be accessed via the Commission’s website here. The Report has made early headlines primarily due to its criticism of the Obama Administration’s “Rethink School Discipline” guidance, which included rules targeting exclusionary discipline and requiring the application of […]
Read moreHouse Bill 674 (“HB 674”) has two parts: it adds Texas Education Code (“TEC”) § 37.005(c), which prohibits out-of-school suspension (“OSS”) for students below 3rd grade, with some exceptions; and it adds TEC § 37.0013, POSITIVE BEHAVIOR PROGRAM, which authorizes districts to create new disciplinary alternatives for students below 3rd grade who engage in conduct […]
Read more