House Bill 3 brings major changes to school safety, specifically requiring districts to strengthen active shooter policies and safety plans. Effective September 1, 2023, it is imperative that districts begin to review the new requirements of HB 3 to ensure policies and procedures are compliant in time for the upcoming school year. Security Officers/Facility Safety […]
Read moreOn Friday, February 17, 2023, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights released new Title IX resources released to support equal opportunity in athletic programs. This included the following two publications: Supporting Equal Opportunity in School Athletic Programs: A Resource for Students and Families PDF Title IX and Athletic Opportunities in K-12 Schools: […]
Read moreOn December 7, 2022, Governor Greg Abbott ordered all Texas state agencies to ban the use of TikTok on any government-issued devices. In his letter to state agencies, Abbott ordered every state agency in Texas to ban its officers and employees from downloading or using TikTok on any of its government-issued devices. The TikTok ban […]
Read moreOn October 24, 2022, the Eastern District of Texas overruled a school district’s objections to the Report and Recommendation of a magistrate judge denying the district’s motion to dismiss. Ultimately, the court ruled that coaches may be “appropriate persons” with actual knowledge satisfying one element of a Title IX complaint. A Brownsboro ISD student, through […]
Read moreOctober 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 moreFollowing the tragedy at Robb Elementary School, state educational leaders, legislators, and community members are seeking assurances from school districts across Texas regarding safety and security plans and procedures. The Texas House of Representatives Investigative Committee recently released a 77-page report detailing the Uvalde shooting and the extent to which the Uvalde ISD acted in […]
Read moreOn Friday, February 18, 2022, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton issued Opinion No. KP-0401, in which the Attorney General opined that a court could find that certain enumerated “sex-change procedures”, when performed on minors, constitute child abuse under several provisions of Chapter 261 of the Texas Family Code. The specific procedures addressed in the Opinion […]
Read moreAs mask and vaccine mandates gain more traction throughout the nation as a means of preventing and hopefully eradicating COVID-19, many people who vehemently oppose these measures are attempting to use religious exemptions as a last-ditch effort to avoid compliance. Religious exemptions to vaccinations have been asserted in the past, but perhaps never in such […]
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 moreShortly after sharing concerns about the educational placement of a student with a disability, a Michigan parent received a truancy letter. The letter, sent by the district’s attendance agent, explained the legal repercussions of the student’s unexcused absences and that the parent could be prosecuted under state law. The attendance agent, unaware of the prior […]
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