Podcasts by Class Act: Updates in Education Law
This podcast explores legal developments relevant to school districts, board of education members, administrators, teachers, and parents.
Further podcasts by Walter Haverfield LLP: Miriam and Lisa
Podcast on the topic Kurse
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Season Six, Episode Eight: Disciplining Students with Disabilities from 2022-12-17T21:23:57
In this last episode of Season Six, join Christina, Miriam, and Lisa for an insightful discussion about the guidance issued by the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and the Office of Special Educati...
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Season Six Episode Seven: Student Discipline Reminders from 2022-11-15T19:42:31
Every day, school district board members, administrators, and staff make critical judgment calls about student misconduct and subsequent discipline. What are the procedural and substantive due ...
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Season 6 Episode 6: Disciplining Public Employees for Social Media Posts from 2022-10-08T18:07:29
What happens if a public school teacher posts unfavorable comments about her school district on Facebook? What about a professor whose political commentary makes some students uncomfortable? Wh...
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Season Six Episode Five: Prayer in Public Schools from 2022-08-28T14:56:36
This summer, the United States Supreme Court decided the Kennedy v. Bremerton case, which addressed a high school coach's First Amendment rights in praying after football games. Join Christina...
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Season Six Episode Four: Your Top FERPA Questions from 2022-06-30T19:57:28
The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act seems pretty straightforward: Maintain confidentiality and produce records to parents or adult students. But what happens when a record, like a video...
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Season Six Episode Three: Homelessness in Our Schools from 2022-05-31T17:03:16
As most school administrators know, the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act requires districts to immediately enroll students who are experiencing homelessness to ensure educational continuit...
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Season Six Episode Two: Back to the Basics Part Two from 2022-04-30T11:37
In the second episode of a two-part series on special education basics, Christina, Lisa, and Miriam discuss individualized education programs, free appropriate public education, and least restri...
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Season Six Episode One: Back to the Basics of Special Education Law from 2022-03-27T15:14:36
Welcome to the sixth season of Class Act! Today's episode presents a general overview of special education law, including a bit of historical background and a discussion about evaluations, elig...
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Season Five Episode 12: Circling Back to Title IX from 2022-02-01T00:00
As school districts begin to implement the revised 2020 Title IX regulations for complaints of sexual harassment or violence, many administrators are facing numerous practical challenges. For e...
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Season Five Episode 11: Mask Mandates in Our Schools from 2022-01-02T12:28:57
Even as the New Year begins, school districts are still dealing with challenging pandemic issues. This episode takes a look at one of the most controversial pandemic outcomes : mask mandates in...
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Season Five Episode 10: Don't Let Your School Board Meeting Turn Into A Three-Ring Circus from 2021-12-03T07:48
Combative, hostile, and sometimes even violent school board meetings are all over the news these days. School board members increasingly face displeased parents and other community members who w...
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Season Five Episode 9: Arming Ohio's School Teachers from 2021-10-31T04:49
Lisa and Miriam discuss the recent Ohio Supreme Court ruling in Gabbard v. Madison, which is a case about whether Ohio school employees may carry weapons without full law enforcement training. T...
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Season 5 Episode 8: The Professor's Preferred Pronouns from 2021-09-04T18:31:13
On the heels of our previous discussion about transgender students' rights in schools, this episode is about the rights of teachers and professors who have strong religious objections to using s...
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Season 5 Episode 7: Transgender Students and the Office for Civil Rights from 2021-09-04T18:03:22
The rights of transgender students is a controversial topic that more and more school districts are facing these days. From name changes to restroom usage and privacy concerns, school administra...
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Season 5 Episode 6: Cussing Cheerleaders and the First Amendment from 2021-08-07T17:52
When Brandi Levy shared a profanity-laced snap after failing to make the varsity cheer team, she probably wasn't envisioning the start of a dispute that would ultimately be decided by the United...
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Season 5 Episode 5: Dealing with “Drama Mamas” (and “Drama Papas”) - When Parents Misbehave from 2021-06-07T15:11
Like staff and students, parents can have bad days too. But sometimes their conduct crosses a line, leading school administrators to wonder if they can ban hostile or aggressive parents from sch...
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Season 5 Episode 4: Kindergarten Bullies at the Ohio Supreme Court from 2021-05-02T21:10:28
In this episode, Megan, Lisa, and Miriam discuss AJR v. Lute, a fascinating kindergarten bullying case recently decided by the Ohio Supreme Court. What happened here? How did these five year o...
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Season 5 Episode 3: Students and the First Amendment from 2021-03-28T11:39:56
Back in January, we started our discussion of the First Amendment by considering school staff and limits on their speech in a school setting. Today we continue this conversation by looking at s...
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Season 5 Episode 2: The Coronavirus Vaccine and Your School Staff from 2021-02-27T19:25:01
The coronavirus vaccine is here and some states, like Ohio, are prioritizing school staff in their immunization schedules. Some school districts may even be considering mandatory vaccines for th...
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Season 4 Episode 3: Distance Learning Challenges and Successes During the COVID-19 Pandemic from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Well, this last quarter of the 2019-2020 school year has certainly been unusual! Students are adjusting to distance learning while districts are troubleshooting and problem-solving in innovative, c...
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Season 4 Episode 2: School Staff and Coronavirus - Your Top Legal Questions from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
In this second episode of our two-part series on school districts' obligations in light of the emerging COVID-19 pandemic, we take a look at your top legal questions relating to school staff. Lisa ...
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Season 4 Episode 1: Coronavirus and Our Schools - Your Top Legal Questions (Student Edition) from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
As the COVID-19 pandemic shuts schools across the country, many districts are looking for guidance in uncertain times. What obligations do schools have to students and families when buildings are c...
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Season 3 Episode 11: Alphabet Soup for Educators- FBAs, BIPs, and the IDEA! from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
What is a functional behavior assessment? When is one required? How is this different from a Behavior Intervention Plan? Lisa and Miriam are joined by John Moenk, a law clerk and former school ad...
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Season 3 Episode 10 : Top IEP Challenges Faced by School Teams from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Happy Thanksgiving! In today's episode, Lisa and Miriam are joined by John Moenk, our law clerk, to discuss common difficulties in preparing Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for students w...
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Season 3 Episode 6: Sexual Violence and Title IX Investigations from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Both universities and K-12 school districts are obligated to respond to complaints of sexual harassment or sexual violence promptly and thoroughly. But beyond that, additional administrative requir...
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Season 3 Episode 5: Sex Discrimination in Public Schools and Universities - History and Background of Title IX from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Simply put, Title IX prohibits sex-based discrimination in public schools and universities. But this fascinating and broad law affects many diverse aspects of a school district's daily operations -...
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Season 3 Episode 4: Booster Groups and School Boards from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Booster groups are parent and community-led organizations that support and fundraise for various programs offered by public school districts, such as sports, drama, etc. Some booster groups are off...
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Season 3, Episode 3: Anonymous Reporting Apps -- What Your District Needs to Know from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
In the wake of school shootings and similar tragedies, many school districts across the country now offer hotline services where students can submit anonymous tips through an app, and a crisis cent...
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Season 3 Episode 2: Hand Over that Fight Video! from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Student privacy can certainly be tricky in this era of rapidly-developing technology. It seems like everyone has privacy rights under the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) these days,...
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Season 3 Episode 1: Secret Recording Devices in the Classroom from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
It seems like almost every week we hear yet another news story about a school in hot water because of a secret tape recorder or phone that a parent sent in a student's back pack. Is this even legal...
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Season 5 Episode 1: School Staff and the First Amendment from 2021-01-13T19:22:11
Welcome to our Fifth Season! In light of recent socio-political events, you may be wondering about your school staff's free speech rights. What does the First Amendment cover? What kind of sp...
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Season 4 Episode 11: COVID Case Law Round Up from 2020-12-30T19:06:45
Happy New Year! For the last episode of Season 4, Christina, Lisa, and Miriam discuss emerging case law related to the pandemic. Did school districts violate federal law by closing buildings in c...
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Season 4 Episode 10: What Your District Needs to Know About Sexual Violence Complaints and Updated Title IX Regulations from 2020-11-30T18:29
This past summer, the federal Department of Education issued updated regulations for school districts and universities faced with sexual harassment or sexual violence complaints. Christina, Lisa, a...
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Season 4 Episode 9: Frequently Asked Questions about Remote Learning from 2020-10-30T13:23:37
Remote learning - an option many schools are implementing during the COVID-19 pandemic - undoubtedly comes with its own set of challenges. How should districts address attendance when students fai...
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Season 4 Episode 8: We All Make Mistakes from 2020-09-30T11:32:21
Although this podcast episode was recorded pre-pandemic, it is more relevant than ever in these challenging times. We all make mistakes and school district employees are no exception. How should ...
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Season 4 Episode 7: Top School District Mistakes in Manifestation Determination Review Meetings from 2020-08-31T17:20:27
Recorded before the pandemic, this episode explores manifestation determination reviews for special education students whose misbehavior violated their school's code of conduct. Join Christina and ...
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Season 4 Episode 6: When Parents Are Sex Offenders from 2020-07-30T11:07:20
In this episode, recorded before the pandemic, Christina and Miriam discuss a complicated and sensitive topic: parents who are registered as sex offenders, but still have various rights when it com...
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Season 4 Episode 5: Education Law Round Up 2019 from 2020-06-30T11:08:28
Recorded before the COVID-19 pandemic, this episode highlights some of the more interesting education law cases decided by appellate courts in 2019. Christina and Miriam summarize judicial rulings...
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Season 4 Episode 4: Planning for ESY and Fall 2020 During the COVID-19 Pandemic from 2020-05-24T16:50
Team decisions about Extended School Year services can be complicated in a regular school year, all the more so during this Coronavirus pandemic. Many school districts are still closed but parents ...
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Season 3 Episode 12: Your Top IEE Questions Answered from 2020-02-04T16:06:33
You probably know that parents of special education students are entitled to an Independent Educational Evaluation if they disagree with an evaluation conducted by the school district. But what ha...
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Season 3 Episode 9: The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round from 2019-10-31T15:40:15
As we all know, special education students often have disability-related needs outside of the traditional classroom setting. In the transportation context, however, some circumstances can challen...
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Season 3 Episode 8: Transgender Students and Title IX from 2019-10-03T22:08:43
To finish up our Title IX series, Ben Chojnacki joins Lisa and Miriam to discuss school districts' obligations towards transgender students. Over the last several years, some school districts acro...
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Season 3 Episode 7: School Sports and Title IX from 2019-09-03T16:30
The term "sex-based discrimination" may bring to mind harassment, exclusion, or various unwarranted assumptions about boys and girls. But did you know that Title IX applies also to equity in school...
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